by Owzat » Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:56 am
Fo Dne wrote:You're drawing at home to an average side. You've got these two in midfield. Mascherano playing at 80% of what he's capable of and looking like he could step it up, Lucas playing at 100% of what he's capable of.
You need a winner and you have to take one of them off, who do you change? And why? (Which player do you bring off?)
I can't surely be the only one who thinks its complete stupidity to take of Mascherano ahead of Lucas. I'd be interested to here what everyone thinks and why.
What does Mascherano offer from an attacking point of view? The only stupid thing about Rafa taking Mascherano off a few games ago was bringing Lucas on for him - and to wait so long to do it! I would take off Mascherano as in that situation you want as many attacking options as possible and Lucas may be an inferior player, but I'd fancy his chances of scoring or setting up a goal over Mascherano's - especially if Mascherano isn't even on top of his game. You'd look a right plank if there was no attacking threat and said average side were just soaking up pressure to see out the last 20-30 mins, we've so little creativity in midfield it is embarrassing and to keep a DM on because Lucas is not a great player simply makes a draw more likely. There was little danger of Mascherano coming on against West Ham.
Any hints as to who is available to come on in this scenario?
And of course it could/would depend on who else is playing and how well or badly they're playing. Subbing a midfielder if the striker(s) or winger(s) or Gerrard (if playing) are also having a stinker would be as pointless as taking off the keeper.
I know it probably wasn't your intention, but I suspect a lot of people would never pick Lucas over Mascherano so what you are trying to prove/demonstrate/establish is doomed to fail. Lucas is the new Voronin, never likely to get a vote in any poll regardless of scenarios.
lewerty - that is an excellent question, if you're playing an average side at home and have to play that pairing and are drawing then maybe you're screwed any which way! Whether those two are playing well or badly, if you're drawing at home against an average side then the rest can't be doing much either.
I wouldn't start with Mascherano against an average side unless Gerrard and/or Alonso weren't available, why the theory needs to include a holding midfielder against a side that we shouldn't need one against I don't know. I think we've proved last two games that the best players available are fully capable of looking average themselvesLast edited by
Owzat on Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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