EPL Talk » Javier Mascherano

Finally, a Little Honesty from Captain Steven Gerrard

Alex Caulfield — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:23:27 +0000

Former teammates; Alonso and Gerrard

I really can’t wait to read the December installment of FourFourTwo Magazine. In this issue Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard finally states what we all know: the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid has undeniably damaged the Merseyside club. I would personally like to thank Stevie for a poignant piece of honesty. While fans and pundits pick over the decaying carcass of Liverpool Football Club, a team that has lost six of its last eight matches and is all but eliminated from the Champions League, Gerrard sites the initial catalyst for all the misery.

The captain states, “I was devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it. Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his teammates and the coaches couldn’t stand in his way. We just had to say thanks and move forward without him.”

Pressure has mounted on Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez over his side’s slumping form over the past month, with a sole victory over Manchester United keeping the club hanging from a thread. Yet to anyone who follows this team closely, Alonso’s departure signaled the beginning of an era of doubt an instability. As Gerrard wisely points out, Alonso is, “one of the best players in the world.” His diligent play over four successful seasons helped to propel Liverpool to Champions League glory, an FA cup triumph, and a stunning finish last season that saw the Anfield club nearly pip United to the Premier League title. Last year’s second place position is the closest Benitez will get to his most coveted prize, as Liverpool currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table and are nine points adrift of first-place Chelsea.

Alonso’s deft passing ability, unrivaled vision, and sound work ethic made him the ultimate deep-lying playmaker for Benitez’s Liverpool. The Spaniard provided the perfect link between defense and attack, allowing Javier Mascherano to roam the final third and protect Liverpool’s back four. Similarly, Alonso enabled Gerrard to become the renowned attacking midfielder that we know him as today, slotting brilliantly weighted through balls to the Scouser’s feet in front of goal. Now it is Kaka and Christiano Ronaldo receiving this service, and Liverpool’s once metronomic rhythm has been disrupted.

Gerrard and Carragher have fallen upon troubled times

Lucas will never be a Premier League-caliber midfielder, and Alberto Aquilani is not Alonso’s natural replacement. That is not to say that Aquilani will not become a fine player for Liverpool, but Alonso’s skill set was incredibly rare, and replacing him in midfield is near impossible. Meanwhile Mascherano is having to overcompensate for this loss, throwing the usually tenacious holding midfielder off of his game.

With both Gerrard and star striker Fernando Torres injured and awaiting surgery, the future will not provide any respite for the once proud Merseyside club. Liverpool is in free fall, and as Gerrard intelligently points out, this trend began before his side kicked off the season, “It was always going to be different when you lose one of the best players in the world – and people are finally realizing that’s what he [Alonso] is, on the back of his form for Real Madrid and the difference in us from last year.”

Stay Fit, Keep Xabi, Masch: Liverpool Can Win… part 1

Ethan Armstrong — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:55:02 +0000

Gutted: n. 1) A feeling of intense desolation, akin to the feeling of having one’s insides ripped out. 2) A sweet colloquialism that should be adopted into American parlance along with the words “wanker”, “bullocks” and “knackered”. Example: Ethan Armstrong will be gutted if Liverpool FC sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

Here it is: if Liverpool stay fit and don’t lose Xabi Alonso, they’ve already got the winning formula.

The recent £17m move might be the key to solving their big problem: Glen Johnson will be instrumental in helping the Reds dissect the ten-man defenses of Stoke, West Ham, Fulham, (and I presume…) Wolves, Birmingham, Burnley, etc. If Liverpool could have figured out how to get through such throngs of penalty area loiterers last season, they would have won the title with room to spare.

Also, from what I’ve seen of summertime Riera, it looks like he’ll come back with the bristling promise he displayed last fall. He looks good. He stalled last winter. But he’s allowed one first season rut. Now it’s time to get to work turning defenders and launching in balls. Get to it, Albert. I know you have it in you.

So, between Johnson and Riera (with help from Insua/Aurelio) Liverpool will have a solid wide game on both sides. Something Zenden and Pennant didn’t bring. Kuyt does a fine job turning people, but doesn’t have the speed of a winger. Sometimes he has a cross. But now, I see the Dirk making sweet interchanges with Johnson who will be charging in from backfield like Napoleon storming across a continent. I’m seriously getting excited about this. Especially Johnson.

Liverpool should go in for one more quality signing (more on this in part 2). But the most important thing is they don’t sell Xabi Alonso. Mascherano either.

At this point, I don’t think either of them will go, but I can’t muster the confidence to believe Florentino Pérez isn’t in his office, right now, watching highlights from May’s 2-6 spanking: when Barça obliterated Real at Real. He hurls the remote through the television. He stands on his desk and, à la Gary Oldman in The Professional, he screams: “Bring me everyone!!!!”

