[lfc-news] Spanish lads feel hurt too - Alonso

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Spanish lads feel hurt too - Alonso Oct 31 2005
By Chris Bascombe, Liverpool Echo
XABI ALONSO insisted Liverpool's Spanish stars feel the pain of defeats as
much as the Kop's local heroes after helping the Reds to victory over the
weekend.

The club's La Liga imports had their attitude and purchase questioned in
several newspaper and TV reports on Saturday morning, but responded in the
right way.

Alonso, Luis Garcia and Fernando Morientes shone in the 2-0 victory over
West Ham.

Midfield playmaker Alonso said criticism was inevitable after successive
defeats, but he didn't entirely agree with it.

He said: "You have to be calm. We are a big club and if you have a bad
performance then you know you will be criticised.

"It is best to concentrate on improving and not to bother with what is
written about you. But we all care. We all feel the disappointment, we all
wear the shirt and know what that means.

"That is why we are all committed to the club and trying to do things as
well as possible and to climb the table.

"You should have seen the dressing room after the Fulham game. Everyone was
feeling down and that should end any suggestion we don't care. We know
about the red shirt. We know the responsibilities about playing for the
club and don't take them lightly.

He added: "It is my second season here but I really feel the pride of
wearing a Liverpool shirt, I am fully committed to the club.

"Always there is something to prove. When situations like this arise you
always have to show you are a good team, you understand that people will
criticise and you accept it.

"So now after this win everyone is feeling better and we are aiming to win
on Tuesday in the Champions League, and that will be two very important
victories and will hopefully change peoples' opinion about us.."

Dutchman Bolo Zenden bagged his first goal for the club to kill the game in
the final minutes.

Zenden said: "You have to give credit to West Ham because they came here
with a very offensive attitude. Their full-backs came forward, and
midfielders went forward.

"You must give them credit for coming here and trying. Too many sides just
put everyone across the box and try to stop you getting a goal while hoping
to grab something on the counter."

He added: "That win was a big boost for our confidence and I was pleased to
get my first goal. We needed that second goal to finish the game off, we
created a lot of chances but again couldn't convert them into goals.

"It was special to get my first in front of the Kop, it was good for me and
good to settle the match that way.

"The critics labelled us with the tag that we can't do it in the domestic
league and we are only good in Europe. It is up to the players to make sure
that doesn't happen.

"By the end of the week we could be in the last 16 of the Champions League,
that is how quickly things can be turned around. If we get a run now and
wins under our belts, things will look a lot different in a few weeks time."

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