Utd - Liverpool post match

[SimonNo7]

I'm not sure that is true/fair. He barely played with all sorts of rumours about the fact it would cost West Ham inordinate amounts of money if they played him in a reasonable number of games.

You could argue that had he been playing at the level he played for us, then West Ham would of probably found the money it would of cost to play him.

I take the point that Poulsen, much like Roy and the rest of the squad, deserve time before a final judgement is made of them. That said Poulsen, much like Hodgson, has had the rest of their careers to prove that they should be rated in the same categories as the people they are replacing. Some level of scepticism is both natural and in my opinion justified.

I do agree with this and it is perfectly natural but for anybody to actually write a manager or a player of after 5 league games is really quite ****. Fair enough if you do not like them personally, that's anybody's prerogative, but to attack them after a few games before they've had time to settle in etc that's not right, is it?

Well it's not IMO, but hey we're all different I suppose.

[Exiled_red]

I'm not sure that is true/fair. He barely played with all sorts of rumours about the fact it would cost West Ham inordinate amounts of money if they played him in a reasonable number of games.

I take the point that Poulsen, much like Roy and the rest of the squad, deserve time before a final judgement is made of them. That said Poulsen, much like Hodgson, has had the rest of their careers to prove that they should be rated in the same categories as the people they are replacing. Some level of scepticism is both natural and in my opinion justified.

[DannyMan2006]

So, like Danny says, if Mascherano had been playing against City and Scum this season, the games would have been closer and/or we wouldn't have conceded as many. But equally when he was playing last season and playing brilliantly for a signifiacant portion of the season, we were ****e.

Agreed. But football is a team game and you need all players to be in at least decent form to get results.

[badpiggy]

Ridiculous revisionism of Masher's quality, just like there was with Xabi before him.

Exactly. Why not slate Torres for being a crap defender or Carragher for not being able to dribble.

There's a place in the LFC first 11 for a player of Mascherano's position and he happens to be the best at that position, therefore we are weaker for selling him. Same as Alonso before him.

I'm not making the points ye seem to be getting at all lads. I'm just saying that having the best defensive midfielder in the world does not make for a winning team on its own. You have to have someone in front of him - like we had with Xabi to do something with the possession the DM wins. And going on last season alone where people rated Mascher so highly - and erroneously in my opinion rushed to give Lucas MOM awards - it's probably a bad sign that the players who break things up are your best players. It means - and we did finish 7th after all and lost a total of 19 games - that the best we can say about the team is that we had someone brilliant at damage limitation.

So, like Danny says, if Mascherano had been playing against City and Scum this season, the games would have been closer and/or we wouldn't have conceded as many. But equally when he was playing last season and playing brilliantly for a signifiacant portion of the season, we were ****e.

[badpiggy]

Fair one, but a team of fancy dans who can't defend wont get very far either. And need I remind you we've conceded three goals against Man Utd and Man City in our two toughest tests away from home this season.

If Mascherano plays in both those games, I'm telling you - the games would have been much closer.

Probably

Still doesn't change my mind that I'd prefer a DM of lesser quality to get in a creative dynamic CM which we all hope Mereiles turns out to be. Of course in an ideal world I'd like Mascherano and a brilliant creative midfielder. Sadly we had both

[dww]

I think we are weaker, as like you say he is probably the best at that position, but the one thing that seems to get forgotten is how bad he was at West Ham (as he tried to aclimatise (sp?) to a new league) so I think, just like those who are having a go at Roy already, we should actually give Poulsen some time and some slack. He is playing in a much different league to Serie A, with a load of new players, under the system of a new manager that all the other players are having to get used to. Let's just see where the team is and how individuals are doing by Christmas.

I'm not sure that is true/fair. He barely played with all sorts of rumours about the fact it would cost West Ham inordinate amounts of money if they played him in a reasonable number of games.

I take the point that Poulsen, much like Roy and the rest of the squad, deserve time before a final judgement is made of them. That said Poulsen, much like Hodgson, has had the rest of their careers to prove that they should be rated in the same categories as the people they are replacing. Some level of scepticism is both natural and in my opinion justified.

[RedReet]

He got goals from the right what, 3 years ago? And that was before we had Torres to partner him with. There's no reason that i can see why we would break up the Torrard partnership. If it aint broke, etc.

That alone is reason enough for me.

[SimonNo7]

Exactly. Why not slate Torres for being a crap defender or Carragher for not being able to dribble.

There's a place in the LFC first 11 for a player of Mascherano's position and he happens to be the best at that position, therefore we are weaker for selling him. Same as Alonso before him.

I think we are weaker, as like you say he is probably the best at that position, but the one thing that seems to get forgotten is how bad he was at West Ham (as he tried to aclimatise (sp?) to a new league) so I think, just like those who are having a go at Roy already, we should actually give Poulsen some time and some slack. He is playing in a much different league to Serie A, with a load of new players, under the system of a new manager that all the other players are having to get used to. Let's just see where the team is and how individuals are doing by Christmas.

[Rich]

Exactly. Why not slate Torres for being a crap defender or Carragher for not being able to dribble.

There's a place in the LFC first 11 for a player of Mascherano's position and he happens to be the best at that position, therefore we are weaker for selling him. Same as Alonso before him.

[Roboklopp]

Ridiculous revisionism of Masher's quality, just like there was with Xabi before him.

[DannyMan2006]

I'm hoping Mereiles turns out to be our midfield saviour too. A fairly decent DM, whether that's Lucas or Poulsen, with someone forward thinking and creative is what we need. My point about Mascherano is that any team whose best player is the guy who legs it around, breaking up play and generally making life tough for opponents in the absence of more creative players, won't get very far. Did we win anything in the time that Mascherano was with us? Is Barce's best player Busquets? A brilliant destructive energetic DM is rarely the key to a winning team. Not slating Mascherano at all by saying this.

Fair one, but a team of fancy dans who can't defend wont get very far either. And need I remind you we've conceded three goals against Man Utd and Man City in our two toughest tests away from home this season.

If Mascherano plays in both those games, I'm telling you - the games would have been much closer.

[badpiggy]

Mascherano is a far better player than Poulsen. But we'll do better in midfield this year as instead of an injured Aquilani we have Meireles who looks like a top, top player.

I'm not quite sure what your point is unless you're saying you can't rely on a world class defensive midfielder to win you games when your best two attackers are injured or out of form in which case I agree.

Anyway our best player last season was Reina IMO. The same applies really.

Love the Mascherano slating

I'm hoping Mereiles turns out to be our midfield saviour too. A fairly decent DM, whether that's Lucas or Poulsen, with someone forward thinking and creative is what we need. My point about Mascherano is that any team whose best player is the guy who legs it around, breaking up play and generally making life tough for opponents in the absence of more creative players, won't get very far. Did we win anything in the time that Mascherano was with us? Is Barce's best player Busquets? A brilliant destructive energetic DM is rarely the key to a winning team. Not slating Mascherano at all by saying this.

[Rich]

Love the Mascherano slating

[Neil Young]

Masher v Poulsen? We finished 7th last year with Masher. If your best player is someone like Mascherano, you're going nowhere.

I'm not quite sure what your point is unless you're saying you can't rely on a world class defensive midfielder to win you games when your best two attackers are injured or out of form in which case I agree.

Anyway our best player last season was Reina IMO. The same applies really.

[DannyMan2006]

Masher v Poulsen? We finished 7th last year with Masher. If your best player is someone like Mascherano, you're going nowhere.

Mascherano is a far better player than Poulsen. But we'll do better in midfield this year as instead of an injured Aquilani we have Meireles who looks like a top, top player.