Xabi Alonso impressing at Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola and eyeing a third Champions League medal
Monday 16 February 2015 07:03, UK
Adam Bate looks at Xabi Alonso's fine form with Bayern Munich and why he can make history this season.
"Xabi Alonso is one of those very annoying players who every player and fan from other clubs likes."
While many will empathise with Jamie Carragher’s assessment of his former Liverpool team-mate, it's curious that such a sentiment was seldom shared by those in Catalonia as tensions increased between Barcelona and Real Madrid over the course of the past decade.
It was a situation stoked by Jose Mourinho, a manager who appears to thrive on such conflict, and Alonso's role in the heart of the Real Madrid midfield placed him at the centre of an increasingly spiteful rivalry. Revista de la Liga regular Graham Hunter has referred to the "relentless disparagement of Alonso by the Catalan media" as a by-product of this non-relationship.
According to questionable claims by Catalan newspaper Sport in February, it was an 'open secret' that Alonso was 'persona non gratis' within Camp Nou. Their claims included a suggestion that several Barcelona players refused to film a television commercial with the then Real man - Carles Puyol allegedly agreeing to fulfil the obligation on the proviso that contact was kept to an absolute minimum.
Even if the claims were baseless, what's apparent is that the perception that Alonso had been part of Mourinho's cabal, instrumental in poisoning relations between the clubs, had become pervasive. It was a view that some held responsible for a divided national-team dressing room in Brazil last summer, precipitating an early flight back from Brazil.
As a result, one can only imagine the shock among some in Catalonia when Alonso linked up with Barcelona icon Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich in the summer. The two men had come into conflict in the white heat of El Clasico but the love-in was immediate upon Alonso's arrival. "He showed a lot of interest in me coming here, and it was very important for me to feel that confidence from the coach," said the playmaker in an interview with UEFA.
"It's clear to me how he wants to play, and what he wants from me. I've come here to learn from him. I am convinced that I can adapt my style." Guardiola, for his part, called it "the perfect solution" and it's easy to see why. In fact, it's rather more difficult to envisage who else could have replaced Toni Kroos at Bayern. For while the German has slipped seamlessly into Alonso's role at the Bernabeu, the job swap has gone just as well in Bavaria.
Conductor
Guardiola places a huge emphasis on finding a midfield conductor to implement his vision and for all the quality in the Bayern team, he did not have a Xavi Hernandez at his disposal. Hence the surprise move to switch the intelligent Philipp Lahm into a midfield role upon his arrival in 2013. In that sense, Alonso can even bring more to the position than his predecessor Kroos.
"His approach and the way he plays football will help us immediately," said Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer. "He's a personality with real character out on the field." Even Alonso admits he's still improving at 33. "The older you get, you try to run less and think more. You also try to participate as well as possible, be the link between attack and defence, between left and right. With more age, you need to have more composure, you need to read the game and understand it better."
The signs are good. He is making more tackles and interceptions this season and while there was an uncharacteristic error to allow Sergio Aguero to score for Manchester City in the group stages of the Champions League, that was the exception rather than the rule. Alonso has been a model of consistency and seemingly relished what he refers to as the "more physical" Bundesliga - turning to the skills he acquired in his five-year stay at Liverpool. Then there's the passing. Always the passing.
The records are falling. Alonso's 204 touches in a 2-0 win over FC Koln in September was a Bundesliga high and his average of 121.1 passes per 90 minutes so far this season is almost 30 more than any other player in the division. To put that number in context, Xavi tops La Liga and Yaya Toure ranks No.1 in the Premier League but neither man is close to making 100 passes per complete game. Typically, it's not all tippy-tappy stuff either. Alonso's 180 accurate long balls are more than any other outfield Bundesliga player too.
Live UEFA Champions League
Indeed, the suggestion now is that Bayern are almost becoming too reliant on him. Injuries to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara have only increased the emphasis on Alonso as the team's pivot. A presentation by Kispest Honved video analyst Abel Lorincz at the OptaPro forum in London earlier this month even advanced the notion that stopping the passing lines to the Spaniard is the way to stop Bayern.
Of course, that's easier said than done and the chance to become a Champions League winner with three different clubs - replicating the achievement of fellow former Real Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf - will provide added motivation. Alonso missed the final in Lisbon last May through suspension and if he manages to battle his way back to the showpiece event in Berlin this June, then Carragher won't be the only one happy for him. Maybe even in Catalonia.
Watch Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.30pm this Tuesday
