Mascherano wants to quit West Ham

[redlancer]

OK, I'll leave that, but I prefer to change other areas of the team before we look at replacing Momo.

Anyway, what's your formation then? Gerrard on the right?

true re other area's but we'll be loaning this player and we can look for more than one player at a time.

As for Stevie on the right, if he's prepared to play there yes.
Or the free role behind one striker.
Or alongside Alonso

number of times we look to have too many players for one position only to see them all get games

[Red_Polo]

Not necessarily. Xabi does sit but if he were given licence to get forward more often then he can be effective. He’s deadly in and around the edge of the box and he could score 8-10 goals a season in a slightly more advanced role, IMO.

He’s also shown signs of getting forward a bit more of late.

Yeah I agree with that, I think Xabi would be quite effective further up the pitch. The worry for me is if that means Stevie on the right - I still think we should be building around him as a CM player. None of us know what Rafa is thinking, but I suppose you've got to trust whatever it is it will be for the best.

[Diego]

another thing about fifa that we need to concider is that their scared **** less of employment laws and the right of the employee to choose his work, and if fifa are afraid that clubs will take matters up with international courts as they know their rules don't stand international laws and regulations the often cave in...

robinho to real is a good example, he denied to play for santos, and said that he was prepared to go to all lengths, santos knew they had little hopes of winning the leagal battle had to let him go... makalele to real is another example, if player right were as little as the rules actually says it is he would still be at real, the point is that the employer can't force his employees to keep working for them...

we often pride our selfs of our liberty and freedom, but they don't apply with in our football system, my concern is how ever if they did football would be ruin, if football was subjected to normal employment laws as football agent are trying to force it, football would be ****ed...

[Craig_H]

Not necessarily. Xabi does sit but if he were given licence to get forward more often then he can be effective. He’s deadly in and around the edge of the box and he could score 8-10 goals a season in a slightly more advanced role, IMO.

He’s also shown signs of getting forward a bit more of late.

Yeah, those are fair points.

I'll rephrase it then, if Rafa plays him alongside XA as XA has been employed thus far, then it'd be a problem. If Alonso is given a more advanced role, that'd be different.

[dirty_sanchez]

I didn't say that he is better than Xabi. I said that he has the potential to be better than Xabi if he can settle in.

I have seen him play in the Brazilian league and he is a fantastic passer.

That post basically says nothing at all. Are you a football scout? How can you tell whether he's going to be better than Xabi or not?

[El Jefecito]

I think they'll be making the case that the current window is based on a european season and doesn't take account of the south american schedule. And in this european season he's only played for West Ham. Let's face it if he had been in europe last season this would be a non-issue.

On the up side there is no risk to trying this out, so why the hell not.

BTW Even though most of you don't want another DM, Rafa does, so rather than saying he won't get time or he won't get forward enough. Let's see what Rafa has in store. All Rafa's big signings have gone on to play lots of games I don't see how JM would be any different.

[Shaggy]

That post basically says nothing at all. Are you a football scout? How can you tell whether he's going to be better than Xabi or not?

In fairness one doesn’t need to be a football scout to have an opinion.

[El Jefecito]

Yeah, those are fair points.

I'll rephrase it then, if Rafa plays him alongside XA as XA has been employed thus far, then it'd be a problem. If Alonso is given a more advanced role, that'd be different.

With SG in his new deeper lying CM role, Xabi has been in advance of Stevie as often as not. So I'm less concerned about this. I think Rafa is already addressing.

[Morph]

The way I see it is, we let hamman go in the summer and didn't get a replacement, and you cant really get much more of a ready made replacement by all accounts than this lad, so it just restores the balance we had originally now with a much younger player.

We'll have the same midfield balance as we had last season, and hamman played plenty last season.

[Shaggy]

The way I see it is, we let hamman go in the summer and didn't get a replacement, and you cant really get much more of a ready made replacement by all accounts than this lad, so it just restores the balance we had originally now with a much younger player.

We'll have the same midfield balance as we had last season, and hamman played plenty last season.

Yep.

[The_weatherman]

The way I see it is, we let hamman go in the summer and didn't get a replacement, and you cant really get much more of a ready made replacement by all accounts than this lad, so it just restores the balance we had originally now with a much younger player.

We'll have the same midfield balance as we had last season, and hamman played plenty last season.

Good point, except we´ll have a younger Hamann who can pass and create, IF we manage to get him aboard on loan and FIFA doesn´t mess it up, we can´t lose on this deal. He´ll probably adjust better due to the spanish speaking players and staff too.

[Red Chilli]

I can't see Gerrard being happy/effective on the right again.

[Diego]

if gerrard cares more about weather he playes on the right or in the middle than he does about playing for liverpool or another club, then he free to go imo...

[Neil Young]

another thing about fifa that we need to concider is that their scared **** less of employment laws and the right of the employee to choose his work, and if fifa are afraid that clubs will take matters up with international courts as they know their rules don't stand international laws and regulations the often cave in...

I agree, we do need to consider this. In fact, I already did - see above.

Good point about Robinho.

[Shaggy]

if gerrard cares more about weather he playes on the right or in the middle than he does about playing for liverpool or another club, then he free to go imo...

And me. If he doesn't like it, **** him I say.

That said, we’ve done this debate to death and we know who stands where on the subject.