Xabi Alonso was deeply hurt by Benitez’s desire to replace him

Liverpool’s relatively poor start to the season has allowed many experts to conclude that they are not half the team they were when they had Xabi Alonso. It seems that all of a sudden it is not Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres they can’t do without, it is Xabi Alonso.

Whilst there is little doubt that Alonso is an exceptional player, it is surely far simple to blame a couple of defeats on the loss of one player.

Gaping

Having said that, there is definitely a gaping hole in the team where Alonso used to be. Many people have criticised the club for letting him go, but Alonso has now revealed that they couldn’t have kept him. He told Sky Sports,

“It was a very difficult decision for me to make. After five years I have experienced wonderful nights at Anfield, to have experienced the support of probably the best fans in the world. That’s why I have always been very grateful and I will always have them in my mind and it has been a pleasure. Last summer the club proposed to me that I might have to be sold to find funds for new players. It was a difficult decision or difficult moment to accept that. I accepted that as a professional and that moment probably changed my mind and I thought that maybe from that moment that maybe it was time for a change.”

It is clear from this that the damage was done in the Summer prior to last season when Rafa Benitez set his heart on signing Gareth Barry from Aston Villa and made it obvious that he was prepared to sell Alonso in order to allow that to happen. Many people questioned whether Barry is a better player than Alonso, but Benitez was very clear on the subject.

Great

Of course, the Barry deal fell through and Alonso stayed and had a great season, almost helping the side to the Premier League title for the first time ever. Although Alonso played a significant part in that season, it now seems that the hurt he felt at Benitez’s attitude in the Summer was never far away from him.

The twenty-seven year old Spanish international with sixty-two caps to his name had five generally successful seasons at Anfield before his recent £30 million transfer to Real Madrid.

Careful

It does seem that for such a distinguished player, Alonso was not treated too well or regarded highly enough by Rafa Benitez. When asked about his relationship with his former manager, Alonso was careful with what he said,

“There has been a lot of rumours but I have always said that it has been simply a professional relationship. I have always tried to do what he asked to do. What he asked of me on the pitch, to do the talking on the pitch, and that’s that.”

Is the loss of Xabi Alonso another error by Rafa Benitez as he tries so desperately to take Liverpool back to the top of the English and European game or is this just one of those things that happens in football?