Mascherano

[honourablegeorge]

Whenever I see him on the teamsheet, paired with Gerrard in the centre, I think "Oh no, not again...."

 

We just don't play with that pair, there's no pattern to us. We need Alonso in there, he offers so much more to our forward play.

 

 

Am I wrong in thinking that? I'd be interested to see the stats, although with Alonso being out for so long, and Mascherano seemingly playing in the difficult games, I suspect they wopuldn't mean much.

[Mike]

id like to see a run of games with masch alonso and gerrard playing

[Guest Snorky]

Whenever I see him on the teamsheet, paired with Gerrard in the centre, I think "Oh no, not again...."

 

We just don't play with that pair, there's no pattern to us. We need Alonso in there, he offers so much more to our forward play.

Am I wrong in thinking that? I'd be interested to see the stats, although with Alonso being out for so long, and Mascherano seemingly playing in the difficult games, I suspect they wopuldn't mean much.

 

I posted something similar last week and got hounded down by the forum know-alls. I honestly believe that he is getting too many games to prove that we need him etc etc.

 

Mascherano is a lot more defensive that Alonso, it's Alonso's vision that will help more to win games especially at home.

[Dan]

id like to see a run of games with masch alonso and gerrard playing

 

So would I

 

Mascherano has been consistently good this season.

 

Gerrard has been inconsistent whilst not playing badly.

 

We miss an on form Alonso badly.

[Smith]

id like to see a run of games with masch alonso and gerrard playing

 

Me, too.

 

It just makes sense.

[muleskinner]

id like to see a run of games with masch alonso and gerrard playing

 

Yep, but there would be s*** storm of protest citing rotation, tinkering, no width, he doesn't care about the league etc etc.

 

But this, with Babel up front with Torres is somnethng I would like to see.

[honourablegeorge]

I posted something similar last week and got hounded down by the forum know-alls.

 

 

Did you post it in a really negative, pissed sort of way?

[fred milne]

Whenever I see him on the teamsheet, paired with Gerrard in the centre, I think "Oh no, not again...."

 

We just don't play with that pair, there's no pattern to us. We need Alonso in there, he offers so much more to our forward play.

 

Am I wrong in thinking that?

No. I feel exactly the same.

[Stevie H]

whenever gerrard and mascherano play together gerrard ends up playing deeper than mascherano. just doesn't make any sense. mike's right, we need to play with all three in the same side, gerrard up attacking where he can hurt teams.

[Guest Snorky]

Did you post it in a really negative, pissed sort of way?

 

Wasn't pissed but pissed off.

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

Not a fan of Gerrard-Masch myself. We have Gerrard too deep playing alongside Masch, both static, both picking out the passes to wide men who can't beat their full back and a player between the lines whose through balls are considered a welcome surprise rather than the norm. Marseille away apart (which was won in the first few minutes), can't say I remember a game we've played good football in with this central midfield partnership. Get in Alonso, get Gerrard into the final third.

[LondonRed]

id like to see us in one either one of two formations,

 

reina

arbeloa/finnan carra agger arbeloa/aurelio

 

gerrard alonso masch yossi/babel

 

torres babel/crouch

 

or

 

 

reina

arbeloa/finnan carra agger arbeloa/aurelio

 

gerrard/lucas masch alonso

 

yossi/gerrard torres babel

 

 

but the only problem is that when these guys arent fit due to injury or the number of games, we dont have good enough personnel to be able to fit into a 4-3-3. Pennant, kewell, voronin and kuyt just arent good enough for that formation, they dont offer enough.

[Rimbeux]

Certainly an argument for Alonso-Gerrard being more enough for most sides, but there is also a lot of opinion that Masch-Alonso is the best, which in many ways is a more defensive arrangement. But there must also be realisation that Xabi has been injured a lot, and not in great form whilst Masch has played consistently well. Think there are two things in this, thinking that doing something/anything different would get more points and missing a fit and firing Alonso in untouchable form.

[honourablegeorge]

Wasn't pissed but pissed off.

 

Heh. I like your negative posts. They make me think.

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

Certainly an argument for Alonso-Gerrard being more enough for most sides, but there is also a lot of opinion that Masch-Alonso is the best, which in many ways is a more defensive arrangement. But there must also be realisation that Xabi has been injured a lot, and not in great form whilst Masch has played consistently well. Think there are two things in this, thinking that doing something/anything different would get more points and missing a fit and firing Alonso in untouchable form.

 

True, Alonso's not been in the best of form with more misplaced passes and more incorrect decisions when in possession. But over 90 minutes you still see enough one touch passes to the overlapping full-back and passes discovering a wide man in space rather than when covered by the full-back to warrant his inclusion. Not to downtrod on Mascherano, he puts in consistently good performances, but I'd still give Xabi more game time because as you say Alonso-Gerrard will be too much for most sides.

[alias75]

Check the MOM thread for yesterdays game Mascherano comes out on top with almost everyone, and hes been easily one of our best performers all season. Is it Mascherano's fault that Stevies less of a threat from the middle of midfield? Is it Mascherano's fault that our wide players aren't contributing enough? Is it Mascherao's fault that 3 of our strikers aren't good enough.

