mascherano

[thesilverfoxlfc]

You have to take into account that was just back from Bolivia(i think) during the week and playing above sea level takes it out of you

[Red_Al_77]

He didn't have a great game but he hasn't been average all season IMO. In fact Masher with SG in the middle for me is the perfect CM combination. He is nowhere near as bad as Momo when it comes to passing.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Masher is a world class player i love watching him play. I hope he stays for a long time cause we havent even seen the tip of the ice berg in terms of his quality

[AFII]

Masher is a world class player i love watching him play. I hope he stays for a long time cause we havent even seen the tip of the ice berg in terms of his quality

He is the best holding midfielder in the World.

He only had two weeks off this summer so it will take a few months before he is back to his best again.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

He is the best holding midfielder in the World.

He only had two weeks off this summer so it will take a few months before he is back to his best again.

Yup and he's still very young much more to come from him, great at tracking back and tackling all round game is quality

[tomasjj]

not been a regular like he was plus the midfield isnt being kept the same around him

Is right.
He has been off key with his passing lately, but I reckon he misses Alonso.

[CAD]

Great player. Did a wonderful job mopping up after the bleeding ball loss called Momo. Top three HM in the world. Just need a regular partner for a while so we can get the routines up and running.

[Darth Marty]

We need to buy 2 ****ing wingers...Babel doesnt do it out left and Pennant is merely a squad player...i dont give a **** who as long as they are genuinely pacey and threatening, then sell Momo and play Stevie/Xabi/Masch & rotate when necessary.
Simple in my mind.

[Howard_lfc]

He didn't have a great game but he hasn't been average all season IMO. In fact Masher with SG in the middle for me is the perfect CM combination. He is nowhere near as bad as Momo when it comes to passing.

Alonso has to be the first name on the sheet for CM for me, with Gerrard alongside him. Any other player instead of Xabi in the middle and I'd move Stevie out as well as his partnerships with the others isn't as strong.

With Xabi and Steve you get a holding player, a continuity man, a tackler, a man who dictates our rhythm, pace driving forward, a man attacking the box, a genuine goal threat from midfield and two player playing in exactly their best positions.

No other CM partnership on our books offers all of that.

[dww]

Alonso has to be the first name on the sheet for CM for me, with Gerrard alongside him. Any other player instead of Xabi in the middle and I'd move Stevie out as well as his partnerships with the others isn't as strong.

I'm with you on that. I actually think Rafa would love to be able to field to Xabi's in the middle. I think that Gerrard in CM in a Rafa team is a bit of a compromise but he is good enough to make it work.

[Howard_lfc]

I'm with you on that. I actually think Rafa would love to be able to field to Xabi's in the middle. I think that Gerrard in CM in a Rafa team is a bit of a compromise but he is good enough to make it work.

So if we had an 'Aimar' type player - I mean a real quality No.10 - could we do without Stevie? Or would it improve us even further?

[dww]

So if we had an 'Aimar' type player - I mean a real quality No.10 - could we do without Stevie? Or would it improve us even further?

If we had a fully functional front 4 who created passing opportunities and gave SG options then he would be great in CM - but like United playing with Carrick and Scholes last year we would have a compromise in the middle but the added threat would more often than not destroy teams. Adding world class players would obviously improve the team, but an Aimar type player would take Kuyt's position IMO, leaving us the same decisions in midfield for Gerrard.

I still think the ideal for Rafa would be to have two players capable of controlling the flow of the game (like Alonso) in the middle and then a relatively free 3 behind a single striker. I think Gerrard would be best accommodated as one of the three. Although I concede in some games he would make an equally good second CM if the attacking options were better.

[tomasjj]

I still think the ideal for Rafa would be to have two players capable of controlling the flow of the game (like Alonso) in the middle and then a relatively free 3 behind a single striker. I think Gerrard would be best accommodated as one of the three. Although I concede in some games he would make an equally good second CM if the attacking options were better.

This I agree totally with.

The 4231 is the formation that have produced the best football for us under Rafa. But now we don't have Luis and Harry who could rotate, together with SG, between those 3 attacking midfielder positions.

Maybe Babel, SG and Benayoun could do it? I am not so sure, maybe we need another forward capable of switching positions to enable us to use such a system with full effect?
With Alonso and Masch at the back, we could also allow the fullbacks to bomb on forward more as well.

[Howard_lfc]

If we had a fully functional front 4 who created passing opportunities and gave SG options then he would be great in CM - but like United playing with Carrick and Scholes last year we would have a compromise in the middle but the added threat would more often than not destroy teams. Adding world class players would obviously improve the team, but an Aimar type player would take Kuyt's position IMO, leaving us the same decisions in midfield for Gerrard.

I still think the ideal for Rafa would be to have two players capable of controlling the flow of the game (like Alonso) in the middle and then a relatively free 3 behind a single striker. I think Gerrard would be best accommodated as one of the three. Although I concede in some games he would make an equally good second CM if the attacking options were better.

As much as I'd love an 'Aimar' - I think SG in the middle of an attacking three with Barraja and Albelda (for example) behind for protection would be great but a greater onus on the full backs though.

[AFII]

-------------------Mascherano
Benny/Pennant----Alonso/Lucas-------Kewell/Babel
-------------------------Gerrard