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Roy Keane Couldn't Believe That Liverpool Tolerated Behaviour Of Xabi Alonso

Roy Keane Couldn't Believe That Liverpool Tolerated Behaviour Of Xabi Alonso
Lee Costello
By Lee Costello Updated
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Rafael Benitez joined The Stick to Football podcast for their latest episode, and they really chewed the fat on some interesting topics.

Benitez managed Liverpool to Champions League glory in 2005 and won an FA Cup with them in 2006, while spearheading them in a close title race against Man United in 2009.

Despite going on to manage Newcastle, Chelsea and even Everton, the Spaniard remains a fan-favourite at Liverpool, and is still a highly rated manager in professional football.

As they dissected the issues and glories of his time with Liverpool, one incident really shocked Roy Keane, who claimed that the same thing would never have been allowed to happen at Man United.

Steven Gerrard had put in a transfer request to leave for Chelsea in 2005, and although it never materialised, t still caused a lot of headaches for the manager.

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Another key layer then made things more difficult in 2008, as Xabi Alonso refused to play in a game because he didn't want to get cup tied ahead of a proposed move to Arsenal.

The Irishman didn't waste any time telling both Benitez and Carragher that those issues wouldn't have been tolerated at Old Trafford.

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"Jamie, you're a Liverpool lad. With Gerrard, sometimes a player wants to leave a club. But when they refuse to play or they don't want to be cup tied, I'm surprised players don't turn on them when they are gone," the Irishman said.

"We wouldn't have tolerated that at United. [To Benitez] I know managers can have a disagreement with the player and the player wants to leave.

"It is straightforward for managers, to deal with a player who is not doing what he is supposed to be doing, when everyone is mates with him."

Benitez went on to explain the Alonso situation in full, and how they reached an agreement that suited all parties in the end.

We needed to sell. Xabi had an agreement; he was talking with one club and had an agreement.

"We played Standard de Liege for a Champions League qualifier and we had Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva in the Olympic Games, Steven Gerrard had a lower back problem, so we had to play [Damien] Plessis and Xabi. Xabi had an agreement with Arsenal and didn't want to get cup tied

"I told Jamie Carragher and Gerrard before the game that he had an agreement and doesn't want to play, but he must because it is the most important game to qualify for the Champions League.

"Then when you were going out for the warm-ups, you said, 'Poor Xabi.' Not poor Xabi, he is playing for our club at this time. During the season he was our best player and didn't go to Arsenal because he had to play [for us].".

Ironically, Alonso was the favourite to replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer after he guided Bayer Leverkusen to an incredible league title in Germany.

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However, just like back in 2008, the Spaniard refused the offer initially, although he will still always be linked with the job whenever it becomes vacant.

SEE ALSO: Richard Keogh Lands New Managerial Role Just Weeks Into Retirement

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