Liverpool FC Forum

Ace Ventura wrote:I've also been really impressed so far. What i am liking this season is the way he is getting beyond the left midfielder/winger. His passing and movement and general awareness is a class above Riise and that will be the reason why he is featuring far more than the norwegian imo. Riise so often wastes posession with hopeful punts upfield or crazy shots from silly positions, with Arbeloa he uses the ball far better and keeps the ball moving allowing attacks to build and the pressure on the opposition to build as well.

Bad Bob wrote:First team regular?  Not in my books, TBH.  He's a very useful utility player but I doubt we'll ever see him as a consistent fixture in our starting 11 when other defenders are fit.  If Aurelip were fit now, for instance, I doubt we'd have seen Arbeloa at all this season so far.

Thank f'uck Aurellio has been out injured , it's given Arbeloa the opportunity to show what many of us believed, the lads got what it takes.

Playing out of his best (?) position and turning in consistent performances .Surely now even the most critical of pundits must see him as a long term fixture in LFC's back four .

Rafa-Dodd wrote:I've been mightly impressed with Arbeloa and against Derby he looked amazing.

Didn't like the play acting though, when he grabbed his face when someone stood on his ankle.

You mean stood on his calf, and when you are really in pain, have you never held you head in distress?

Anyway, Arbeloa is a big improvement, he has been play well all season, and has earnt his postion 

woof woof ! wrote:Thank f'uck Aurellio has been out injured , it's given Arbeloa the opportunity to show what many of us believed, the lads got what it takes.

Bad Bob wrote:First team regular?  Not in my books, TBH.  He's a very useful utility player but I doubt we'll ever see him as a consistent fixture in our starting 11 when other defenders are fit.  If Aurelio were fit now, for instance, I doubt we'd have seen Arbeloa at all this season so far.

Bad Bob wrote:

Bad Bob wrote:First team regular?  Not in my books, TBH.  He's a very useful utility player but I doubt we'll ever see him as a consistent fixture in our starting 11 when other defenders are fit.  If Aurelio were fit now, for instance, I doubt we'd have seen Arbeloa at all this season so far.

Time to hold my hand up, I reckon, and admit I've called this one wrong.  Arbeloa has demonstrated that he has got what it takes to be a consistent first team performer for us.  He's been a revelation this season at LB, which is the position he is least comfortable with in the back line.  He's generally sound defensively (can get drawn out of position on occasion but he's young and he's learning fast) and he offers quite a bit going forward (his great run onto the through ball, a deft switch of feet to elude a defender and a perfect ball to pick out Babel for our second against Derby, for instance).  My initial doubts were based on his end-of-season dip in form last season but since: a) he was not alone in that (how bad were a number of our players in the last few league games?) and b) it probably had a lot to do with playing next to the likes of Palletta, I think he can be forgiven.  I still have great hopes that Aurelio will show us his true colours this season but, whether he does or not, I think Arbeloa has earned his place in the first team and will take some ousting.