at long last ('Mascherano is a Red II: The Son of the Beast)

[einar]

I don't understand what's going to happen in 18 months

Is Kia J going to sign him or can we get an extension?

He can buy him back if we dont want him.

[tomasjj]

True. But I reckon Mascherano and Xabi are more direct rivals than either one is with SG...

Agreed. My comment was more on the form of our current midfielders.

[einar]

Agreed. My comment was more on the form of our current midfielders.

IMHO Mascherano and Xabi are rivals, Momo and a new cm ( Kallström? ) are gonna be rivals, and Gerrard is gonna be a free rolling attacker.

[Johnny]

IMHO Mascherano and Xabi are rivals, Momo and a new cm ( Kallström? ) are gonna be rivals, and Gerrard is gonna be a free rolling attacker.

nobody thinking that Momo,xabi and Masch will be giving SG a run for his money?

[einar]

nobody thinking that Momo,xabi and Masch will be giving SG a run for his money?

no

[Johnny]

no

Yes,it will be good for the team not to depend on him to pull us out of every hole.hopefully each player will bring equal qualities to the team and play their part depending on our opposition.SG will not get the same amout of games next season he did this yr.IMHO.

[Red Chilli]

Yes,it will be good for the team not to depend on him to pull us out of every hole.hopefully each player will bring equal qualities to the team and play their part depending on our opposition.SG will not get the same amout of games next season he did this yr.IMHO.

Disagree

Mascherano, Alonso and Momo are totally different players to Gerrard. The other 3 haven't got an attacking bone in their body.

[DannyMan2006]

Yes,it will be good for the team not to depend on him to pull us out of every hole.hopefully each player will bring equal qualities to the team and play their part depending on our opposition.SG will not get the same amout of games next season he did this yr.IMHO.

It would be good, but every team misses their best players. Look at the chavs without Terry and Cech, Man U last year without Scholes and Arsenal after they moved on Viera.

Some players are just a class apart. Gerrard is our star player and would walk into any team in the world, so its hard not to rely on him. Gerrard should play whenever fit, like Lampard for the Chavs. Though Rafa must off course make sure he doesnt get burnt out.

[einar]

Disagree

Mascherano, Alonso and Momo are totally different players to Gerrard. The other 3 haven't got an attacking bone in their body.

We´ll see about Momo.

But I agree with you. Gerrard for me is an attacker. And I think Rafa sees it that way to.

[Johnny]

Disagree

Mascherano, Alonso and Momo are totally different players to Gerrard. The other 3 haven't got an attacking bone in their body.

For some games we`ll not need SG.Soon we`ll have REAL wingers who cross to our forwards cutting out the need for SG and xabi to find that Pinpoint oass from CM everytime.

[DannyMan2006]

For some games we`ll not need SG.Soon we`ll have REAL wingers who cross to our forwards cutting out the need for SG and xabi to find that Pinpoint oass from CM everytime.

To be fair, we come out with similar type hopes every year. Lets wait and see this year. Voronin has hardly set pulses racing has he now? Good addition on a free, but you get the message.

[Johnny]

It would be good, but every team misses their best players. Look at the chavs without Terry and Cech, Man U last year without Scholes and Arsenal after they moved on Viera.

Some players are just a class apart. Gerrard is our star player and would walk into any team in the world, so its hard not to rely on him. Gerrard should play whenever fit, like Lampard for the Chavs. Though Rafa must off course make sure he doesnt get burnt out.

That`s my point,he can be left out now!!!

[einar]

That`s my point,he can be left out now!!!

You are right. We will not have to rely on him as much.

But no one is going be giving him a run for his money.

[DannyMan2006]

That`s my point,he can be left out now!!!

Hes along way from burnout at the moment, though no doubt had Momo and Bolo been fit he would have been rested by now.

Players need to be rotated, but Stevie G must be rotated to a minimum as there is simply no player at LFC who is at his level.

[greglt]

Liverpool Sign Mascherano for £10m

So from what I understand, he is now not on loan with us he is our player 100% however his contract is only 18months long and Joorabchian has the option to buy him back......SWEET !!!


Liverpool pay '£10m' for Mascherano
EXCLUSIVE By MATT LAWTON - More by this author » Last updated at 23:26pm on 20th February 2007

Comments Comments
Javier Mascherano

Liverpool have completed the signing of Javier Mascherano after buying him out his contract with private businessman Kia Joorabchian - but West Ham are still facing the threat of a points deduction for what was described on Tuesday night as the "outrageous behaviour" that led to the Argentina midfielder appearing for them earlier this season.

After a month of careful deliberation between lawyers representing Liverpool, the Premier League and Joorabchian, Mascherano has moved to Anfield in a permanent 18-month deal that is rumoured to have cost in the region of £10million and made Joorabchian a very wealthy man.

Liverpool initially wanted to sign a player who excelled at the World Cup but flopped at West Ham on loan. But when they realised any such agreement would be in breach of Premier League rules - and in particular rule U18 which forbids a third party having influence over a player - manager Rafa Benitez had to turn to the club's new American owners and urge them to invest in Mascherano.

A Premier League statement said: "The Premier League is satisfied that the contractual arrangements proposed by Liverpool FC are consistent with its rules; particularly that the relationship between club and player is not subject to third-party influence.

"The Premier League is grateful for Liverpool's cooperation and openness at the start and throughout the process. Liverpool also appreciated the Premier League Board were not prepared to sanction this transfer until further information on any third-party involvement in player registrations had been received from all Premier League clubs."

While Liverpool can now include Mascherano in their plans without any fear of reprisals, West Ham will not have to wait long to discover their fate.

One senior football official has told Sportsmail that they are still "in big trouble" after failing to gain clarification from the Premier League before selecting Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, who remains the property of Joorabchian, in their side.

"It's pretty hard to see how it could be a more serious breach of rule U18," said the source. "It would seem they have used a player they should not have been able to register."

West Ham are expected to point to the fact that the club's previous administration - in particular former chief executive Paul Aldridge - were responsible for recruiting the two Argentina internationals and they will also try to suggest that the Premier League did not fully understand their own rules.

But an independent commission appointed to examine the issue may dismiss those arguments, especially if there are any documents in existence that reveal that the club's new Icelandic owners did not question the arrangement with Joorabchian when they took over.

For Mascherano, meanwhile, it is now all about impressing Benitez. If Liverpool decide not to extend his deal beyond the initial 18 months, Joorabchian could be given the option of buying him back.