 

Mascherano has a job in the team which he does very well and consistently its a pity others don't do their jobs as well, because if our attacking players performed their role in the team as well as Mascherano does his we would have turned a lot of these draws into wins and we wouldn't be having this debate now.

 

Im in the camp that would like to see Gerrard back on the rigt for 2 reasons..

 

1. I think the team is stronger with Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard all playing

2. I think Gerrard would have a much greater attacking influence starting on the right and drifting

 

But i think its very harsh to try and pin all this blame on probably our mst consistent player this season, im sure Torres, Gerrard, Carragher have played plenty of games this season too, maybe its their fault?

[Skillz]

I posted something similar last week and got hounded down by the forum know-alls. I honestly believe that he is getting too many games to prove that we need him etc etc.

 

Mascherano is a lot more defensive that Alonso, it's Alonso's vision that will help more to win games especially at home.

 

 

Totally agree. That means I have agreed with both you and Ant in one day. I smell a rat

[honourablegeorge]

Check the MOM thread for yesterdays game Mascherano comes out on top with almost everyone, and hes been easily one of our best performers all season. Is it Mascherano's fault that Stevies less of a threat from the middle of midfield? Is it Mascherano's fault that our wide players aren't contributing enough? Is it Mascherao's fault that 3 of our strikers aren't good enough.

 

Mascherano has a job in the team which he does very well and consistently its a pity others don't do their jobs as well, because if our attacking players performed their role in the team as well as Mascherano does his we would have turned a lot of these draws into wins and we wouldn't be having this debate now.

 

Im in the camp that would like to see Gerrard back on the rigt for 2 reasons..

 

1. I think the team is stronger with Alonso, Mascherano and Gerrard all playing

2. I think Gerrard would have a much greater attacking influence starting on the right and drifting

 

But i think its very harsh to try and pin all this blame on probably our mst consistent player this season, im sure Torres, Gerrard, Carragher have played plenty of games this season too, maybe its their fault?

 

 

I'd agree that Mascherano does what he does very well - but my point was more abou tthe balance of the team and the pattern of play, not criticising Masch as such. He does what he does very well, but at the end of the day, he's a defensive player. With Alonso, you lose some of that defensive strength, but gain so much more.

[fred milne]

Certainly an argument for Alonso-Gerrard being more enough for most sides, but there is also a lot of opinion that Masch-Alonso is the best, which in many ways is a more defensive arrangement.

Whether by accident or design, two years ago we had a system that worked pretty well - Alonso/Gerrard in the easier games, Alonso/Sissoko with Gerrard RM in the tougher games.

 

For me, its high time we got back to something like that with Mascherano instead of Sissoko.

[alias75]

I'd agree that Mascherano does what he does very well - but my point was more abou tthe balance of the team and the pattern of play, not criticising Masch as such. He does what he does very well, but at the end of the day, he's a defensive player. With Alonso, you lose some of that defensive strength, but gain so much more.

 

I understand that my response would be before pointing the finger at probably our most consistent player this season lets look a the players whose job it is to score and create, these players just aren't doing their jobs. If you swap Mascherano for Alonso we're still playing with the same attacking players that arent good enough. Alonso maybe more creative although in terms of goals and assists not that much more, and yes when hes allowed the time hes a better passer but i do think a lot of teams have figured out if you get close to him and stop him dictating hes half the player.

 

Players have roles in the team a balanced team has creative players and defensive players you need a good balance of both to have a successful team, filling the team with more attack minded player doesn't automatically mean you start winning games 3-0. If our attacking players were doing their jobs im sure Mascherano would be getting more praise than he currently is because hes played so consistently this season but because we've drawn so many games people are looking for reasons and picking on one of those defensive minded players is a natural response.

 

Personally i think its much simpler, instead of picking on the defensive minded players that seem to do their jobs well more often than not lets pick on those attacking players whose primary job in the team it is to create and score but don't do that nearly often enough. We improve the quality of our attacking players and someone like Mascherano because vital in allowing them to play.

[honourablegeorge]

Whether by accident or design, two years ago we had a system that worked pretty well - Alonso/Gerrard in the easier games, Alonso/Sissoko with Gerrard RM in the tougher games.

 

For me, its high time we got back to something like that with Mascherano instead of Sissoko.

 

 

Damn tight. Alonso/Mascherano would be like Alonso/Sissoko without the ball being given away ALL the time.

[Wardy]

If you pick our best eleven players then all three should play so we need to find a way of accomodating them if we're not going to blow our Champions League place.

 

If that means playing Gerrard on the right or switching to 4-5-1 then so be it.

 

Blind faith in rotation is hindering us at the moment, we just don't have the strength in depth.

[Rich Gobey]

Mascherano does well in both areas of the pitch, i'd not worry too much about him and Alonso partnered at home or away.

 

Our problem is that we have 2nd class attackers, who dont appear to trust either their instincts or their first touch. We're as slow as death in the final third.

[Elisha_Scott]

I agree, but has anyone noticed that since Pako left, Alonso seems out of favour, I dont know anything particularly, but I would not be surprised if Xabi leaves in the summer, in fact I reckon its pretty nailed on.

[Wardy]

Lets hope not eh, we need more of that quality.