Liverpool FC Forum

[metalhead]

Here is Roy's opinion on the matter

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Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has questioned the professionalism of Barcelona-bound midfielder Javier Mascherano.

The Argentine has come in for criticism after, at late notice, he failed to make himself available for the Reds' 3-0 loss against Manchester City on Monday.

Barca have since had an offer in the region of £16million accepted by Liverpool, with Mascherano poised to wrap up his wanted move in due course.

Hodgson, who took over at Anfield this summer, has admitted he has been let down by the player's attitude.

"It is not easy for me to defend the actions (of Mascherano) because professionals are paid to play and when they are called on to play, they play," he said.
Agitated

"We had a player at Blackburn, Graeme Le Saux, who was very agitated when I joined the club because he was determined to go to Chelsea and that caused a lot of problems in pre-season.

"Tim Sherwood was wanted by Tottenham and that caused a lot of problems because he wanted to get back to London.

"These situations do occur unfortunately and we have to live with it.

"I don't think they (the players) mean it as a challenge to your authority or a challenge to the club's authority.

"It is just a selfish situation that they have got something they want to do and they just expect the club, and therefore you as one of the leaders of the club, to bow down and accept that they are going to do it.

Unpleasantness

"Unfortunately there are going to be periods of time when there will be some unpleasantness because players must also understand that when you sign contracts you sign contracts to play.

"If the club decide they are going to accept an offer for you and let you go that is one thing, but you run the risk the club might say 'I'm sorry, you've got the contract and we aren't selling you so you are staying'.

"It doesn't bother me as a challenge to my authority it is just a fact of life.

"But it is a fact of life which gets exacerbated in a one-month period in January and between July and August when it is a time of year when a lot of people are trying to do their business."

[Madmax]

glad the pr*ck has finally gone.. We are getting rid of our best players and replaceming them with shyte...

[bunglemark2]

Not that you'll ever be reading this Masch, but for what it's worth, I rate you lower than a tinker's melt !!

[Fauxy]

Refusing to play for us on such an important match and at such an important time was a cheap shot mascha..

That turd i flushed down the toilet an hour ago deserves more respect than you!

[bunglemark2]

Masch - I fart in your general direction !

[anti-hero]

BYE MASCH!

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!

BUT IF IT WASNT FOR YOUR SILLY, WHINY WIFE WHO 'MISSED THE SUN' AND HAD A DOZEN OTHER LOUSY EXCUSES TO LEAVE FOR SPAIN, YOU COULD'VE STILL BE PLAYING IN RED.

SO I DONT BLAME YOU THAT MUCH.


.. BUT YOU COULD'VE PICKED A DIFFERENT WIFE.

[metalhead]

Javier Mascherano has denied going on strike at Liverpool as he prepares to seal his move to Barcelona.

The Argentine international is expected to tie up his move to Barcelona on Monday after Liverpool reluctantly agreed a fee for the midfielder on Friday.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson aimed a swipe at Mascherano following a deal being agreed with Barca questioning his professionalism after the former West Ham man reportedly refused to play in last Monday's defeat at Manchester City.

However, Mascherano has blasted Hodgson's criticism and claims he was 100 per cent professional during his time at Anfield.

"I showed at Liverpool that I am always 100 per cent professional and nobody can doubt that," Mascherano told The People.

"Against Manchester City I was not right to play. I spoke with the coach and he understood my position. It was better for the team.
No problems

"I have never had any problems with the new coach - I accepted his orders and Roy Hodgson would confirm it.

"My team-mates knew it was my decision and did not say anything about it to me."

Mascherano insists his move to Barcelona is not driven by money and he is excited about joining the Spanish champions.

"Liverpool will always be in my heart, but my time there has finished and now it is time for a new challenge," added Mascherano.

"I have not left Liverpool to join Barcelona for money, just for sporting reasons. The Barca project is very exciting. They have been interested in me in the past and this second opportunity to join them was impossible to reject.

"I will for ever be grateful to Liverpool for what they did for me, but I have done all I can for them on the pitch in return.

"The fans were always brilliant with me and now I must wait to see if they view my exit negatively. That is football."

Messi influence

Mascherano also revealed former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wanted to bring him to Inter Milan, but that Lionel Messi played a big part in persuading him to move to Camp Nou.

"Inter was the first option," he added. "Rafa wanted me for his new project, but my family and the challenge Barcelona provides made me choose Spain.

"Lionel Messi was also a big influence. He spoke with Pep Guardiola and told him Barcelona needed me."


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Yeh right masch, you basically refused to play when the team needed you (in the bold part)

[andy_g]

how about we consider the fact that mascherano's decision not play was in fact another instance of his professionalism? weird, i know, but maybe its true. we saw for all of last season (when we knew he really wanted to be somewhere else) he played some of the best football of his liverpool career, and we also saw the same player in the first game of this season against arsenal. all these performances came with him knowing that if he had the chance he would be somewhere else. so then before the man city game it finally comes to him that the move he's wanted for over a year is finally going to happen, his wife will finally be happy, he'll be with his mates messi and co, etc etc etc - its a huge relief and enormously exciting. it's only reasonable to expect that he would be more than a little distracted. sure he could have played, but if under the circumstances he would find it impossible to keep his mind on the game then it's best he doesn't, and i think he realised that. its not as if playing would have jeopardised the move or anything.

its sad that so many fans are now calling one of our most consistent and committed players of the last 3 seasons all the names under the sun when we knew that sooner or later he would be gone anyway.

[maguskwt]

What the feck does it mean by 'not right to play?' unless there is something wrong medically, you play and it's not your decision to make...

[OneHotRed]

Im presuming it means his mind has to 100% on what he needs to do in the match, it wasnt therefore he wasnt played, however what he didnt understand is that even if his mind had been 50% on the game, he would have been better than what we had.

Cant blame him, hes gone, I thought the way he left was shoite but is that the true story, we wont ever really know, just hope hes not used as a bit part player at Barca and they use him to his full potential.

[bunglemark2]

Not that I want to resurrect any anti-Masch sentiments, but I heard a decent comment from Johnny Giles today about him, how he seemed to underplay his potential, and never seemed to do more than be good at a certain level, and meet a limited set of expectations. Which he did well, but didn't seem to try to be any morethan that, or seem to want to be more than that. I think the point Giles was making was that he seemed happy to play at a certain level and not push himself or impose himself as much as many seemed to think he could...
Interesting observation, and I've a lot of time for what Giles says....

[dawson99]

I said for months i thought he was a wrongun... great player, poor man, hopefully the team can be more harmonious now

[Benny The Noon]

Masher has denied he went on strike and wanted to play against City .

[ConnO'var]

Close the book on this fecking Judas.

He's not worth anymore discussion on these pages.

[bigmick]

A sheister and a charlatan. Good player without doubt, but thoroughly untrustworthy. We are well shut of him IMHO. The comparison between the way he handled himself and the way Xabi Alonso handled himself in similar circumstances couldn't be greater.