Boom. £100m. Xabi and Javier move to Madrid. (Hey… that’d be a good name for a Spanish-language bromantic comedy…)

Seriously though: please stay, amigos.

These two are the core of this team. With them controlling midfield, Steven Gerrard knows he can burst forth and tear apart defenses. The back four know they’ve got a first wave of defense (largely in Mascherano) to break up attacks before they need to worry. Stick Lucas in for either Alonso or Mascherano, and the captain won’t soar with the same confidence, the centre-backs won’t feel as covered. Mascherano’s a brick wall. Alonso’s a seer. Strength and vision. These two are the Liverpool midfield. Irreplaceable. Unless, of course, Real wants to do a straight swap, one of them for Kaká… What say you, Señor Pérez? No? It was worth a try.

Now, (assuming there’s no coup on Xabi and Javier), if every Liverpool starter can agree not to get injured all season, the Reds can absolutely win the title as they are. But who can depend on that? What happens if Stevie or Torres get laid up for a long stretch? I said if Liverpool stay fit. We can’t bet on that. The Reds need an insurance policy…

Tomorrow: Part 2…

Warning: Harry Kewell will come up in the discussion. No, it’s not what you think. But I’m giving you some advanced notice so we can all stay friends.

Liverpool Without Javier Mascherano…

Ethan Armstrong — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:00:07 +0000

It was a strange booking. Xabi Alonso stuck out a leg and caught Real Madrid’s onrushing defender, Pepe, but Javier Mascherano took the booking. This may have been for kicking the ball away, but the Argentinian seemed to be clearing it in case play didn’t stop. It didn’t look a bookable offense.

As Liverpool’s midfield janitor, Mascherano is no stranger to the yellow card. He’s so often the one in charge of breaking up mounting attacks, he’s become one of Liverpool’s most prolific tacklers. He occasionally gets the timing wrong, but refs don’t always believe him when he gets it right. Sometimes he’s booked for the perfect tackle just because his skill at dispossessing is, in a word, unbelievable.

So Mascherano had easily amassed four yellows in the Champions League by the time Frank de Bleekere booked him after Xabi’s challenge.

Now, Liverpool will have to face Chelsea on Wednesday without their janitor. They’ve beaten the Blues twice already, once without the help of Fernando Torres. But both victories over the London giants relied heavily on intense midfield pressure. Without Mascherano there to both reinforce the attackers and act as the first wave of defense, Liverpool’s job in the home leg of the quarter finals could be tougher than Chelsea’s visit to Anfield in February when the Reds won 2-0.

The likely cover for the suspended Argentinian will be Lucas Leiva. The young Brazilian midfielder has not had the most convincing of seasons and his inexperience was painfully obvious when he gave up pivotal spot kicks in matches against Wigan and Everton, yet Rafael Benitez clearly has plenty of confidence in Lucas and feels the kid will step into his own.

We saw this faith in Lucas pay some dividends when Liverpool faced Manchester United without Xabi Alonso. Alonso has been one of the Reds’ most influential players all season and taking on Man U at Old Trafford without him would seem a tall task indeed. But Lucas played one of his most convincing matches ever. Keeping his head well and orchastrating the short, crisp passes his is known for with consistency and vision. Liverpool won with Lucas covering for Alonso. But can Lucas offer anything like the solidity Javier Mascherano imposes on the midfield?

Chelsea boast a lot of power in their midfielders and attackers. When Mascherano returns for the second leg, they’ll have many frustrations trying to build chances out of the middle of the pitch, but they may think they can overpower the diminutive Lucas on Wednesday. Cleverness and short distribution are Lucas’s strengths when he plays well. But he’s small and can be bullied of the ball by players like Drogba and Lampard.

Chelsea will be eager to put away an away goal or two. Lucas will need to stand up to the pressure and help Liverpool’s defenders maintain a wall to make Chelsea’s attacks crumble. If Liverpool can keep a clean sheet at Anfield, they’ll feel confident they can cause another upset at Stamford Bridge on the 14th.

The task is a daunting one for the 21-year-old. But he called up the right mentality when asked to against United. Surely, if he’s going to raise his level of play further, a European quarter-final will be just the arena to inspire him.

Liverpool Manchester United Video Highlights

The Gaffer — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:57:12 +0000

Liverpool certainly raised their game today with a historic 2-1 win against arch rivals Manchester United in an entertaining game. Watch the video highlights of the goals here.

It was an impressive team performance from Liverpool who definitely seemed more up for the game than a Manchester United side that seemed lethargic and on the backfoot at times, especially in the second half.

Albert Riera put in an very credible debut performance on the left wing for the Reds. Based on how he played today as well as how remarkable Ryan Babel was when he came on to replace Riera, Liverpool looks to have finally solved their weaknesses on the left wing.

