14 - Javier Mascherano

[CatalinR10]

i'm happy he finally gets some recognition

 

[BigBarcaBoy]

i'm happy he finally gets some recognition

as a liverpool fan, Masch is the sort of player we are crying out for so I'm ecstatic that he is getting his long overdue praise and appreciation.

 

[Behrox]

as a liverpool fan, Masch is the sort of player we are crying out for so I'm ecstatic that he is getting his long overdue praise and appreciation.

Always loved the guy. Just wins me over with his tenacity and putting 100% in every match he plays.

 

[Zangash]

Mascherano played as CDM in his first big game and guess what? His passing was fucking awful and he got consistently embarrassed when he had to defend.

But I'm the retard for recognizing Valencia is tougher than Apoel.

I suppose I'd be even more stupid for noticing how much of an upgrade Busquets was when Lucho moved Masche back to CB and put Busi back at DM where he fucking belongs.

 

[Barcaman]

I thought he was better than Xavi and Busquets. Not saying much but still.
Problems we had were coming from the flanks and Xavi and Busquets are to blame more than Mascherano.

 

[Flavia]

I thought he was better than Xavi and Busquets. Not saying much but still.
Problems we had were coming from the flanks and Xavi and Busquets are to blame more than Mascherano.

Busquets played out of position, but Mascherano wasn't any better than him. I didn't see it. Masch was really bad at distributing today, the midfield improved when he was moved to cb, and Busquets to dm.

 

[Barcaman]

Mascherano plays out of position for 3 years now.
And we didn't win because of shuffle. Rakitic and Rafinha did nothing od note.
We just got lucky in the end.

 

[Mythical Revolution]

IMO, you can play a double pivot and still phase out Masch from the buildup play by giving Pique more freedom to go forward and distribute play and have Masch cover for him.

I still think that a double pivot has a future, at least in away matches against big teams. But first you have to play it (which we didn't in this match; Masch was playing AM at times), and you can't play it without an AM.

 

[Truthist]

I must have watched a different game because I thought he totally locked the Valencia midfield. I feel more confident him playing CDM than CB anyday of the week.

 

[Alik]

Mascherano played as CDM in his first big game and guess what? His passing was fucking awful and he got consistently embarrassed when he had to defend.

But I'm the retard for recognizing Valencia is tougher than Apoel.

I suppose I'd be even more stupid for noticing how much of an upgrade Busquets was when Lucho moved Masche back to CB and put Busi back at DM where he fucking belongs.

Please. The whole system didn't work. Don't blame it on Masch.

 

[Zangash]

Mascherano plays out of position for 3 years now.

And I don't remember anyone going "Busquets played better than Mascherano" when he was played out of position, either.

And we didn't win because of shuffle. Rakitic and Rafinha did nothing od note.

Adding them and moving Mascherano back to *anywhere but CDM* so Busquets could play CDM is what won us the game.

We just got lucky in the end.

Not really. Taking Xavi off, putting Busi as CDM, and putting on two real CMs changed the game for us completely and if we'd have started that way we would have put the game to bed much sooner.

Please. The whole system didn't work. Don't blame it on Masch.

So when Busquets plays poorly it's because he's garbage and is an embarrassment to his shirt and he isn't fit to play DM for us anymore without Xavi and Iniesta, but when Mascherano plays poorly in the exact same fucking circumstances, as I said he would, hundreds of times, it's because the system is poor? What a joke.

 

[Gnidrologist]

Not really. Taking Xavi off, putting Busi as CDM, and putting on two real CMs changed the game for us completely and if we'd have started that way we would have put the game to bed much sooner.

If we wouldn't be 3:0 down by that time, seeing how Valencia had 2 clear cut chances after Rakitic came on. And how did Masch fail at defending?

 

[Zangash]

If we wouldn't be 3:0 down by that time, seeing how Valencia had 2 clear cut chances after Rakitic came on. And how did Masch fail at defending?

He got owned several times. It's not as clear as when Pique gets the run around as the last man but him losing his man in midfield and getting dribbled led to several Valencia attacks.

 

[Co0ter]

Sometimes I wonder if I watch the same game as others. How was Mascherano so bad? Busquets and Xavi did nothing. Mascherano and Sergio in the midfield together is just the worst idea ever. Double pivot blah blah...horrible idea. Sergio is slow and offers no runs, limited vertical passing range and on top of it is terrible at defending counters. Making sure he sits back as DM and doesn't get caught up the field is the only way he works for us...even then he hasn't been the same players for years...yes years.

We need three solid defensive defenders and ONE attacking full back. I've been saying it forever. Making our midfield, especially creative ones like Rakitic, defend is ridiculous. It leaves a huge hole in our midfield and is exactly why Messi always has to drop back to get the ball.

Play Mascherano as DM for more than one game every 2 seasons and with a midfield that isn't unbalanced due to two fullback bombing forward and he will beast.

 

[Alik]

So when Busquets plays poorly it's because he's garbage and is an embarrassment to his shirt and he isn't fit to play DM for us anymore without Xavi and Iniesta, but when Mascherano plays poorly in the exact same fucking circumstances, as I said he would, hundreds of times, it's because the system is poor? What a joke.

How was this match the exact same circumstances?

Masch has played better this season in the matches that are more comparable.