I was surprised to see him completely snub Johnson as they walked off the pitch after the Stoke game (dvd finally arrived of our first two games this season) Is it me or does the Mascher not look happy generally? He may feel threatened by Johnson - it was very obvious to me anyway - Johnson went to shake the Mascher's hand after the match and Masch just looked away w/o shaking it, brushing past him like he wasn't there.
That's not good for team mates.
Also, I didn't see Mascherano take part in any goal celebrations at all in the Stoke game, or did the cameras not show it?
Well, can't really remember the situations in the aftermath against Stoke, but when Johnson scored against Bolton Masch went mental, chased Johnson and it was obvious he wanted to kiss him.
I've gone off him after his flirtation with Barcelona this summer. I know he's been rated highly from a young age, but he wants to remember where he was when Rafa came in for him.
I said straight after the game where we beat Real Madrid 4-0 it was a shop window performance, and I think I was proved right going by his bullshit this summer. He's one of those players who seems to get up for the big games and goes through the motions for the more mundane stuff.
I've gone off him after his flirtation with Barcelona this summer. I know he's been rated highly from a young age, but he wants to remember where he was when Rafa came in for him.
I said straight after the game where we beat Real Madrid 4-0 it was a shop window performance, and I think I was proved right going by his bullshit this summer. He's one of those players who seems to get up for the big games and goes through the motions for the more mundane stuff.
He'd have been far easier to replace than Alonso.
Agree, but it isn't that simple is it?
Alonso pushed really hard for a move and wouldn't take no for an answer, whereas Javier agitated a bit and as a result will probably get an improved deal.
Had Mascherano gone, they'd have probably brought Momo back from Juve
Thats horrible. When they are going in Glen is all happy cos he thinks he has won Masch over. But as soon as they embrace you can see that Masch has stabbed him in the back. Look at the pained expression on his face. And no one noticed cos of the red shirt. Masch is a clever racist fucker.
Alonso pushed really hard for a move and wouldn't take no for an answer, whereas Javier agitated a bit and as a result will probably get an improved deal.
Had Mascherano gone, they'd have probably brought Momo back from Juve
Not saying it's simple mate and I know Xabi was determined to go, I said it often enough on that huge thread where those in the know said Rafa was kicking him out. I just think the smart business, if it had been possible, would have been to get big money for Mascherano and keep Xabi.
I have a feeling that next summer's transfer funds will come from Mascherano's sale anyway, but with 2 years left on his contract we won't get full value.
Not saying it's simple mate and I know Xabi was determined to go, I said it often enough on that huge thread where those in the know said Rafa was kicking him out. I just think the smart business, if it had been possible, would have been to get big money for Mascherano and keep Xabi.
I have a feeling that next summer's transfer funds will come from Mascherano's sale anyway, but with 2 years left on his contract we won't get full value.
He'll only have one and a half years left on his contract by that time i figure, seeing as he signed around January time, and Rafa, when talking about Masch and Xabi a few months ago said "they have between two and three years left on their contract".
So i agree entirely that selling Masch this Summer would have been the smarter move, and to keep Xabi. But Rafa was happy enough to see Xabi go, no matter what he wants us to believe.
Quote:
I've gone off him after his flirtation with Barcelona this summer.
Yup, same here. And you know what, i'd be more than happy to get Yaya Toure in return next season. Think he'd be a better fit for us anyway.
Masch is naturally a "Makelele", which is exactly what he'd be doing for Barca. But oddly enough, something we've never seen him do for us, not once has he started the game anchoring the mid-field. For us, there's a certain amount expected of him going forward and i don't really think it suits his natural game.
Whereas Yaya Toure is box to box, the player i think many hoped Momo might have developed into. Would love him here.
well, I feel a bit better after those pics were posted - cheers for that.
maybe the players just express themselves from moment to fleeting emotional moment, with no serious undercurrent, but I was a bit shocked at the time....hopefully all is good.
Also, thanks for the link to the Bolton highlights; not seen that game yet. Must admit to negative feelings about our defensive play, but with Aurelio and Agger still unfit and Skrtle at maybe 85% there's no real surprises.
Damnit Injuries more than any other factor have put paid to our Prem challenges over the last 2-3 years.
If he is pissed off I've gone off him more than I thought I already had. The pay rise he just got just for not signing for another club has riled me to fuck. I like the bloke as a player for us but I cannot stand the mercenary way players (of any club - see mongo & fwank) behave in flirting with other clubs to earn more money from their current contracts. It makes me sick.
Football is rotten to the core and as I've said before, this kind of attitude makes me want to turn my back on the whole sport. It's not possible though, being a lifelong Liverpool supporter puts pay to that idea.
