Mascherano a much better signing for Barcelona than the intended one- ‘Fabregas’
Barcelona FC is currently the place to be. With the whole of Spain basking in the afterglow of having won the World Cup, there is currently no happier place than the Camp Nou. Barcelona had a big hand in the Spanish World Cup success in South Africa. The Catalan giants contributed no less than seven players to the Spanish first team that went on to lift the World Cup and also to prove that Spain currently has the best players in the world.
In the aftermath of a historic victory over Netherlands in the final, Barcelona have been buzzing in anticipation of the new season. In fact over the summer, the Camp Nou was getting ready to throw another party to welcome back one of their own, Cesc Fabregas. However, the current captain of Arsenal could not be prized away from the London club as manager Arsene Wenger dug in and refused to sell his talisman.
Yet from the jaws of defeat, a sliver of silver lining can be gleaned. Even though the purchase of Fabregas would have bolstered the Barcelona midfield, it was hard to see where he would be able to play with Andres Iniesta and Xavi, occupying two of the three places in the 4-3-3 that boss Pep Guardiola likes to play. The third spot would be occupied by an anchor in the shape of Sergio Busquets who has shown no appetite of giving up his position after ousting Yaya Toure not only from the first team eleven but from the club as well. The best Fabregas would have hoped for would have been to replace Iniesta or Xavi or step in when either of them get injured or needed a rest.
The silver lining arrives in the shape of a certain Argentinean from Liverpool, Javier Mascherano. Fabregas would have been a great fantasy signing and his attacking prowess would have complemented that of the rest of the team, yet it is arguable whether his arrival would really have strengthened a first team Barcelona side. The ‘Masch’ monster, however, most certainly does improve a very attack minded Barcelona side.
It was the inability of the Catalan club to purchase Fabregas that the defensive midfielder has been brought in. And Mascherano, it can be argued, is a much better buy. The Argentinean will provide direct competition to the Spanish Busquets. In fact, it is more likely that the former Liverpool man will replace the man who played for Spain in the world cup as well.
The reasons for this are many. Mascherano is not only more experienced; he is a vastly better player in the position as well. In fact, he has been described as one of the best there. His sense of positioning and running engine are a headache for any opposition which tries to play its way through to the Barcelona back four. Even though the Catalan giants were rampant in their path towards league victory, defensively they did look suspect due to the lethargic running of Busquets. Busquets is a fine player but he does not have the engine of the Argentinean and his tactical nous. The ‘Masch’ Monster also beats Busquets in terms of passing ability and pushing a team forward.
None of this was more apparent than in the historic semi finals against Italian giants Inter Milan last season. It was the first leg which was more indicative of the weakness of Busquets. Despite playing very well in the first half and having banked an away goal, Barcelona lost their way during the second half as Jose Mourinho’s men took control then to romp to a 3-1 win. It was the margin of victory that allowed Mourinho to park the bus at the Camp Nou in the second leg. In that leg, Barcelona were massively exposed in the midfield as Busquets was unable to keep away the Italians. Their counter-attacking and aggressive play drew into sharp focus the areas where the young Spaniard must still improve – field coverage and positioning.
It is for this reason that Mascherano provides a great deal of mettle, strength and defensive pragmatism to the brilliant Barcelona side. If the Catalan giants could have improved, this was the only way how. Barcelona fans might have been disappointed to miss out on Fabregas this summer but this most probably has been tempered by the fact that they have acquired the services of a man who makes them that much more formidable.
Tags: