Trash Chronicles

At the end of the 2007-08 season, Xabi Alonso’s future was well and truly up in the air. Despite a strong finish to what was an injury-plagued campaign with Liverpool, Rafael Benitez attempted to sell off the midfielder to fund a move for Gareth Barry. Interest from Arsenal, Juventus and Real Madrid amounted to nothing, however – and perhaps just as well, from the Reds’ perspective.

Alonso reported back to Anfield for pre-season in high spirits after a successful summer with Spain at the European Championship. Although he was restricted to a bit-part role with La Furia Roja – barring a man-of-the-match showing in the group stage against Greece – the Tolosa-born playmaker was an important element in Austria and Switzerland, and he had no trouble replicating his international form at club level.

With Javier Mascherano away at the Olympics and Steven Gerrard suffering a string of injuries, Alonso gleefully exploited the opportunity to re-establish himself as the fulcrum around which the Merseysiders functioned. He took it upon himself to direct the play from the middle of the park, exercising his famed passing range and calming influence to their full extent as he helped his side overcome a jittery start to the season.

When ‘Monster Masche’ came back into the team following his return from Beijing, he and Xabi set about forming what some have dubbed Europe’s premier midfield partnership. For even though the Argentine was clearly fatigued, his presence alone granted his Spanish club-mate the sort of freedom that he’d experienced only sporadically since Dietmar Hamann left the club in 2007.

But Alonso did much more than spray 60-yard passes around at his leisure. Not only was his work-rate of an exceptional standard (UEFA statistics from the Champions League showed that he regularly clocked up more mileage per game than any other ‘Pool player); he chipped in with some crucial goals, too. His Lampardesque strike in October ended Chelsea’s mammoth unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge, and he put away a penalty at the same venue later in the season as the Reds crashed out of Europe in epic fashion.


Get In! | Xabi was in peak form for the Reds last term

The 27-year-old’s role within the Spanish national team also strengthened throughout the campaign, as the new coach, Vicente del Bosque, made him a regular starter. He scored twice in a friendly against Denmark in August, and netted from the spot in Turkey as La Seleccion romped towards qualification for the 2010 World Cup. And in the super-friendly against England in February, it was his sublime through-ball that gave David Villa the opportunity to score one of the most memorable goals of the year.

Meanwhile, Liverpool were putting up their first real fight for the league title since Benitez’s arrival at Anfield, and Xabi’s role in their improved domestic form did not go unnoticed. The press praised his professionalism in light of the Barry saga, while his fellow players lauded his ability to exert his influence on any given game. Thus, his omission from the list of nominees for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award was controversial, to say the least.

Liverpool ended an impressive but frustrating campaign trophyless, and even a stellar season – coupled with solid displays at the Confederations Cup – hasn’t saved Alonso from another summer of transfer speculation. But it’s only natural that Real Madrid would so avidly pursue a player whom many regard as the best deep-lying playmaker going around.