Masch Gone - fee agreed but not yet disclosed

[Guest PurpleNose]

Even if he has taken a wage cut he'll probably receive more of his wages than he does here.

 

I know Spain changed their tax levels recently, but not to as much as 50%.

 

I don't blame Mascherano for wanting to leave. I don't blame him for wanting to play in Spain, and for the best club.

 

The manner in which he has engineered this move is whats so galling.

[Tepid water]

 

Bollocks, he wants to live in Spain and win trophies.

 

This is the one good thing about this.

 

He will almost certainly trigger all the add on clauses for us.

[rafarubbish]

mascherano was a fuckin mouth, him and that other ugly cunt from man city should go back home and suck there mothers cock, south american money grabbing bastards who the fuck needs them...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................wonder would messi like to play for us:wallbutt:

[Trumo]

I don't disagree that they are getting bad advice Trumo, but integrity is always your own choice.

 

I don't disagree that integrity is always your own choice, but I am saying not to sweep under the carpet all that's gone on before just because of his recent actions. I don't doubt that the way Masch has made this all pan out reflects badly on him, but to listen to some views on here (and elsewhere) you'd think he was a child rapist or something. Get things in context (not a dig at you zig).

[lifetime fan]

Mascher acted a cunt and no one can be suprised he's been called on it.

 

Carra and Gerrard have both been wrong in the past moaning about which position they 'want' to play in instead of playing where they are told to.

 

To try and compare the situations is completely wrong though.

[Mascherano]

Thats one username on the scrap heap. Cu**

[Elite]

Disloyal, greedy, unprofessional little cunt. I hope his career goes tits up.

[G Richards]

Mascherano has obviously behaved poorly but we should move on. He clearly wanted out. The club didn't quite receive the valuation we had in mind, but it was close enough that the deal was struck, especially taking into account 1) Mascherano was a disaffected player and would have stunk the dressing room out had he been forced to stay and 2) the transfer window is nearly shut so we need a few days to try and get a couple of players in with the money

 

As it turns out, he goes to a club that will be one of two challenging for their league, and will be one of 4-5 who have a good chance of winning the CL. He will be playing in a huge stadium in front of vast crowds, and in a country that he feels will be more suited to his family culturally. In other words, there are lots of reasons why he agitated for this.

 

Let me say again, he has behaved poorly to make sure he could leave, but we should put this episode behind us now.

 

We will miss the player but not the man.

[zigackly]

One wrong doesn't mean he should be written out of our history books, after all the effort he's given us?

 

Sure but then I didn't say that. Just leaves a bad taste and sours my memory of him that's all.

[piscinin]

I realize I'm pissing in the wind here but no-one actually knows what was said to him to cause him to throw the tantrum. No-one knows what his reaction was to finding out, for example, that Hodgson was pulling strings to pressure Moratti into not making a bid for him. No-one knows.

 

If I was him and I got the sense I was going to be forced to stay (and I'm sure his agent would find it pretty easy to create that sense even if there wasn't anything to it), I would have and in the past in similar circumstances, have done much the same as he did.

[KopOut]

according to the beeb we didn't get back, what we paid for him..typical.

[KopOut]

Disloyal, greedy, unprofessional little cunt. I hope his career goes tits up.

 

disloyal? yeah that sucks. greedy & unprofessional - you could describe a few players like that right now.

[Salou]

To be fair to him (as much as can be possible) I don't think greed has anything to do with this, think the family thing affected him a lot and though he has clearly gone about this move the completely wrong way I don't think money had much to do with it, some reports claiming he asked barca to take away some of what he would have earned throughout his contract there and use it to make up the difference in the valuations between clubs. Think he just really wanted out of England.

[zigackly]

Nothing wrong with wanting a move.

[ali]

Mascherano paying the price for happiness

Posted on August 28th, 2010 by Jim Boardman

 

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano arrived in Barcelona at lunchtime today as he moved a step closer to setting up home in a country where he hopes his wife will be happy and where in turn he will be able to finally enjoy something approaching normal family life.

