Mascherano v Hamann

[Ombudsam]

Who's better (not now at respective peaks).

 

I couldn't pick it. Maybe Javier cos of mobility and Hamann seem in cruise control sometimes but I don't know. Didi was class and actually managed to play in the position which we all know was invented by Makalele before Makalele moved here

[Gunga Din]

Didi also invented the "Hamann Crumple" which won many a free kick.

[pipnasty]

  Gunga Din said:

Didi also invented the "Hamann Crumple" which won many a free kick.

 

 

 

 

Makalele invented the 'Hamann Crumple' - obviously. Makalele was also called 'The Kaiser' before Didi.

[Maldini]

Mscherano for me, covers more ground, is a better passer and contributes more to our attacking game. Both amazing players though.

[Earl Hafler]

Masch.

 

Didi is a legend. I used to spend hours defending him to muppets like Spider-Neil who would praise Gerrard and then criticise Didi for not getting forward - can any of you who used to post on Mordor remember the campaign ( or should i say " the case for " ) Murphy to play alongside Gerrard in midfield on the back of one game against Southampton ?

 

However, Masch is the better player when comparing them and he hasn't reached his peak yet. Masch is quicker and has an understanding of the game beyond his years.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

I think its Mascherano though I think its a very close call.

 

I have got 4 players names on the back of my jersey since the inception of the PL and Hamann and Mascherano account for 2 of those - I think they are fantastic.

 

As Maldini says, its Mascher's mobility that does it for me - not only is he fast, but he is so willing to bust a gut to sprint back once we lose possesion. Didi was a fantastic reader of the game and the 'Hamann crumple' as it was labelled above was brilliant. The guy treasured possession and if there was no ball on, he would wait for the touch and fall over, classic

 

On the evidence, I think Mascher could be the better player

[Paddy 66]

The good news is that Mascher is not at his peak, him and Didi both excellent.

[psl]

The particularly good news is that Mascherano should be back and rested for the Mancs this weekend.

[anny road]

  psl said:

The particularly good news is that Mascherano should be back and rested for the Mancs this weekend.

 

 

rested?

 

he was playing for Argentina in Buenos Aries last night

[Rory Fitzgerald]

  anny road said:

rested?

 

he was playing for Argentina in Buenos Aries last night

 

But they only drew 1-1 so Masher could not have been playing at his peak and therefore rested

 

On a serous note, I was gonna post the same

[psl]

He's got a whole week off now though.

 

Considerably better than it could have been anyway.

Edited September 7, 2008 by psl

[Earl Hafler]

Another reason for signing Barry. 2 of our 4 central midfielders are South Americans,

[Guest Snorky]

  anny road said:

rested?

 

he was playing for Argentina in Buenos Aries last night

 

He got a second booking and is banned from their game in midweek.

[Buzz]

  Maldini said:

Mscherano for me, covers more ground, is a better passer and contributes more to our attacking game. Both amazing players though.

It is a difficult one, because though I agree with your statment above, Didi didn't cover as much ground cause he didn't need to because of his excellent reading of the game, though his passing was always an easy simple lay off to soemone else, he did carry a bit of a goal threat with his shooting from the around the edge of the box. That free kick against Portsmouth(?) goal of the seaon i think ( ) was something that only Mascher could dream of.

I said to Kahnee the other day, if Mascher learnt the Didi crumple to win free kicks and relieve some pressure like Didi so often did, I think he would just pinch it, but at the moment, you can't really seperate them. Both excellent at the same job, but with slightly different ways of going about it.

[Buzz]

Sorry, my apologies

Sorry again, but while looking for that I found these as well.

Right foot cracker

I can't see Mascher doing that and that is why I can't seperate them.

[psl]

He scored a stunning goal against Portsmouth. Volley on the edge of the box. That was goal of the season I believe.

 

EDIT - see you included it already...

Edited September 7, 2008 by psl

[Buzz]

yeah sorry, i get confused easily, its my age and the amount of drugs i used to take... I hope....

[Murphman]

  Buzz said:

Right foot cracker

 

 

I was dead level when he hit that, I saw him score a cracker against Fulham at Lofthouse Road too (same season). At the moment Didi, just about, but Masch has time on his side and is one of the best I've ever seen at what he does.

[Paisley]

Hamann by a distance for me - top class player. I think the praise lavished on Mascherano is over the top at times.

[JRC]

Did played further up for Germany (and Newcastle) at times, and looked pretty good there with more creative responsibility. Very little wrong with his passing - just not afraid to keep it simple and short when shielding the back 4.

 

If Didi had Masch's pace and energy, he would be an all-time world-class great; without those elements, Masch would - as of now - be a much lesser player; but he has time on his hands to acquire the all-round game quality and intelligence of Didi

[Maldini]

I think he already has the game intelligence Didi had, he reads the game as well as anyone I've ever seen in that position.

[fred milne]

  Maldini said:

Mscherano for me, covers more ground, is a better passer and contributes more to our attacking game. Both amazing players though.

Mascherano probably has a better passing range but he does give the ball away much more than Hamann ever did. That's pretty important considering the position they play in.

[Chili Palmer]

  fred milne said:

Mascherano probably has a better passing range but he does give the ball away much more than Hamann ever did. That's pretty important considering the position they play in.

 

Its easy not to give the ball away when passing it 5, 10 yards. if our stlye of play wants to develop into a league winning team we have to be more adventurous right the way through the team, which willl enevitably lead to giving the ball away more often. I could live with that...

[fred milne]

  Chili Palmer said:

Its easy not to give the ball away when passing it 5, 10 yards. if our stlye of play wants to develop into a league winning team we have to be more adventurous right the way through the team, which willl enevitably lead to giving the ball away more often. I could live with that...

The teams that win the league are usually the ones that keep the ball best.

[Chili Palmer]

  fred milne said:

The teams that win the league are usually the ones that keep the ball best.

 

 

not nescessarily, Arsenal keep the ball better than anyone.

 

The point I'm making is Didi was the master of getting it, giving it, keep position and tempo. Masch is a master at all those but is a bit more adventurous with his passing, this can lead to giving away the ball more often than Didi but it also could give us a more attacking stlye.

 

Could being the main word here of course.