14 - Javier Mascherano

[hellsangel1]

As I've said before, our management is more concerned about how our defenders bring the ball out from the back rather than their actual defending skills. They are compromising our defense and it's going to end up proving very costly. The defense is steadily getting worse and I don't think any good attacking side thinks that Barca's defense particuarly in the final third is all that great. Once opposing teams get themselves in our attacking area than they can definitely score goals against us. How the people at Barca thought we could get by with just two natural CB;s in the club (with one of them being old and often injured) is absolutely beyond me.

 

[Cruijffista]

I thought Adriano came in today @ CB and outplayed him.

 

[estranged]

The thing is he effectively plays like a DM still, albeit a very, very deep one.

Yes, that exactly is the problem. He has an eye for a pass that a great DM would have, but he tackles like a DM (which is not how a CB should tackle) and his positioning is like a DM, not disciplined and drilled as a seasoned CB. When you put a DM at CB, you're effectively taking away most of his freedom which is what makes him the baest he is.

it's not a flaw and not a critic. because he gets it 99% times right and have saved barcas asses countless times. so whatever i'd say here masch would still beast the hell out of me.

The only season that we could use judge his performance at a CB (large enough sample size) and arrive at some conclusions was last season. What you say is right, 99% of the time against second rate opponents he was outstanding, but whenever he was up against a real test he wasn't reassuring. He had a great game against Real 2 weeks ago, that is the only 'great' performance of his I recall in a big game for us. I'd love to be wrong though. He's a great player, but he needs to be paired up with a world class CB to be useful for us. Puyol's near the end and Pique has been taking 2 months to recover form a 2 week injury ever since that witch came into the picture.

 

[Cruijffista]

As I've said before, our management is more concerned about how our defenders bring the ball out from the back rather than their actual defending skills. They are compromising our defense and it's going to end up proving very costly. The defense is steadily getting worse and I don't think any good attacking side thinks that Barca's defense particuarly in the final third is all that great. Once opposing teams get themselves in our attacking area than they can definitely score goals against us. How the people at Barca thought we could get by with just two natural CB;s in the club (with one of them being old and often injured) is absolutely beyond me.

Bring back Botia and let him bully people off the ball. I have to question if the refs would allow him to play as physical as he does in a Sevilla shirt in a Barca shirt though.

 

[messi_xavi_iniesta]

Bartra deserves a chance. He´s good enough.

 

[La Furia]

Yes, that exactly is the problem. He has an eye for a pass that a great DM would have, but he tackles like a DM (which is not how a CB should tackle) and his positioning is like a DM, not disciplined and drilled as a seasoned CB. When you put a DM at CB, you're effectively taking away most of his freedom which is what makes him the baest he is.

I agree with this, but when you are talking "Pepball" where everyone is effectively a midfielder anyway, it can be a strength as long as there's legitimate backline guys around him - ideally Pique, even better when you also had Abidal around. But here's a case of Mascherano being helped out by a guy with even worse positioning than he has, not to mention a more direct style in general with Cesc focusing more on forward passing than you'd get with the Xavi passfest.

 

[xaviniesta]

The only season that we could use judge his performance at a CB (large enough sample size) and arrive at some conclusions was last season. What you say is right, 99% of the time against second rate opponents he was outstanding, but whenever he was up against a real test he wasn't reassuring. He had a great game against Real 2 weeks ago, that is the only 'great' performance of his I recall in a big game for us. I'd love to be wrong though. He's a great player, but he needs to be paired up with a world class CB to be useful for us. Puyol's near the end and Pique has been taking 2 months to recover form a 2 week injury ever since that witch came into the picture.

CL final he played like puyol himself, last years copa he was brilliant. the first clasicos he had was very good, which was also his first CB games.

2010/11 he was brilliant because he had always either puyi or pique with him. he has always been very good with pique imo. last year he had couple of downfalls but still a WC defender. this year the whole defense has been in and out. its really hard to put a great performances when you are basicly the only guy who has been playing in CB more than 5 games in his career.

 

[estranged]

CL final he played like puyol himself, last years copa he was brilliant. the first clasicos he had was very good, which was also his first CB games.

2010/11 he was brilliant because he had always either puyi or pique with him. he has always been very good with pique imo. last year he had couple of downfalls but still a WC defender. this year the whole defense has been in and out. its really hard to put a great performances when you are basicly the only guy who has been playing in CB more than 5 games in his career.

I should have been more clear. In the 2011 CL clasicos he was paired up with Pique and Puyol, so he did Puyol and Pique's bidding and all the while he had the comfort of knowing somebody was there to cover his ass, which is what he's best at, going absolutely fucking medieval on the opposition while having somebody stay back and cover for him. However pairing him up with Song or Adriano is asking for trouble. As others have said it's not his fault, he needs to be paired up with a solid world class CB to keep him in check, otherwise it's silly to rely on him alone in such big games.

 

[mitkoa7x]

Hope we appeal the red, it was such a wank...

 

[AL-MALKI]

This guy is $%@^^# at CB even adriano is 1000000 times better than him

Tonight match nothing new its been going on for a while now in every match he is making huge mistakes
only god knows when its going to stop

His team is leading 3-0 takes a yellow card for nothing
Giving a dumb PK should have been sent off there
Giving a free corner kick then assisting the goal
if the Ref didnt sent him off i really think we could of lost this match
Not even Christanval could make so many mistakes in one match

We had crap players in our history before but they dont start in every match
This is why I started to hate him

I used to rate this mofo after his 1st season yakkkkkkk

 

[Plip]

This guy is $%@^^# at CB even adriano is 1000000 times better than him

Tonight match nothing new its been going on for a while now in every match he is making huge mistakes
only god knows when its going to stop

His team is leading 3-0 takes a yellow card for nothing
Giving a dumb PK should have been sent off there
Giving a free corner kick then assisting the goal
if the Ref didnt sent him off i really think we could of lost this match
Not even Christanval could make so many mistakes in one match

We had crap players in our history before but they dont start in every match
This is why I started to hate him

I used to rate this mofo after his 1st season yakkkkkkk

What to the F?

 

[UEFA_Barça_Chris]

This guy is $%@^^# at CB even adriano is 1000000 times better than him

Tonight match nothing new its been going on for a while now in every match he is making huge mistakes
only god knows when its going to stop

His team is leading 3-0 takes a yellow card for nothing
Giving a dumb PK should have been sent off there
Giving a free corner kick then assisting the goal
if the Ref didnt sent him off i really think we could of lost this match
Not even Christanval could make so many mistakes in one match

We had crap players in our history before but they dont start in every match
This is why I started to hate him

I used to rate this mofo after his 1st season yakkkkkkk

 

[La Furia]

This guy is $%@^^# at CB even adriano is 1000000 times better than him

Tonight match nothing new its been going on for a while now in every match he is making huge mistakes
only god knows when its going to stop

His team is leading 3-0 takes a yellow card for nothing
Giving a dumb PK should have been sent off there
Giving a free corner kick then assisting the goal
if the Ref didnt sent him off i really think we could of lost this match
Not even Christanval could make so many mistakes in one match

We had crap players in our history before but they dont start in every match
This is why I started to hate him

I used to rate this mofo after his 1st season yakkkkkkk

This is just impressive.

 

[PearLBLacK]

Let the man speak his mind. Go on, son.

 

[AL-MALKI]

so i get u dont like

welcome to reality