Liverpool FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread [mod warning #11145, #32140 (see OP)]

Fink Goddie wrote: »

Do we really need Masch or should we sell him??

http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/10/10-reasons-why-liverpool-fc-do-not-need.html

After trying his best to engineer a move away from Anfield in the summer, rumours are flying again that Javier Mascherano wants to leave Liverpool. So where’s the problem? Why can’t Liverpool just let him leave?! There seems to be this idea that Mascherano is somehow integral to Liverpool’s success, but I disagree. In fact, I would argue that Liverpool could cope perfectly well without the Argentinean midfielder.

As a matter of recorded fact, Javier Mascherano wanted to leave Anfield in the summer. Despite Liverpool resurrecting his career; the team coming close to winning the title, and guaranteed Champions League football every year, Anfield was apparently not good enough for Argentina’s captain.

Benitez blocked a proposed move to Barcelona and later revealed that Mascherano was ‘disappointed’ at having to stay at Liverpool.

So why is Mascherano apparently so important to Liverpool. Fans regularly come out with the same old clichés when discussing the player, stuff like ‘but he’s an integral part of the spine of the team’ or ‘he’s the best defensive midfielder in the world’ etc, but I just do not believe that.

Here is a list of reasons why Liverpool should sell Mascherano at the earliest opportunity:

1. He clearly wants to leave! His form has arguably dropped as a result of being forced to stay at Anfield. Why keep an unhappy player?

2. There are several clubs who would pay big money for Mascherano. Sell him now so we can get the best price possible. Delay, and his price may go down.

3. Defensive duty aside, Mascherano offers nothing to the team in terms of creativity.

4. Mascherano may have a high pass-completion rate, but many of his passes are sideways/backwards/short passes.

5. Defensive midfielders are REPLACEABLE. That position should not be the most important role in the team. Is it possible to find DM who can do a comparable job to Mascherano? Of course it is.

6. Masch is increasingly prone to costly errors - his most recent glaring mistakes came against:

Chelsea (2 – 0 defeat this season);
Arsenal (x2 in the 4-4 league draw)
Chelsea again (4-4 CL game last season).

These mistakes (and others he has made) make a mockery of the notion that Mascherano is the best DM in the world.

7. Mascherano’s stats since he came to Liverpool:

100 appearances
Wins - 59
Draws - 27
Defeats - 14
Goals - 1

That’s 41 games Liverpool failed to win with Mascherano in the side, 27 of which were draws! it is also no coincidence that since Liverpool signed him, the number of draws each season has skyrocketed, with 24 league draws in the last two full seasons.

Is this the best Liverpool can do? Are we to believe that no other defensive midfielder on the planet can help Liverpool improve this?!

I submit that there are other DM’s out there who could achieve a similar (or better) record; would WANT to play for the club, and would perhaps contribute more going forward.

8. Mascherano averages only 25 league starts a season. How integral to our league form can he be?

9. Liverpool cope just fine in the league without Mascherano:

2009-2010: Liverpool thrashed Hull 6-1 without M (he was a late sub)
2008-2009: 6 games without M (3 wins/3 draws)
2007-08: 5 games without M (4 wins/1 draw)

Basically, Liverpool has never lost a league game with Mascherano out of the team. Pretty good record if you ask me.

10. Liverpool fans often argue that Mascherano makes the difference against the top teams. Is this true? I've examined all games Mascherano has played against top class opposition. This means Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

Played - 24
Wins - 11
Draws - 6
Defeats - 7

* 13 games against top opposition in which Liverpool failed to win with Mascherano in the team. It can also be looked at as 17 games unbeaten (wins + draws), but I would rather Liverpool were winning more games against the top teams, rather than simply not losing.

Is this a record to be envied the world over? Could it be improved? Yes! Absolutely no question about it.

My overall point is that Mascherano is NOT integral to Liverpool’s success. He is NOT irreplaceable, and it IS possible to find players who can do a similar, if not better job than him. I will even suggest what I believe to be a perfect solution to this problem:

1. Sell Mascherano for as much as possible (minimum £20m)

2. Buy Lorik Cana from Sunderland in the Summer.

i) Cost: I estimate £7-£10m. Sunderland paid £5m for Cana, so that doesn’t seem too unreasonable.

ii) In my view, Cana is just as good as Mascherano on the defensive side of things (Latest OPTA stats show that he is one of the most effective tacklers in the Premiership). He is also far more dynamic, faster and a more positive/direct passer of the ball.

iii) Cana is smash hit at Sunderland so far, but I have no doubt he would go to Liverpool if the club pursued him. After all, he has to have higher aspirations than Sunderland, and Liverpool were heavily linked to him last summer.

iv) If Liverpool buy Cana in the summer, there will be no settling-in period required as he will have spent a year with Sunderland already.

v) Rafa can put the remaining cash from the Mascherano sale towards other players in more pressing areas of the pitch.

Just because a player is cheap, doesn’t mean they will turn out to be rubbish. It’s about choosing the right players at the right price; big money doesn’t always need to be spent. Sami Hyypia is a prime example of this – the big Finn cost less than 3m, and look how superb he was for Liverpool.

And mark my words - if Liverpool do not snap up Cana next summer then he will go to Man United, Arsenal or Chelsea (or some big team abroad), and we will all be moaning about another great player that got away.

Ultimately, I see no compelling reasons to keep Mascherano. As such, there is only one solution: sell him to the highest bidder and use the money to further strengthen the team.

If Mascherano IS so integral to Liverpool, I would be very interested in specific examples of how and why.

Read more: http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/10/10-reasons-why-liverpool-fc-do-not-need.html#ixzz0TuUBvQRx

rarnes1 wrote: »

In other news Kuyt to miss saturday's match

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/cullen-a-doubt-for-brive-clash-430164.html