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I saw the advert on my TV screen
Slimline drinks and Tetley tea
Exploit the accent of the flat capped men
Like Hell the North will rise again
The comradeship of drinking ale
The workers' revolution failed
Too pissed on shit to notice it
Never mind, wear it if it fits
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Grazy did an awesomely cynical bit of defending on me. Ran right into me to stop me getting free when we looked dangerous. Had to take my hat off to it.
He'll only have one and a half years left on his contract by that time i figure, seeing as he signed around January time, and Rafa, when talking about Masch and Xabi a few months ago said "they have between two and three years left on their contract".
Contract dates always start on the 1st July and end on the 30th June. I've never known of a player become a free agent in January, unless they're on some short term deal like Kanu of Portsmouth is at the moment.
If he is pissed off I've gone off him more than I thought I already had. The pay rise he just got just for not signing for another club has riled me to fuck. I like the bloke as a player for us but I cannot stand the mercenary way players (of any club - see mongo & fwank) behave in flirting with other clubs to earn more money from their current contracts. It makes me sick.
Football is rotten to the core and as I've said before, this kind of attitude makes me want to turn my back on the whole sport. It's not possible though, being a lifelong Liverpool supporter puts pay to that idea.
Well said.
I reckon Rafa should root out that picture of Mascherano sitting on the West Ham bench looking glum as fuck and say "remember this, no?". I love Masch I really do but I found it so hard to stomach over summer with the way he flirted with Barca. Players like him need to remember where they came from- he's now the Argentine captain, thanks to Rafa and Liverpool Football Club.
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"Sorry Ted, I was concentrating too hard on looking holy"
"God Ted, do you remember that feller who was so good at fashion they had to shoot him?"
"I'm no good at judging the size of crowds, Ted, but I'd say there was about seventeen million of them out there"
He told the club he wanted to go on more than one occasion this summer. When he came back for pre-season he was a moody bastard around the camp, not really talking much and not smiling the way he usually does. You could see it in the pre-season games too, he was permanently in a bad mood and in one game (in the far east) appeared to be just kicking anything that moved.
Since the season started though he seems to be himself again, whether it's because he's accepted that he won't be allowed to leave in this window, or whether it's because he's been promised a pay rise, I don't know.
I can defo see this rearing it's head again next summer though, and had we not lost Xabi this summer then I doubt Masch would still be here.
We should have sold him, there is no room for a discontented player.
Under normal circumstances yes, but this time I don't know. Maybe we've persuaded him to give us one more year because we were losing Xabi? We couldn't have afforded to lose both of them at the same time.
I think he's been playing ok so far, I've not felt like he was sulking or not wanting to be here.
He told the club he wanted to go on more than one occasion this summer. When he came back for pre-season he was a moody bastard around the camp, not really talking much and not smiling the way he usually does. You could see it in the pre-season games too, he was permanently in a bad mood and in one game (in the far east) appeared to be just kicking anything that moved.
Since the season started though he seems to be himself again, whether it's because he's accepted that he won't be allowed to leave in this window, or whether it's because he's been promised a pay rise, I don't know.
I can defo see this rearing it's head again next summer though, and had we not lost Xabi this summer then I doubt Masch would still be here.
Thanks Dave.
Yes it seems he is content for now, but next summer he'll press for a move again. If his performances don't up, then that might not be a bad thing.
Not saying it's simple mate and I know Xabi was determined to go, I said it often enough on that huge thread where those in the know said Rafa was kicking him out. I just think the smart business, if it had been possible, would have been to get big money for Mascherano and keep Xabi.
I have a feeling that next summer's debt repayments will come from Mascherano's sale anyway, but with 2 years left on his contract we won't get full value.
Fixed that for you.
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Him claims of me touching him wife which is a wicked and awful lie
Me two hands 'em was occupied me shirt's in me left and me pants in me right
Under normal circumstances yes, but this time I don't know. Maybe we've persuaded him to give us one more year because we were losing Xabi?
In one more year his value will have dropped. Real Madrid will not be spending so big, probably not Man City either. The market will not be so high. I doubt we'd get anywhere near £30m next summer.
In one more year his value will have dropped. Real Madrid will not be spending so big, probably not Man City either. The market will not be so high. I doubt we'd get anywhere near £30m next summer.
You could be right, but say we only got £24m for him, I'd take that £6m loss compared to the impact him leaving could have had on this season. Let's say we sold him for £30m, as well as Xabi, but we then failed to make the top four.
What we'd lose from that would be far more than what we'd lose on his transfer, both financially and in terms of the effect it would have on the squad (I'm not sure how long Torres and Reina would hang around if we were selling our best players and failing to make the CL).
All in all I think Rafa has done well keeping hold of Masch for this season, and who knows, maybe he will decide he wants to stay here after all.
when we win the pl and cl this year i hope we force him out for about 50mil and we buy someone that really wants to be here. thats a win, win for the both of us.
