Roy Hodgson Doesn’t Fancy Alberto Aquilani

Ollie Irish

20th, August 2010

18 Comments

MOST Liverpool fans really like Alberto Aquilani. They root for him, even though he is clearly not cut out for the Premier League.

Aquaman is talented but also wispish, fragile and ethereal. One might hope that £20m would buy you a player of slightly more substance.

Roy Hodgson has looked at Aquilani and decided he doesn’t fancy him, at least not in his first season in charge, when he needs can-do players. Or even no-can-do-but-I’ll-try-gaffer players, like poor Joe Cole. Right now, Aqua is a can’t-do player – the sight of him sat in the stands last night at Anfield told its own story: it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Me, replaced by a clogger like Poulsen.

Hodgson says there is still a future for Aquilani, which I’m sure there is, but I can’t help but feel that if the Italian returns home, he’s not coming back.

“At the moment we are considering possibly loaning him to an Italian club, but nothing is sure about that yet so I don’t have anything definite to report,” Hodgson said.

“I didn’t want to use him (against Trabzonspor) just in case the loan goes through, because for Aquilani this year it’s very important that he plays regular football, every week, as the number-one man on the teamsheet.

“I can’t promise him that here, so if a loan move to Italy could help him in that respect it might be good for all parties.

“It would certainly be what he needs, it would certainly protect the value of the player and when he does return to Liverpool no doubt we will see the Aquilani that we signed before he came here injured last year.”

Time to give up on Aquilani, or is a loan deal exactly what he needs to restore his confidence?

Posted in Liverpool, Serie A, Transfers & Rumours

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18 Comments

  1. Nathan says:

    Joe Cole is not a no can do player but ill try

  2. spectator says:

    if he goes i don’t think he’s coming back. i think this demonstrates what’s wrong with english football. i’m a prem fan but you get sick of the way teams go beyond the physical to the plain crude. players like aqua should be able to succeed in england and be seen to, if english football is going to regularly produce players of genuine technical mastery, which it needs to if it ever wants to be successful on the world stage again.

  3. rowan says:

    Too soon to be flogging him. Cole obviously need competition for the spot behind the forward, after all, we dont want any favourites playing week in, week out, if they are not cutting it. I’m not sure Cole will be a hit, in fact, id rather see aqua playing behind torres.
    This is a real shame in my opinion.
    If the rumours that kuyt is off too are true, insua almost out the door and an 8m price tag put on lucas, it seems somebody has heard the fans cries.
    they better have some top class players lined up to replace.

  4. yuan says:

    roy is shit! useless manager!

  5. Steve S says:

    yuan – we’ll ignore you, you’ve made that opinion in 4 competitive games.

    As for Aquaman, i think what Roy is saying is he needs a solid season of playing regular football and not sitting on the bench. This to do a number of things, including getting his confidence and fitness back. Roy’s said he’s not in his first team plans so loaning him out would work.

    However, my problem with that is, if Stevie and Cole both got injured, i can;t see an playmaking midfielder that we could use. Neither Lucas, Poulsen or Masch are that type of player. I think Aquaman should play in the next 3 league games in Cole’s suspension and then see. If he plays well, Cole can always be moved to the right, especially if the news abotu Kuyt going to Inter is true

  6. chris says:

    Can’t see the point in a loan.
    With the arrival of Cole I cant see a place for him and we need funds
    for a striker and a winger. We should be selling him and mash for funds to spend in the transfer market. Those two alone should bring in some were near 45m

  7. Meji says:

    The man barely had a chance lol.

  8. redownunder says:

    Roy , this is your 1st big mistake . He is much 100 times better than useless Lucas . He must get game time 2 prove himself , so does Babel.Get rid of Lucas 4 good , I am sure Aquilani / Babel would have proved themselves by now if given half the time thats been given to useless Lucas .

  9. RED-G says:

    I say we should sell him if we can that way we can buy a replacement. Loaning out £17 million worth of player seems a waste. Either keep or sell him I say but don’t loan him. I agree he is probably better than Joe Cole or maybe just as good.

  10. NEERAJ says:

    If we let him go then forget about tital. he must stay he is a class player i ever seen in liverpool midfield. like benitez hogson is also doing the wrong business. i like to see rathe love to see aqua playing behind striker. if you want to win the tital u should keep him. he would be a star at liverpool give him a chance. i really love the club & aqua. in my opinion team should be like this.
    Raina

    Jonsen Skertel Agger fabio/new singing

    Machorano Gerrard

    Maxi Aquilani J cole

    Torres.

  11. C says:

    Such a disgrace. If he only gotten more time on the field after the injury, he would’ve had a chance to adapt. He lookt really promising at the end of last season.

  12. Gav says:

    liverpool’s fantastic business sense on show again

  13. haftom says:

    aqua=100 is times lucas.

  14. haftom says:

    aqua=100 times lucas.

  15. NEERAJ says:

    Hogson need to rethink please dont do this with him.

  16. RED-G says:

    We need him for squad depth. I was just starting to get excited about the new season and thinking for once our subs bench is starting to look good. I’d make Juventus cough up and then get Van Der Vaart who is just as talented and is quite a determined character. It’s weird how Aqua is being let go because I watched him in the Euro a few weeks back and he looked really good. If not fancied though get rid. It’s seems like Joe Cole doesn’t have to earn his place in the team and is guaranteed to start for some reason. I’d play:

    GK reina
    LB Agger
    CB skrtel
    CB carragher
    RB Johnson
    DM poulsen (sitting deep)
    DM Gerrard (Licence to go forward)
    AML Jovanovic
    AMC Aqualani
    AMR Cole (better on the right I reckon)
    STK Torres

  17. Martin says:

    Urgh, Liverpool getting 45 millions for Aquilani and Masch? Are you mad? I think you’d really struggle to find someone willing to pay over 7 millions for Alberto, at the moment.

  18. Davey Mc says:

    I really think Aquilani should be given more time 2 prove himself…… He was injured 4 most of last season and when given the chance you could see the class,he is tecnicaly very good,fair enough he aint got much physical presence but in fairness too him he was bought 4 his link up play….Why loan him Roy give him until January 2 prove himself if he doesent cut it then yeah ship him out…..We need strength in depth 2 compete so loaning him out makes no sense…..

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