14 - Javier Mascherano

[Pepe Silvia]

He came over to Barca starting from the bench and didn't say a word - took it like a man. He's had his chances the last few weeks and he has delivered for our team in a big way. That should say enough about his character and heart to tell anyone that he has gpt what it takes to play for this team. It's not all about skill. If that were the case, Puyol would have been out at the start of the season and we would spend time chasing players the likes of CR and tolerate Ibra types.

Oh yeah, and have you seen the way he tackles??? FFS I rewind them 30 times each.

 

[Sewelly]

He was part of the reason it took 45 minutes to break down Arsenal, having Busquets out of the midfield for Masch is a drag in an attacking sense.

Brilliant character, commited and an awesome insurance policy but will never be more than that.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

In all fairness to him he hasn't had a full season to adapt to our style of play.

 

[Sewelly]

He will never adapt to your style of play fully mate, he's a great option to have in certain matches because he's a wall defensively. However, he'll never fit the system as functionally as Busquets does because he's nowhere near as good a footballer.

 

[dalitis8]

He will never be a Barca player in the strict sense of things.

But it is conceivable that he is useful to have.

 

[Metaphysical]

he is PHENOMENALLY useful to have.

with him in the side we'd not have lost in Milan last year. dodgy ref or not.

 

[Juan03]

are you freeking kidding me Mash is not handicaped he can pass the ball well, he just came to this team not too long ago, give him one full season and he will be even better

 

[putogusiluz8]

are you freeking kidding me Mash is not handicaped he can pass the ball well, he just came to this team not too long ago, give him one full season and he will be even better

+1

 

[zanela]

I'd like to argue some of the comments made but i'm running short of time. I'm yet to watch the match but i did catch Mascherano's tackle on Ytube. Over and Over again. Not because i was staggered by the brilliance of it, rather fail to apprehend the actual reason for the superlatives attributed. If the circumstance was influentual, I'd agree. But the tackle in itself wasn't the greatest, though very good still.
Bender's poor touch has the ball drift away from him facilitating Mascherano's intervention. Not trying to downplay his heroics but thought i'd point out.

 

[Ryan_Cule]

Mascherano; "I know my place in the team. When you have Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta, I would be an idiot and ashamed asking to be a starter."

 

[yusuf]

badger passing is clearly not that great....maybe a year in the team will help that

 

[iookram]

Most of his passes(even the long passes) meet the target. It is just his passing range that isn't Barca midfield-quality.

 

[gingerless]

Mascherano; "I know my place in the team. When you have Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta, I would be an idiot and ashamed asking to be a starter."

badger passing is clearly not that great....maybe a year in the team will help that

.....???

his passing ability is not amazing, but it's not as bad as people claim here

 

[iookram]

.....???

his passing ability is not amazing, but it's not as bad as people claim here

 

[elizel]

Mascherano; "I know my place in the team. When you have Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta, I would be an idiot and ashamed asking to be a starter."

Wow. Just. Wow.

I'll be honest, during his first few months at Barca I was a critic too, I didn't think he would fit. But now I see how wrong I was. Yes, his passing isn't on the same level as the Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets triangle (whose is, really), but it'll get better, and besides, that's not what's he's mainly there for anyway. There are just games where he is exactly what we need, and safe to say yesterday was one of them.

BTW, any word on his leg? Is he ok?