Mascherano is a Red and he can play for us!

[Johnny]

Ok, so if we signed him for the rest of the season, but he couldnt play, would that not be a little pointless?

Not if it meant Chavski or Manure don`t beat us to his signature in the summer with better offers.

[Shaggy]

Firstly, of the four, only SG is world class.

Secondly, if we're talking long term, a club of our stature should easily be playing 60+ games a season.

When you consider the permutations of various CM combos, the games where we'd play 5 in midfield, and the odd games where Gerrard would play on the right (sorry folks, but it WILL happen again), then it becomes easily manageable IMO.

Agreed.

As for the 'world class' stuff...people have different perceptions of what is 'world class' so it's a fruitless debate.

[Craig_H]

He will be good for our young Argentine players Insua and Paletta.

There's no way we should be paying someone sizeable wages just for that.

Christ, fly their families into West Derby, that'd be the better and cheaper option!

[lfc4ever]

Not if it meant Chavski or Manure don`t beat us to his signature in the summer with better offers.

And it gets him training with us for 7 months, all the while learning from Rafa and the current team, much better than arriving with the newbies in the summer and then we will be back to where we were last summer with all the new arrivals.

[Craig_H]

Not if it meant Chavski or Manure don`t beat us to his signature in the summer with better offers.

To be frank, if they wanted to beat us and get him, they'd act now.

[Craig_H]

And it gets him training with us for 7 months, all the while learning from Rafa and the current team, much better than arriving with the newbies in the summer and then we will be back to where we were last summer with all the new arrivals.

Yeah but assuming his wages would be something quite modest like £20k p/w, that's over half a million quid we'll have spunked on just getting him training with us.

Surely he could train with us anyway as WHU have no desire to have him with them.

And anyway, if we're loaning him til the summer, what use is it for him to spend a few months with us, until his loan expires?

[lfc4ever]

To be frank, if they wanted to beat us and get him, they'd act now.

Depends if he has already "signed" something.

[AFII]

Gerrard is probably the most complete midfielder in the World.

Alonso one of the best passers in the World and a great tackler.

Sissoko a great ball winner and tackler.

Mascherano a great passer and ball winner.

That would be our central midfielders strenghts.

Mascherano can act as a backup to anyone of Gerrard, Alonso or Sissoko and that's probably why Rafa want him. Sissoko can't act as a backup to Gerrard or Alonso for example without Rafa changing tactics.

He don't need to change tactics to play Mascherano.

[lfc4ever]

Yeah but assuming his wages would be something quite modest like £20k p/w, that's over half a million quid we'll have spunked on just getting him training with us.

Surely he could train with us anyway as WHU have no desire to have him with them.

And anyway, if we're loaning him til the summer, what use is it for him to spend a few months with us, until his loan expires?

All speculation, none of us here know anything.

I'm just stating I would rather have him with us now than in the summer.

I couldn't give a **** about wages or politics.

[TheElephantMan]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=432371&in_page_id=1779

Ian.

[lfc4ever]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1779

Ian.

Liverpool have announced the signing of Javier Mascherano from West Ham in an 18-month loan deal that has bent football's rules.

Mascherano, who was deemed not good enough for West Ham's relegation battle by Alan Curbishley, will be thrust into Liverpool's Champions League campaign instead.

The signing is reward for Liverpool's patience.

They hoped to sign the Argentine midfield powerhouse, 22, at the start of the transfer window, but have had to wait while lawyers have thrashed out a deal with UEFA and FIFA, because players aren't supposed to move clubs twice in a season. Mascherano has already played for Corinthians, as well as West Ham.

The authorities finally agreed to cave in on the transfer and it will be announced tomorrow, on the final day of the transfer window.

Rafa Benitez last night saluted the signing. "We have an agreement to take him on loan for 18 months then we have an option to sign him permanently.

"He is a top class player and played at the top level at the World Cup. We were monitoring him when he was with River Plate. The only question is whether he can play to his level in England, but I know he can play a lot better than he did at West Ham.

"We don't have another holding midfielder and this is a crucial time for us. We will play against West Ham, Everton, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Barcelona twice."

Mascherano made only three Premiership starts with West Ham, and seven appearances altogether.

Benitez added: "Maybe Liverpool can be a better option for him because we can speak in Spanish to him and we play a different style of football that suits him better. Corinthians and River Plate are top sides in their countries and he is used to winning trophies. I think he will have more possibilities with us."

Benitez also explained why he expected to get his man. "There is a big difference between the law and the rules," he said. "A worker cannot be stopped working. That's the law in the European Community.

"Then there are the rules, which can change depending on your country or continent. There are players in the world now who have played for three or four clubs in a season.

"The rules are one thing, but the law is another. Nobody can stop people moving to other jobs. They have freedom and they need to work. The law is more important than the rules."

Liverpool are moving to secure the long-term future of a number of their top men because of a new regulation giving a player the right to buy out his contract when it entered the last two years.

Benitez confirmed that Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher would be offered new deals in the summer along with Spanish pair Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia.

West Ham last night had a £2.5m offer turned down by Charlton for Icelandic central defender Hermann Hreidarsson.

[Craig_H]

All speculation, none of us here know anything.

I'm just stating I would rather have him with us now than in the summer.

I couldn't give a **** about wages or politics.

I'm sure the club do though.

[tomasjj]

Whoho!!!

Marsch signs!
I hope.

[Craig_H]

18 months? Crikey. Imagine if FIFA never let him play during that time

[Morph]

woohoo