What’s important for Liverpool FC is that they continue to put in spirited performances like this week-in, week-out. Boosted by a deserved win against Manchester United, the Reds have an opportunity now to push ahead of United in the league table and need to maintain a winning record to put the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

What are your thoughts from today’s game? How do you explain Manchester United’s weak performance today, especially in the second half? And should Javier Mascherano be knighted? Share your thoughts below by clicking the comments link.

Liverpool Does the Right Thing: German Clubs Do Not

Kartik Krishnaiyer — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:20:15 +0000

On the European Continent and on the British Isles the view of the Olympic football Tournament is completely different than in the rest of the world. In Europe the tournament is seen as more of a nuisance than anything, while among those in the Western Hemisphere and in Africa it is seen as big deal.

Nigeria and Cameroon are both recent champions of the event, and after both nations achieved their Gold Medals, mass celebrations consumed the nation. Mexico fired its national coach, the biggest hero in Mexican football history Hugo Sanchez because he failed to qualify the team for the Olympics, despite a month earlier, achieving the nation’s first result on American soil against the arch rival United States in nine years. Brazil’s Dunga has survived a tumultuous World Cup qualifying campaign thus far, because he is seen as the man to bring home an Olympic Gold Medal, and Brazil did not want to change coaches so soon before the Olympics.

The United States puts more emphasis on Olympic Football than any tournament outside of the World Cup, and because for years the Olympics themselves were used as a propaganda tool by the USA, I’ve heard debate within American soccer circles as to whether or not winning the Olympic Gold Medal would actually do more for the game domestically than winning the World Cup. While I do not subscribe to this view in the least bit, it simply demonstrates how important the Olympic tournament is considered to many people. In fact, one of the best forwards then United States has ever produced, Brian McBride has come out of international retirement just for this event, because of its importance to US Soccer. Tim Vickery, who understands Latin Football better than just about any European writer, explains why this event is so important to so many in an outstanding piece.

But European clubs for the most part are more annoyed and bothered by this event than they are interested in it. Liverpool is losing more than just about any club on the planet. Ryan Babel will be featuring for Holland, Javier Mascherano for Argentina, and Lucas for Brazil. This puts the Reds behind the eight ball in the first few weeks of the Premier League season. Rafa Benetiz isn’t happy about it, but unlike some of the clubs in Germany, Liverpool understands that FIFA’s declaration that all selected U-23 players must be released is to be honored. But even more admirable is that Liverpool has released Mascherano, who is an overage player and whose release Liverpool legally could have prevented.

Chelsea has released Solomon Kalou. Blackburn has released Ryan Nelson (an overage player) and Manchester United has allowed Anderson to join Brazil. However two German clubs are refusing to release their Brazilian players: Werder Bremen with Diego, perhaps the best player in the Bundesliga last season, and Schalke with Rafinha. Both players left their clubs this week without permission to join Brazil’s training. This stands in contrast not only to the example set by the three aforementioned English clubs, but by AC Milan who just signed Ronaldinho and have made him the center of a major worldwide marketing campaign. Despite this, Milan has allowed Ronaldinho to join Brazil’s squad, perhaps because Italian clubs are more used to this situation than other European clubs: Italy has competed in more Olympic Football tournaments than any other nation. (Believe it or not, the United States has qualified for the second most Olympic Football tournaments, and would tied with Italy for the most appearances had the US not barely missed qualification for the 2004 tournament).

What’s even more disturbing are the lengths the two German clubs are going to in order to try and stop players from exercising their free will and representing their country. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear a case being brought before it by the clubs and backed by the European Club Association to block U-23 players from joining their national teams in the Olympics. Werder Bremen has also refused to allow Dusko Tosic of Serbia to join his team and has reportedly confiscated his passport.

Olympic football is very important to many across the globe. As European clubs become more and more global in both their squad makeup and in their marketing they must learn to bend on these sorts of issues. Liverpool to their credit has reluctantly complied as they continue to try and build their global brand. The German clubs, already in a league whose international stature is waning have made a fatal mistake in the court of international football public opinion with their unreasonable stand. Though many in Europe whose focus is the club game and European tournaments may applaud Schalke and Bremen for their stands, the Bundesliga is no doubt soon to take a major beating in perception and respect level in Latin America.

While Olympic Football takes place outside the regular FIFA blackout windows, clubs in Europe must understand the importance of this event and also assume the risk for signing high profile internationals. Liverpool, as a more popular and successful club from an international standpoint clearly understands this better than Werder Breman and Schalke 04. Perhaps this helps to explain why the Premier League is head and shoulders above the Bundesliga these days when it comes to international recognition and popularity.