 

His desperation to see his family happy has, according to reports in Spain, personally cost him over €3m.

 

He’ll be unveiled to fans on Monday, subject to passing a medical.

 

Javier Mascherano arrives at BarcelonaMascherano played a vital role for Liverpool during his three and a half years at the club. Although he started last season with his mind clearly on other issues he has on the whole been treated as a hero by most supporters since he arrived at Anfield, initially on loan, in 2007.

 

But no matter how he felt about his time on the pitch it was his home life that was troubling him of late. He was desperately unhappy that he was unable to spend a great deal of time with his wife or young family after his wife had been unable to settle in the country. She spent a lot of time back in Argentina and it was clearly not the kind of situation that can go on without causing lasting problems for all concerned. It’s understandable he was looking for a move.

 

On his arrival in Barcelona today his words explained so much about how relieved he felt to be this close to the start of a new stage in his family and career life: “It’s a dream, a great joy. It is a pride for me and my family to take this step forward in my career.”

 

Despite his unhappiness and his desire to see an end to those personal problems his professionalism against Arsenal in his only game for Liverpool this season was obvious. And any doubts fans might have had that his reasons for leaving related to any kind of grudge against the club or its staff should have been dispelled by his comments whilst on duty in Ireland for Argentina. He had nothing but respect for Liverpool FC and its fans, but personal pressures meant he had to move on.

 

But it seems Liverpool’s new manager doesn’t do empathy. Sending Mascherano on his way to Spain with a blast in the ear the increasingly prickly Roy Hodgson branded him as “selfish”.

 

Rumours from the club on Monday suggested Mascherano had refused to play against Manchester City. Some of those rumours also gave Hodgson a partial excuse for the embarrassing 3-0 defeat by adding that Mascherano’s alleged impromptu strike action had forced the manager to change his tactics at the eleventh hour.

 

But sources close to the Argentine captain reportedly denied he’d refused to play, insisting the decision to leave him out of the clash had already been taken on the Saturday, two days before the game, by a manager who was concerned about his state of mind. That gave Hodgson ample time to prepare his side. The club are yet to confirm in any official capacity that he refused to play.

 

The failure of the club to set a deadline for Mascherano to leave without it eating too far into the league season is as much to blame for any hostility as anything Mascherano himself has done. By the time Liverpool faced City there were only 8 days left to go until the closure of the window. Mascherano had picked up a knock against Arsenal and must have known there was a good chance of picking up an injury sufficient to rule him out of any medical for a new club in the days that remained.

 

For someone who saw that move as such a key stage in his life, let alone career, it’s understandable if he was reluctant.

 

Hodgson sounded like the manager of a club from the bottom half of the table trying to bump up the price of their only good player as he explained why Mascherano missed Monday’s defeat, saying he “is not in the right frame of mind to play the game because his head has obviously been turned by the offer from Barcelona.” He said that unless the fee offered by Barcelona was upped to meet Liverpool’s valuation Mascherano “might be unhappy for a long time to come.”

 

But Roy isn’t even taking part in transfer negotiations, as he admitted himself: “I don’t really want to get involved in it. The discussions between Barcelona and the club are being held at high club level and as a result I don’t want to start saying things which may or may not be true. I have no wish to create headlines over the Mascherano situation.”

 

As the week went on Hodgson had perhaps been briefed by his management on how the negotiations were progressing and the new manager decided to go on the attack against the Argentine: “It’s not easy to defend his actions. Professionals are paid to play and, when called upon to do so they should.

 

“I don’t think players mean it as a challenge to your authority or the club’s, but it’s a selfish situation where they want to do something and then expect the club and me to bow down and accept they are going to get their way.”

 

The manager was talking tough yet he knew this player wanted out and why he wanted out. But he was on a roll: “Players must also understand when you sign contracts, you do so to play. If the club decides it’s going to accept an offer for you and let you go, then that’s one thing. If the club say, ‘You have a contract; we’re not selling,’ then therefore they are staying.”

