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

[Resu]

Sounds like it.
Not a good deal at all IMO.
Lets hope there is something we don`t know.

[Kinell]

Woot! get the party hats out and streamers to!!!... the fa got there act together!

[AFII]

We have signed on an 18 month deal and Kia then has first option to sign him if we don't want him.

He only had 18 months left on his contract for MSI.

£10m is a steal. Alonso and Mascherano for £22m is very good business if you ask me.

[Mattshark]

From the offical site:
"Argentinian international Javier Mascherano joined Liverpool on loan in January 2007 after the Premier League approved his transfer from West Ham."

[Shaggy]

Javier Mascherano admits he is desperate to make his Liverpool debut as soon as possible after having his career put on hold for three months.

The Argentina international's move to Anfield was sanctioned by the Premier League on Tuesday - and Rafa Benitez has not ruled out throwing him straight into the action at the Nou Camp tonight.

Mascherano has been training at Melwood for weeks but has not played a first-team game since early December.

"There are amazing players in Liverpool, like Gerrard, and that is why there is going to be great competition in order to play as a starter. I know that I'll have to be in a very good shape, and that doesn't scare me," he told icons.com.

"It was very useful for me to speak with Rafa Benitez. He showed a great deal of interest in the way I play and that was very good to me because it made me feel confident.

"After three months without playing, a call from my new coach saying that he trusted me was the best thing that could happen to me. That's what I needed.

"From not being taken into account in West Ham I'm now in a team that is at the top and that plays in the Champions League.

"I am aware that this is an important step in my life and that my career will depend on what will happen at Liverpool. This is an opportunity that I won't waste."

Mascherano also reflected on his unsuccessful spell in east London – and insists he only has himself to blame.

"When we have a rough time, us players start making up excuses. I don't like to do that, I am self-critical and I know that I'm the first person to blame for what happened to me at West Ham.

"I was the one who agreed to go there and the one who signed the contract, nobody forced me to do anything. And I do not think that I wasted my time there: I grew up professionally.

"I don't know if I could call this experience a nightmare, but the truth is that during these five months I wasn't doing well. I hope that from now on things will be different.

"If I evaluate my past actions, going to West Ham wasn't the best thing to do. That's the truth and although it hurts, I have to accept it: I arrived there with the hope of playing so that the European people would know me, but I had very few possibilities.

"I don't regret leaving Corinthians or deciding to go to West Ham. I went there with a high hope which I still keep."

[anfieldanfield]

I think this spells the end of Steven Gerrard as a central midfielder, under Benitez.

[The_weatherman]

I think this spells the end of Steven Gerrard as a central midfielder, under Benitez.

I think this will improve the team immensely, even if Gerrard is on the right. Let´s face it, Gerrard hasn´t been setting the world alight with his last performances.

[Mumsafan]

Woot! get the party hats out and streamers to!!!... the fa got there act together!

I read today that it was actually us who asked them to check everything out. That's probably why we were so patient for the outcome.

[dww]

I read today that it was actually us who asked them to check everything out. That's probably why we were so patient for the outcome.

It's not that implausible as people have been threatening appealing to get West Ham docked points, so if we played him and got caught the same way we would loose points and if they meant the difference between us getting into the CL and not that would be incredibly stupid. We clearly don't need Mascherano to achieve that this season so it would make sense to have our backs covered.

[tomasjj]

That's just a man thing though.

You are right about RedChilli, but not about many other men.

[Mumsafan]

You are right about RedChilli, but not about many other men.

It was a joke. Just cos you've had your tooth out there's no need to be grumpy.

[Red Chilli]

You are right about RedChilli, but not about many other men.

How would you know? :whatever:

[tomasjj]

How would you know? :whatever:

Jesting MR. Serious.

[tomasjj]

It was a joke. Just cos you've had your tooth out there's no need to be grumpy.

I was jesting too.
Jezz...why are people so sloooow.

[Red Chilli]

Jesting MR. Serious.

You're so funny.