Let's be honest. Masch is too old especially at that price. He's no Alonso. So most of you who would take him are thinking with your memory. We need the future and not the past.
Up until this year, and this year he has still got plenty of game, has been a starter for Barcelona, the best in many peoples eyes team in the world. Ya we wouldn't cack like him! Come on Dave, if we still bought players at say RB and a winger along with Masch, would you really be that upset? He would help fill a big gap in defense. His positional play, ability to break down attacks ( especailly as we are so attacking and get left open sometimes).
I'll say it again, he's too expensive and his age does not fit our player purchase profile. On top of that you need to consider the type of game he would want to play and the style of football that we are now playing - the two are far from a perfect fit. Very very few players returns to former clubs are happy affairs and I don't see enough in him to believe that he would do any different. Finally, and most importantly he refused to play for us whilst he was still a Liverpool player. For me that is unforgivable and I never want to see him in our shirt again. You may be prepared to sacrifice your pride but he's not special enough for me as either a player of individual to even consider it.
He would be coming from Barcelona!!!! 2nd bit, now that I totally understand. A player similar who is playing for a team that is in the dumps is Banega at Valencia. More of a mix of Alonso and Masch. Would love him at LFC.
Mascherano would fit our style perfectly. He has a dog type approach in that he chases everything so fits the closing down aspect perfectly. He always wanted to pass the ball out and I believe his passing stats were pretty good too. He has acceleration, pace and can read the game very well which means he can operate as a lone DM. What doesn't fit? His age is against our recruitment criteria and he is a little expensive (although I'd rather spend that on Mascherano than on Allen, not that that should be our benchmark). I agree with the last paragraph though. Hence my comments above.
So he would be coming from Barcelona - so what!? The pace of the game he's been playing since he left us is nowhere near what he would face weekly in the Premiership. Then you have to ask yourself the question, "what are we buying?". By that I mean what added value will he provide. Now I doubt that Masch will improve his skills in a second term with us
rather have Alonso back than Masch to be honest, masch was all about getting in peoples faces, can he still do that at his age, alonso was all about skill and passing and not many on here wanted him back, strange. for the masch role needs someone with legs who can do a lot of running about ie younger.
Think it's just that we need that sort of a player - tenacious, energetic, fighting, destructive - more than the Alonso type right now.
see your point but what about this comment i got off lfcsite from a fan, agree disagree? IF we got Xabi AND Salah, we would win the Prem ... Gerrard could have a free role
My problem is his age plus he has been out of this league for a while now, he was always an all action type player and not a great reader of the game so does he still have the legs to go bombing around the pitch? He doesn't even play that often and when he does he plays at Centre Back a lot, I think he would be a big risk. I'd rather us go in for a younger player who has the energy to play in this league Matuidi for example. I have to stick with my belief that Lucas is currently a better option and is starting to look like his old self since we changed back to 4-3-3 he's back as the lone DM and it seems to suit him, when he was playing in there with Gerrard he didn't seem to understand his role.
Despite how he left I would take him back. He is betting than anything we have and knows the crack. Strange how his stocks seems to have fallen, you don't here much about him. Wouldn't want to pay him more than 60k though which he would be unlikely to accept.
ffs you dave, explain why its a stupid comment. City and Chelsea have stronger squads so doubtful, but if we got one more season of Stevie of 08/09 why not, should imagine that's where he was coming from. 2-3 more seasons of ok does the job or one more of what if, know which i would prefer to see.