 

But that’s not what Mascherano was told. He was told Liverpool were selling, as long as the right bid came in. And Roy contradicted himself to a certain degree when he admitted he’d not taken the player to Turkey during the week in case it scuppered the transfer.

 

“Javier’s not here because the negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs,” Hodgson confirmed. “I wouldn’t say he has played his last game for the club but if he played here it might prejudice the transfer and I don’t wish to do anything like that.”

 

Mascherano described as 'selfish' despit spending millions to see family happyMascherano being cup-tied in Europe until Christmas may well prejudice the transfer, but so would an injury that left him unable to undergo a medical for a new club before the closure of the window. It seems odd that the manager was willing to refer to Mascherano as “selfish” for missing Monday’s game yet left him out of Thursday’s squad for what boils down to the same reason.

 

Hodgson was very dismissive on Thursday night when he described an offer from Inter Milan: “I saw a fax the other day [from Inter Milan’s sporting director Marco Branca] but I think it was sent tongue-in-cheek. The offer was so unbelievably far from our valuation it seemed to me he was putting the fax in to maybe satisfy people at the club. We didn’t even bother to answer it – that’s how ridiculously far from a serious offer it was.”

 

But as Roy and his Europa League squad travelled to Turkey there would be further offers from Branca on behalf of Inter, going against assurances Hodgson claimed he’d been given by his old boss, Inter president Massimo Amoretti. The Reds’ boss said Inter wouldn’t be trying to sign any Liverpool players, but Branca contradicted this: “Everybody knows that Mascherano would like to change team and to change country. He also has a good relationship with our manager. We’ve made a very good offer, around the amount they are asking for.”

 

And that “very good” offer would prove to help Liverpool receive the fee they had been seeking. That offer had been enough to block Barcelona’s highest – and what they said was their final – offer.

 

According to reports in Spain it was only a sacrifice from Mascherano that put his move to Spain back on.

 

Barcelona’s vice-president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, met Liverpool’s MD Christian Purslow and Eduardo Macia (chief scout but seemingly operating more like a director of football in the past few months) in Manchester on Thursday to try to do the deal. Barcelona’s bid was reportedly short of the required price by more than €3m but they were unable or unwilling to go a penny higher.

 

And that’s where Mascherano stepped in. He had his heart set on a move to Barcelona by now and came up with a solution to the impasse.

 

He would pay the difference between Barça’s final bid and Liverpool’s asking price himself.

 

He asked Barça to reduce the amount of money he was entitled to in his new contract by a sum equivalent to the extra money required by Liverpool, and for Barça to add that onto their offer. It did the trick; Liverpool accepted the new offer.

 

If the Spanish reports are correct, Mascherano was a long way short of being the selfish mercenary he was being billed as in England. He was desperate to make his wife and family happy and was unwilling to risk missing this opportunity again. He effectively paid over €3m to move to a club in a new country.

 

Even without knowing he would give up over €3m from his new contract it was well known why Mascherano was leaving. Hodgson’s “selfish” comments were quite unnecessary and, some might say, extremely ‘cold’.

 

Those comments, tied in with the rumours from Monday, led to a backlash against the player. Observers unwilling to consider for a moment that there may have been some exaggeration in what was said, or at least a lack of context, condemned the player without considering there is usually more than one side to a story.

 

With reports that Roy is going to use the money received from Mascherano on at least two replacements it’s extremely clear that the club – and indeed Hodgson – needed this transfer as much as the player did.

 

Anfield Road » Mascherano paying the price for happiness

[Torvald Utne]

Hodgson confirmed on the night that it was his decision to leave Mascherano out as he felt he wasn't in the right frame of mind.

[razor]

Can't agree with your generous take on the Mascherano situation in the above article, Jim.

 

Basically because he tried against Arsenal, allegedly paid 3 million quid out of his own pocket and Hodgson said he was "in the wrong frame of mind" to play against City, he's alright by you?

