Rafa was absolutely right to select Lucas ahead of Mascherano for the Hull game. Not only does Lucas offer a (marginally) greater attacking threat than Mascherano but on current form the Brazilian absolutely deserves his place ahead of the Argentine. Notwithstanding Lucas’ improvement in form, it speaks volumes about Mascherano’s decline that I can make that statement. The truth is Mascherano has done nothing this season to warrant inclusion in the first XI. He was useless in the two games we lost and has been largely anonymous in the other games. Even in the Leeds game against players from the third tier of English football, he failed to shine.
This is the captain of Argentina, for goodness sake, yet he could not stamp his authority on a cup tie versus a League One team. Of course, his status as Argentina’s captain probably reflects the madness of Diego Maradona more than Mascherano’s game. For me, a team’s captain should be its best or most influential player. At Anfield, Mascherano is neither and if he truly is the Argentinean national team’s best and or most influential player perhaps that explains why they are struggling so much to qualify for the World Cup.
Not that I give a damn about Argentina’s national team. Of far more concern to me is how international involvement impacts the form, fitness and availability of one of Liverpool’s players. Just over a year ago, Mascherano returned from the Olympics pledging to repay the support of his employers who generously allowed him time off from his day job to piss about playing in youth team games. With the notable exception of some of the higher profile games against the likes of Man Ure, Real Madrid and Chelsea, he failed to make good on that promise. Had the Argentine managed just a single goal in one of last season's drawn home games to add to his one solitary strike for the club, it might have been the difference between a 19th title and being robbed by the cheating Mancs.
So far, Mascherano’s Liverpool career appears to mirroring that of Xabi Alonso: outstanding in the first season culminating in a Champions League Final appearance; excellent in the second season; below par in the third season and hugely disappointing in the fourth.
He needs to break that trend and quickly because we simply cannot carry a player, let alone a player so lacking in stature he offers no help when it comes to defending those dreaded set-pieces. The fact is, however, we shouldn’t have to carry him. This is a player who, when on top of his game, oozes quality.
At his best, Mascherano is an unstoppable force, a harrier, a destroyer of opponents’ attacks, a ball of energy in perpetual motion and key to the team maintaining a high tempo. He is also capable of playing with great discipline as perfectly demonstrated when taking Kaka out of the game in Athens.
Mascherano is a big game player and we have a couple of big games coming up. I have no doubt that Rafa will restore him to central midfield alongside Lucas for the games in Tuscanny and at Stamford Bridge with Gerrard reviving his partnership with the in-form Torres. I know Mascher will be chomping at the bit after his recent exclusion and I just hope he can channel his aggression and energy in the right way and help us emulate last season’s results at the home of the plastic flag brigade.
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