Steven Gerrard was "devastated" when Xabi Alonso left Liverpool and admits the Reds have missed the Spaniard.
Liverpool captain Gerrard, who is currently injured forged a good understanding with Alonso in midfield. Alonso moved on to Real Madrid in the summer, since when Liverpool have struggled for form in the Premier League and Champions League.
"Devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it," Gerrard told FourFourTwo magazine.
"Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his team-mates and the coaches couldn't stand in his way. We just have to say thanks and move forward without him."
Liverpool recouped around £30million for 27-year-old Alonso, and spent most of that on bringing replacement Alberto Aquilani to Anfield from Roma.
Aquilani missed the first two months of the season due to injury and Liverpool have already lost seven matches.
Gerrard knew it would take Liverpool time to adapt to life without Alonso, who in a playmaker role had a vital duty in Rafael Benitez's team.
Gerrard said: "It's always going to be different when you lose one of the best players in the world - and people are finally realising that's what he is, on the back of his form for Real Madrid and the difference in us from last year.
"We've got other midfielders here doing a good job but it will take a while before Alonso's out of our system because he was such a top player."
Comment 2 - 21 of 21
I don't understanding how people talks about Alozo, this is discouraging current mid filder and it won't help even if Alozo read your comment because he won't come back.
The team is creating a lot more chances to score but we don't take them.
Also there must be a fair balance btw Attacking and defending consentration, if we try and fill all the gaps and keep on concentration for 90 min we will alway bounce back right now.
A part from the situation we experience all clubs are avoiding us because they know how hard we can be.
we just have to fill in our confident back and make no mistake.
I don't understanding how people talks about Alozo, this is discouraging current mid filder and it won't help even if Alozo read your comment because he won't come back.
The team is creating a lot more chances to score but we don't take them.
Also there must be a fair balance btw Attacking and defending consentration, if we try and fill all the gaps and keep on concentration for 90 min we will alway bounce back right now.
A part from the situation we experience all clubs are avoiding us because they know how hard we can be.
we just have to fill in our confident back and make no mistake.
I don't understanding how people talks about Alozo, this is discouraging current mid filder and it won't help even if Alozo read your comment because he won't come back.
The team is creating a lot more chances to score but we don't take them.
Also there must be a fair balance btw Attacking and defending consentration, if we try and fill all the gaps and keep on concentration for 90 min we will alway bounce back right now.
A part from the situation we experience all clubs are avoiding us because they know how hard we can be.
we just have to fill in our confident back and make no mistake.
Alonso wanted to leave because the club tried to sign Barry from Aston Villa (who is not as good).
And it would seem Barry only joined City for the money Liverpool would have been his first choice.
AQUILANI will be a great replacement for ALONSO who is badly missed.....................maybe he will be too late this year but next year watch us GO GO GO GO!!!
CHELSEA are the new UTD........................not brillant but get the results............next year watch MAN UTD suffer like LFC have this year!!!
Benitez's man-management is absolute sh#t. He treated Alonso with NO respect in '08 summer, letting the whole world know he was simply FORCED to stick with him after he failed to get Barry. If I were Alonso I would move to any club given the opportunity, let alone be Real Madrid. And look at last night game against Lyon. After Voronin missed that one-on-one goal, he immediately looked at the manager's box with such fear as if he would never play one more game in a Liverpool shirt. When Babel scored that goal, he had so much anger that it seems he wasn't scoring a goal but stabbing Benitez in the chest.
As a Liverpool supporter, it saddens me to see the kind of mess going on with Lverpool at the moment and I simply don't know where the real blame lies. Before the season started I predictd that we would struggle with or without Alonso and that is exactly how it has turned out so far. People can blame the cuurrnt problem on Alonso's departure or injuries but I don't agree with them at all. Arsenal lost more players than us and United also lost their best player but they have managed to get on with life. And Arsenal to me are playing better than when Adebayor and Toure were there. I think we need to ask how teams like Arsenal and MU do it. Over the years, apart from few exceptions, I don't think the Manager has bought well even when given money to spend. For instance, it still baffles me how we allowed Gareth Barry to slip us bye and then went on to spend #20m on a player who has not played for more than 4 months. What a horrible piece of business if you can call it business at all. I don't want to put the entire blame on the Manager as I do not know what goes on behind the closed doors but things don't seem right at Liverpool at the moment. And we would be extremely lucky to qualify for Europe next season let alone winning anything. As for the league title, I think we are well and trully out of it . I just feel sorry for Torres and Gerrard who deserve better with the abilities they have.
Maybe we should ask Rafa why he treats players with disdain.
For fux sake have you Liverpool haters not got a life outside of here, it's all getting a bit boring now having to hear the same old rubbish spouted out every day.
Why dont you try your own teams page for once in you tiny minded lives!! YNWA !
well that is what captain's are for stive...
Aquilani will be better than Lucas. Hell, Margaret Thatcher playing as a midfielder will be better than Lucas!!!
#8 Man U had a big advantage recently in NOT having up to 14 1st and 2nd choice players out of action.
Let's see how the Reds do when we have SG, FT, AA, DA and GJ all at 100%, along with JM, DK, YB, PR, JC and MS. Anything from Insua and Babel would be a bonus.
YNWA
the only way to force the yanks out is to make them more in debt. So leave the stadium empty and i guarantee they will sell the club in the summer...
Rafa is a horses arse, Liverpool are going out of the Champions League tonight I hate to say. It will be no ones fault but Rafas for putting all his eggs in one basket. I know Torres was injured vs Fulham but taking off Yossi and Kuyt was s.hit managment and the travelling LFC fans were right to boo. Yanks out and take Rafa with you, I totally agree with comment 7.
Get over ure self,dry your tears mate,you only lose one key player in the summer,where else we Manchester United lost Tevez and RONALDO but we are not having a meltdown,but instead we have move on & we made the best out of it,NOBODY IS INDISPENSABLE....stop being a Wussy!!!..GET OVER IT!!!...
Interesting that Stevie G confirms what we all knew 'Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career'. Why didn't Benitez accept this in May and target a new player - eg Barry?
I believe that Benitez is probably the best coach there is when it comes to preparing a team for a one off Must Win game - take the MU game last week as an example - and so I expect us to win tonight.
However, I've come to the conclusion that we will never win the Premiership with him in charge. Our only hope is that we get proper ownership - that measn one owner. No-one is likely to buy 50%. The only good thing about us not finishing top 4 this year is that our value will go down. Hicks or Gillet are not stupid so hopefully they will see that and both sell out NOW.
Yes, aquilani will be good but how soon will he be fixture in the games because we are dropping points and pray we should still be among the big four to go for next seasons champions leauge.
hi all, glad to see you guys still have faith with the team. Positive!YNWA
alonso is a committed player. all the time the link with g barry was active, he still provided 110% performance every-time he put the red shirt on. people only remember the play-making part, alonso was also a very committed defensive midfielder at the same time.
its really a bad miss. really bad.
Truelly Gerrard we missed him but we dont regret it as he wont have been dedicated to us had it been we held him.Soon and soonest Aqui will replace him and be a class player too.Be patient and be acquainted with him
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