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

[Milan_Milan]

Can't afford not to play Momo tomorrow IMO. Barca are so good on the ball in the middle of the park, and we'll need our 'destroyer' to break things up, Mascherano is a better passer, but he would chase and harry less, and allow them more time on the ball, more of a Makelele from what I've seen. Plus Momo has experience of playing against spanish teams from his time at Valencia lets not forget.

[cobain]

Numero 20 (twenty)

Cheers

[Ryan_Derrick]

Momo is Boss, and will play

Mascher will be on the bench tomorrow and maybe start vs Sheff Utd.

[Johnny]

Mascher will be on the bench tomorrow and maybe start vs Sheff Utd.

He`ll come on when we`re 2-0 up to play infront of the defence.

[jonesie]

He`ll come on when we`re 2-0 up to play infront of the defence.

And then we'll all wake up.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Where's my ****ing scarf?

Did you not get it?

I left it in the Argentinian Embassy in London for you to pick up they said you pop in now and then to read the History of that fine country

[Red Chilli]

Did you not get it?

I left it in the Argentinian Embassy in London for you to pick up they said you pop in now and then to read the History of that fine country

Some fecker must have nicked it, typical argies

[cobain]

And then we'll all wake up.

... with a hand in a bucket of warm water and... well, you know the rest

[tomasjj]

To be fair, Xabi has been inconsistent this season.
If nothing else, Mascherano's presence can help Xabi step up a gear, IMO.

I think Xabis form has been equal, if not better than SGs this season.

[captainfog]

please no......not another 50 page thread about Mascherano......

I can't take another one......it may finish me off

[Johnny]

please no......not another 50 page thread about Mascherano......

I can't take another one......it may finish me off

It should have been merged with it`s daddy,we could have pushed them through the 2,000 mark.

[Maestro]

I think Xabis form has been equal, if not better than SGs this season.

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

[AFII]

Sissoko is probably the one that will play less games now. I can see Alonso and Mascherano being our two defensive midfielders next season with Sissoko as backup.

[AFII]

Rafael BenÍtez insisted that he would not hesitate to throw Javier Mascherano into the most testing of debuts against Barcelona this evening after the Argentina international was finally cleared to play for Liverpool. Yet while Mascherano’s immediate future was finally resolved with an 18-month contract at Anfield, his previous contract with West Ham United remains the subject of an FA Premier League inquiry that could result in severe sanctions against the troubled club.

Mascherano is not thought to have anything to fear from that investigation and yesterday’s clearance left BenÍtez, the Liverpool manager, spoilt for choice in central midfield. Mascherano will be competing with Xabi Alonso, Mohamed Sissoko and Steven Gerrard.

With his most recent appearance a late cameo for West Ham against Everton in early December, he is unlikely to start in the Nou Camp, but BenÍtez did not rule out some involvement. “He’s ready,” the Liverpool manager said. “He would have no problems playing [against Barcelona]. He’s very experienced. He’s only 22 but he has 22 caps for Argentina.”

Typical of the complexities that have surrounded Mascherano, and Carlos Tévez, since they arrived at Upton Park in August from Corinthians in Brazil, it is not clear how much Liverpool have paid for the player. The club would only confirm that Mascherano had severed all links with West Ham and was on an 18-month contract, with a view to an extension thereafter.

Kia Joorabchian, the businessman with a stake in both players, is understood to have relinquished his ownership of Mascherano, who is valued at about £15 million, although it is believed that he also has an option to buy the player back in 18 months’ time.

Liverpool had raised their fears over third-party involvement in the Mascherano deal with the Premier League when they tried to sign him during the January transfer window. That, in turn, focused attention on the contracts that West Ham agreed with both Mascherano and Tévez. The London club are now being investigated over possible breaches of rule U18, which forbids any outside agency having contractual control of a player — for example, when he might move on or for how much.

It was notable yesterday that the league expressed its gratitude “for Liverpool FC’s cooperation and openness at the start and throughout the process”, while sources have indicated that West Ham have not been quite so transparent.

West Ham could be in trouble if it is proved that they failed to declare all the paper-work, although the present hierarchy will argue that the original contracts were drawn up by previous owners led by Paul Aldridge, the former managing director at Upton Park.

Rival clubs are already pushing for West Ham to be deducted points for fielding ineligible players but Eggert Magnússon, the chairman, will argue that he should not be punished for another regime’s mistakes. He may also point to the precedent of Tottenham Hotspur. More than a decade ago, Alan Sugar, the Tottenham chairman at the time, overturned a 12-point deduction and FA Cup ban by establishing that rules had been broken by previous owners.

BenÍtez believes that Mascherano can prove a valuable member of his squad, which will be even more galling for West Ham fans as their team flounder in the relegation zone. Good enough to play for his country in the World Cup finals, he was largely ignored by Alan Pardew and then Alan Curbishley.

Mascherano had required special dispensation from Fifa, the world governing body, to play for a third club this season. Finally cleared to resume his career, he will expect to show West Ham that he would have been a better option than Nigel Quashie or Hayden Mullins.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle1415373.ece

[Red Chilli]

Typical of the complexities that have surrounded Mascherano, and Carlos Tévez, since they arrived at Upton Park in August from Corinthians in Brazil, it is not clear how much Liverpool have paid for the player. The club would only confirm that Mascherano had severed all links with West Ham and was on an 18-month contract, with a view to an extension thereafter.

Kia Joorabchian, the businessman with a stake in both players, is understood to have relinquished his ownership of Mascherano, who is valued at about £15 million, although it is believed that he also has an option to buy the player back in 18 months’ time.

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?