 

He tried against Arsenal. He's paid 70 grand a week or whatever to do that. He did nothing above and beyond the call of duty. He played ok, no better. He turned up for work for a company paying him a huge salary. No applause there.

 

He [allegedly] paid 3 million quid out to make up the difference. This may be for the benefit of his wife. Or it may be because he wants to play for Barcelona rather than Liverpool (personally I wouldn't be surprised if the wife situation is a smoke screen). Not chivalrous or benevolent, just the sign of a very rich man being able to ensure he gets what he wants. He'll make up the shortfall in a couple of months no doubt. No applause there.

 

The Hodgson quote. Of course Roy would say he's not in the right frame of mind. It's euphemistic at best. It would put Liverpool on the back foot for any negotiations if he were to tell (what I see as) the truth and say Mascherano refused to play. To imply Roy was in the wrong is silly. Certainly no applause but rather lots of well-deserved barracking would be in order.

 

I like your writing as a rule, but your benign LFC obituary for this mercenary seems misplaced.

 

A horrible, spoilt, over-paid, ungrateful trecherous rat.

[Unrighteous]

Wasn't he only on like 45,000 a week with us?

[razor]

Wasn't he only on like 45,000 a week with us?

 

I was going to put 50 grand, but then thought, no he's probably on more. These things are never clear anyway. Plus bonuses, sponsorship etc, I think it's safe to say he was doing alright in the earning stakes.

 

I think it's also safe to say he'll be doubling his wages at Barca. Which fits my point about the alleged 3m. He'll make it back in no time. If it's true. Which I doubt. But if it's true.

[kdub]

Correst me if I'm wrong but didn't his wife have trouble gaining a visa for the UK?

 

My bird is an Aussie and we couldn't apply for a visa for her to live in the UK (two year waiting period for partner visa's), so we moved to Australia instead, (where they are a lot less strict with requirements for the same class of visa), with me quitting my job at very short notice in the process.

 

So I empathise with him to an extent.

[Seemann]

Wasn't he only on like 45,000 a week with us?

 

They said it was £30.000 with us and that he would get almost three times that playing for Barcelonan. Think £85.000 has been mentionen.

 

Even if he did "pay" 3 mill euro's out of his new contract with Barcelona he'll still get a lot more.

[Keens]

Ethics? Morals?

 

If its wrong for a player under contract to refuse to play, is it wrong for a club to push a player out...Insua?

 

Liverpool a strange place, where whats good for the goose is clearly not for the gander....

[goatboy59]

It's okay because it's Hodgson.

[razor]

Ethics? Morals?

 

If its wrong for a player under contract to refuse to play, is it wrong for a club to push a player out...Insua?

 

Liverpool a strange place, where whats good for the goose is clearly not for the gander....

 

By "push out" do you mean "sell and replace with a better player"? Isn't that good management?

 

 

 

[obviously if it IS Konchesky he's replaced by, I mean "better" in the broadest possible definition. Better as in, erm, thinner]

[Royal Family]

Masch admitted yesterday on his arrival at Barca that it was entirely HIS decision not to play so all the rather desperate conspiracy theories surrounding his departure rather go out of the window at that point.

 

I also don't remember long articles robustly defending Xabi last year despite the fact the manager tried to hawk him round Europe for a cut-price fee just 12 months earlier, then turned round last summer and "coldly" painted him as the villain of the piece for wanting to move to Madrid? Even barred his 'farewell' message to the fans on the website, as I recall? Where was the "empathy" for Xabi last summer that, apparently, the new manager "doesn't do"?

 

Players come and players go. If players in the past hadn't sometimes demanded a move, we wouldn't have signed them (Barmby, Ziege, Hamann, etc), so we can't take the moral high ground against Mascherano. He's no mercenary, that's for sure, and he's wanted out for a whole year. But at the same time it certainly shouldn't be used as a excuse to lay into Roy, which unfortunately it has been here. And we all know that if the old manager had been in charge of this particular transfer, he'd have been hailed by the same people for getting the "best possible price" and Mascherano - like Xabi - would have been denounced for treachery.