14 - Javier Mascherano

[Ursegor]

Is it me or do his 2-footed lunges get stupider by the day? He had 2 red card challenges in a single half. Imagine this Barcelona team with actual defenders.

 

[barcanuck]

Is it me or do his 2-footed lunges get stupider by the day? He had 2 red card challenges in a single half. Imagine this Barcelona team with actual defenders.

His intensity and aggressiveness is what makes him a good defender against most teams. His challenges are sometimes stupid but man you play against a player like that he gets into the heads of the attackers.

 

[Meitux]

His intensity and aggressiveness is what makes him a good defender against most teams. His challenges are sometimes stupid but man you play against a player like that he gets into the heads of the attackers.

I assume by meaning against most teams you mean La liga teams.Cause in big games he hasn't really performed well.His tackles are pretty reckless at times and especially in a big game it could cost you.

 

[barcanuck]

I assume by meaning against most teams you mean La liga teams.Cause in big games he hasn't really performed well.His tackles are pretty reckless at times and especially in a big game it could cost you.

Yup that's what I mean.

 

[JamDav1982]

I assume by meaning against most teams you mean La liga teams.Cause in big games he hasn't really performed well.His tackles are pretty reckless at times and especially in a big game it could cost you.

He has been good in big games and has been the bes CB at the club the last two seasons.

Anytime I have watched them live he has stood out for his reading of the game and distribution from the back.

 

[barcanuck]

He has been good in big games and has been the bes CB at the club the last two seasons.

Anytime I have watched them live he has stood out for his reading of the game and distribution from the back.

His reading of the game and distribution are indeed fantastic but Real bossed him handly throughout the season on set pieces crosses into the box he's suffers due to height.

 

[Meitux]

He has been good in big games and has been the bes CB at the club the last two seasons.

Anytime I have watched them live he has stood out for his reading of the game and distribution from the back.

He has costed us goals like against Real in camp nou the second one 2011-2012,against Chelsea in Stamford bridge,against Chelsea again in the goal of Ramires,against Real in the Bernabeu for the super cup 2012-2013.In all these goals he was cought off position and i talk about a general image that with him we have given many chances away.

Hes been the best CB for you,but comparing with who?Pique or the injured Puyol or Bartra?Its easy to look better than others if they can't compete.If we get a new CB i would like him to rotate for games,but not be the first choice for defence..

 

[JamDav1982]

He has costed us goals like against Real in camp nou the second one 2011-2012,against Chelsea in Stamford bridge,against Chelsea again in the goal of Ramires,against Real in the Bernabeu for the super cup 2012-2013.In all these goals he was cought up off position and i talk about a general image that with him we have given may chances away.

Hes been the best CB for you,but comparing with who?Pique or the injured Puyol or Bartra?Its easy to look better than others if they can't compete.If we get a new CB i would like him to rotate for games,but not be the first choice for defence..

You have to understand that mistakes will happen if he is asked to push up the pitch and win the ball early. Something he is brilliant at.

It is like saying Valdes is sh1t because he makes mistakes when it is the role he is being asked to perform that is dangerous and will result in errors but the positives out weigh that.

He was not at all to blame for the Chelsea goal at Stamford Bridge.

All players make mistakes in big games even Messi.

 

[JamDav1982]

His reading of the game and distribution are indeed fantastic but Real bossed him handly throughout the season on set pieces crosses into the box he's suffers due to height.

No Real didnt boss him. Their biggest win was when he was missing.

Is anything they looked their best when he was missing and the 7-0 aggregate against Bayern he was missing from and also the majority of PSG tie when PSG looked very dangerous.

 

[Meitux]

You have to understand that mistakes will happen if he is asked to push up the pitch and win the ball early. Something he is brilliant at.

It is like saying Valdes is sh1t because he makes mistakes when it is the role he is being asked to perform that is dangerous and will result in errors but the positives out weigh that.

He was not at all to blame for the Chelsea goal at Stamford Bridge.

All players make mistakes in big games even Messi.

So if hes asked to have this role and made those mistakes is like saying he can't perform well his role.

And the goal in Stamford Bridge was his mistake,Adriano was trying to catch Drogba coming back and Mascherano left Drogba unmarked,instead of looking behind him to see where he was he stayed there waiting for the ball and in the end couldn't go for it..

 

[JamDav1982]

So if hes asked to have this role and made those mistakes is like saying he can't perform well his role.

And the goal in Stamford Bridge was his mistake,Adriano was trying to catch Drogba coming back and Mascherano left Drogba unmarked,instead of looking behind him to see where he was he stayed there waiting for the ball and in the end couldn't go for it..

What mistakes? You highlighted 2/3 over the last three seasons.

Stamford Bridge he gave the ball to Messi who let the ball run across himself and he was tackled there is no way on earth that is Mascheranos fault.

If you think that then you clearly have some kind of agenda against him.

 

[Meitux]

What mistakes? You highlighted 2/3 over the last three seasons.

Stamford Bridge he gave the ball to Messi who let the ball run across himself and he was tackled there is no way on earth that is Mascheranos fault.

If you think that then you clearly have some kind of agenda against him.

No i haven't,i don't have any excuses of Messi losing the ball.But he should mark Drogba,nobody else was coming from Mascherano's way to mark him.Adriano really wouldn't catch Drogba.

And those hightlights aren't few mistakes,they are mistakes that reflect that he can't perform against big sides.Not to mention the fact that he brings us zero aerial abilities especially when we have big problems in it..

 

[JamDav1982]

No i haven't,i don't have any excuses of Messi losing the ball.But he should mark Drogba,nobody else was coming from Mascherano's way to mark him.Adriano really wouldn't catch Drogba.

And those hightlights aren't few mistakes,they are mistakes that reflect that he can't perform against big sides.Not to mention the fact that he brings us zero aerial abilities especially when we have big problems in it..

He can perform against big sides and does.

Real Madrids biggest win of the season against Barca guess who was missing? 7-0 over two legs against Bayern - guess who was missing. Struggling against PSG - guess who was missing.

He was missed in the big games this season.

Name any defender and you could highlight mistakes or errors they have made in big games over a 2/3 year period.

His aerial ability is a problem I agree but he has been the best defender at the club the past two seasons and by quite a long way.

 

[Meitux]

He can perform against big sides and does.

Real Madrids biggest win of the season against Barca guess who was missing? 7-0 over two legs against Bayern - guess who was missing. Struggling against PSG - guess who was missing.

He was missed in the big games this season.

Name any defender and you could highlight mistakes or errors they have made in big games over a 2/3 year period.

His aerial ability is a problem I agree but he has been the best defender at the club the past two seasons and by quite a long way.

Its not about Mascherano missing that we lost to them,it was mostly due to bad ways of defending or individual bad performances and generally our gameplay in those games.

Anybody can make mistakes,but if we are referring to Mascherano,most times we don't talk about a bad perfromance but the lack of particular abilities like positioning that have costed us goals.

 

[JamDav1982]

Its not about Mascherano missing that we lost to them,it was mostly due to bad ways of defending or individual bad performances and generally our gameplay in those games.

Anybody can make mistakes,but if we are referring to Mascherano,most times we don't talk about a bad perfromance but the lack of particular abilities like positioning that have costed us goals.

Mascherano missing those games was huge!

He has easily been better than Pique and Bartra and it showed how much he was missed. They were pulled all over the place and did not cover at all for Bayern on the break.

I was at the Supercopa game last August and he was far and away the best defender on the pitch that night against Real.

By your logic Valdes is not good enough for big games either.

His style of play will lead to a higher number of mistakes but those risks are worth it for the good it does the team.