Walton Breck Road

Javier Mascherano considering Liverpool future

By Michael Owen

Javier Mascherano may be the first big name player to leave Anfield this summer, with a move to Spanish champions Barcelona on the cards. 

Uncertain Future: Mascherano  

The Argentine midfielder told the Liverpool Daily Post today that he wasn’t settled at Anfield and was looking at a move to the Nou Camp as far back as last summer. 

“The situation with Barcelona really affected me.

“It was a shame it didn’t happen as it was the city I wanted to live in.

“There were many discussions and problems during that month and a half. They were difficult times for me. One day I was off to Barcelona, the next I wasn’t.

“And Liverpool said I was non-transferable.

“Psychologically, it affected me as I couldn’t think in Liverpool and I was focused on other stuff and not on my work, my training and playing.

“Also we were having problems with Argentina as our qualification to the World Cup was in danger. There was a lot of complicated stuff at that time.

“I don’t do much stuff in my free time, that’s the truth.

“I could go to London with my wife to do some shopping but I have already been to London 1,000 times and if I want to go to another city I would have to take a plane.

“What kills me about living in Liverpool is that there are only two Argentinians here with me, Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez.

“Insua and I live in a private neighbourhood. He lives in one tower and I live in the other. There are 15 metres between us and we used to look at each other through the window.

“Sometimes Zabaleta comes from Manchester but there is no way Carlos Tevez comes here. If I want to see him, I have to go to his place and knock on his door.

“He doesn’t like to leave his home. So during the winter, during those four or five months, I have to stay at home all day with my family.

“I have no problem living in Liverpool, but I think my wife and daughters deserve to enjoy every day to the full and live their lives – but they have to be at home all day.

“My wife doesn’t speak a word of English, so she depends 100% on me. I live here with them. That’s my world, that’s my life.”

Mascherano’s admittance he may want to leave Anfield will certainly alert Spanish giants Barcelona, who will be looking for a replacement for Yaya Toure in the summer after his agent said he’s “95% certain to leave”. 

Rafael Benitez departure could leave long-lasting damage

By Michael Owen

Rumours about Rafael Benitez’s future at Anfield have been the major talking point going into Liverpool’s tie against Chelsea on Sunday. Regardless of whether or not you believe the paper talk it no doubt leaves the Reds managerial future hanging in the balance. 

 Worrying times ahead for Liverpool fans

For most of this season one of the main reasons many of Rafa’s supporters believed he should stay is because there is simply no one better than the former Valencia boss who would give the job a second-glance. 

This point is of course very true. Liverpool’s financial turmoil will no doubt have put off the worlds top coaches from considering taking their place on the Anfield bench, especially when they could hold out for positions at Real Madrid, Juventus and even Manchester City. 

But another problem has been thrown in to the mix, Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s search for new buyers. 

If Benitez was to head for Turin in the summer it leaves the current ownership in a troublesome situation. Bringing in another manager on a long-term contract may put of potential investors who don’t agree with the appointment, meaning the sale of the club will further be postponed. 

This leaves Hicks and Gillett with an option which may not please too many Liverpool fans – promoting a member of the current staff into the position of caretaker manager until new investors are found and long-term planning can begin. 

If this was to happen I don’t think many would doubt that the natural person to take the helm would be Rafa’s current right-hand man Sammy Lee, who’s spent a number of years under the watch full eye of Benitez and has had a spell as a Premier League manager with Bolton, even if it was unsuccessful. 

But is this really the way Liverpool want to go? This summer is an incredibly important one for the club and without a permanent manager in place all sorts of problems could arise, mainly an inability to attract new players to the club and keep the bigger names that are already here. 

This is an important summer for Liverpool, and the way in which the club progresses over the next couple of decades may depend upon it. There’s one thing for certain, as much as many fans may not like him, if Rafa was to leave it may have a lasting negative impact on the club.