14 - Javier Mascherano

[Flavia]

I also now think many, myself included, often didn't realize that on Masch's best games, cl final included, Abidal was there to cover for him. With alves, alba and the lack of pressing, masch got found out easier. And then his flaws of not being a cb are much easier to spot.

 

[Learo]

Masch lacks the awareness and positioning of a true cb. He plays better there for Barça because he is not a dm like busi, but a destroyer. He tries to compensate by giving his all, and games like yesterday's fits him. But that experiment should end. An actual cb would do better, as Puyol does, for example. The comparison with Messi makes no sense, btw. Apples and oranges. Messi plays very well at rw, he is just much better on the center, as he gets more involved.

No CB on the market has the awareness and positioning to function flawlessly in our system. Any "true Barca CB" doesnt exist on the market, simple as that. Anyone we will buy will be forced to change their game and do things differently. Some can adapt, but most can not. Thats why we often go for DMs because that position is quite similar to the Barca CB position. Oh, and btw, by this logic, Puyol isnt a true CB either, but just a converted RB.

I also now think many, myself included, often didn't realize that on Masch's best games, cl final included, Abidal was there to cover for him. With alves, alba and the lack of pressing, masch got found out easier. And then his flaws of not being a cb are much easier to spot.

Any CB will look dreadful in our system if we dont press high, so by this logic, they will all be "found out".

Mascherano will never think as as CB, always as a defensive midfielder. And because he lacks the understanding of the situation the only thing he knows to do is just go for it. I can't believe someone says that height is his only problem when he lacks positiong which is actually one of the most important aspects of a CB. 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 caught off position. He almost costed us another goal in a lucky situation with Milan, because of his lack of positioning and awareness he couldn't simply clean an easy situation and left his line with the result of failing. He can look good against weak La Liga sides but not against big clubs, its incomparable.

I would really like to see a CB that will not be responsible for any goals in our system with no protection, attacking full backs and a 50 yard high line with no pressing. Its just fantasy to believe that some clown like David Luiz or Agger would perform adequately in such circumstances. They will look like headless chickens.

 

[Flavia]

No CB on the market has the awareness and positioning to function flawlessly in our system. Any "true Barca CB" doesnt exist on the market, simple as that. Anyone we will buy will be forced to change their game and do things differently. Some can adapt, but most can not. Thats why we often go for DMs because that position is quite similar to the Barca CB position. Oh, and btw, by this logic, Puyol isnt a true CB either, but just a converted RB.

Any CB will look dreadful in our system if we dont press high, so by this logic, they will all be "found out".

Nope. Abidal, paired with Pique, was a much better defender than Masch. So is Puyol. Any good cb will play better than Masch at the position, for having trained there all their lives, unlike masch, who's been on that spot for only 3 years. Song as cb was a failure, proving your logic of a dm being a good cb for barça mistaken. Masch gets found out for his lack of awareness and positioning. Not just because of the lack of pressing. The lack of pressing just highlights he is not a cb. Against most la liga teams he will do fine, but when facing bayern, rm, chelsea etc, he'll be again a liability. On the friendly against bayern that was already clear again. That experiment has gone for too long now, a club like Barça should have proper defenders.

 

[Learo]

Nope. Abidal, paired with Pique, was a much better defender than Masch. So is Puyol. Any good cb will play better than Masch at the position, for having trained there all their lives, unlike masch, who's been on that spot for only 3 years. Song as cb was a failure, proving your logic of a dm being a good cb for barça mistaken. Masch gets found out for his lack of awareness and positioning. Not just because of the lack of pressing. The lack of pressing just highlights he is not a cb. Against most la liga teams he will do fine, but when facing bayern, rm, chelsea etc, he'll be again a liability. On the friendly against bayern that was already clear again. That experiment has gone for too long now, a club like Barça should have proper defenders.

I disagree. Abidal needed almost two seasons to be able to adapt to the LB position and become valued by most fans while Puyol has played in our system for a very long time (since he was 17). We have bought true CBs like Caceres, Milito, Chygrynskiy and Henrique and they didnt perform. I do agree that Song didnt perform either while Yaya Toure did whenever called upon including against top opposition. Its not so easy to just claim that "true CB=great defense for Barca". We will continue to look for players with a proper profile, and that will include plenty of DMs, as the CB position in Barca is unique.

 

[Flavia]

I disagree. Abidal needed almost two seasons to be able to adapt to the LB position and become valued by most fans while Puyol has played in our system for a very long time (since he was 17). We have bought true CBs like Caceres, Milito, Chygrynskiy and Henrique and they didnt perform. I do agree that Song didnt perform either while Yaya Toure did whenever called upon including against top opposition. Its not so easy to just claim that "true CB=great defense for Barca". We will continue to look for players with a proper profile, and that will include plenty of DMs, as the CB position in Barca is unique.

A good true cb would do better than Masch, not any cb. Caceres and Chygrynskiy weren't good enough, and Henrique was a strange buy, as keirrison. But Milito was a good player, except for his last season.

Playing Masch as cb should only happen on an emergency, or against easier opponents. He really shouldn't be a starter, as he is now. 3 years is too long for this to still be going on.

 

[Sumlit]

This idea that Masche is not a CB is getting boring. Its like saying Messi is not a forward and should go back to the right wing. Mascherano is a CB for us and always has been for years now. He has repeatedly stated he is most comfortable as a CB for us, not as a midfielder, and he did wonderful when the pressure was high (which is what we should aim for, and where he is better than almost anyone). All CBs have weaknesses, Masche's is his lack of height, not his inability to be a "true CB" (which doesnt exist on the market as no team play like we do).

It is not an "idea", it is the cold hard truth. You might not like to hear it, disagree with it, and therefore find it boring, but the fact still remains. Masche, bless his warrior heart, is not a CB. Never was, never will. The fact he plays CB for Barca does not mean he is a pure CB. Just like when they played Adriano and Song there didn't mean all of the sudden they too were CBs.

Games like yesterday's vs Levante belie the actual truth of the condition. The fact was Levante's game, as will happen with most La Liga games, had Mascherano playing a style he is used to and is good at, which is almost as a midfielder tasked with cutting balls and breaking possession. He will look very good indeed in those instances.
Now, when you face true competition, and he is forced to be a true CB, playing deeper, marking forwards, covering aerial balls, then you will see costly mistakes.

 

[MagIX]

This idea that Masche is not a CB is getting boring. Its like saying Messi is not a forward and should go back to the right wing. Mascherano is a CB for us and always has been for years now. He has repeatedly stated he is most comfortable as a CB for us, not as a midfielder, and he did wonderful when the pressure was high (which is what we should aim for, and where he is better than almost anyone). All CBs have weaknesses, Masche's is his lack of height, not his inability to be a "true CB" (which doesnt exist on the market as no team play like we do).

I agree. I like Mascherano as CB.
the problem is his lack of height (as you wrote): this would not be a problem if we had other
tall players, but we play with only 2 players taller than 1.70 (Piqué and Busquets, and both
are not exceptional in the air). With Mascherano on the pitch as CB we lost a possible
3rd player taller than 1.70 (CB normally are tall).
Our lack of height was, is, and will be a BIG problem. Not vs Llevante but vs big team like Bayern, Real,.... a detail very
inportant vs big team, when the match is very balanced, a cross, a croner, have often made ​​the difference.

 

[Learo]

It is not an "idea", it is the cold hard truth.

It is not the truth. Just as it is not the truth that Puyol is not a CB, only a converted RB. Puyol is a CB for us and Masch is a CB for us as well. They are not going to play RB and DM and the sooner ppl start realizing that, the better. Masch has faced true competition and done marvellous when our defensive structure and pressing was good. I really feel that Tata Martino is bringing these important aspects back into our team and we thus have a good shot at the CL title again.

 

[te amo barca]

Good game. MOTM for me.

 

[ThwiX]

MOTM

 

[ebieymjunior]

Good game. MOTM for me.

Great game!

 

[jiopi]

Good game. MOTM for me.

Easily, he was covering left center and right, sweeping in middle.

 

[Sumlit]

He was good today, ain't even gonna try to hate on him. Still have strong doubts, but he'll get nothing but compliments from me today.

 

[evilhita666]

Our new CB should be to replace Piqué... If this guy can play like this constantly, I will be relieved!

 

[Darko]

Great game,hope he continues playing like this!