Best Defensive Mid?

I personally believe that Mascherano is the very best defensive mid, simply cause of his incredible sliding tackles, his ability to read the game and be at the right place at the right time, and his coolness and calm constantly. Cambiasso is a is a contender, however his defensive ability is not as good, and Hargreaves too... Diarra is also excellent in defence (madrid Diarra) but his reading and positioning and passing arent as good...
Anyone agree or have other perspectives?

Claude Makelele and Michael Essien would be my top two

Originally posted by Pawafool
I personally believe that Mascherano is the very best defensive mid, simply cause of his incredible sliding tackles, his ability to read the game and be at the right place at the right time, and his coolness and calm constantly. Cambiasso is a is a contender, however his defensive ability is not as good, and Hargreaves too... Diarra is also excellent in def ...[text shortened]... reading and positioning and passing arent as good...
Anyone agree or have other perspectives?

Perhaps he should learn when to stop talking? After the climate created between the PFRA and the FA following Mr Cole's professional behaviour on Wednesday, you would have thought that Mascherano would have foreseen his own sending off, especialy considering that he was already on a yellow. Not very bright.
If someone lacks the ability to see how such actions affect their team as a whole and prefer to vent their own spleen to feel better about themselves, then everything else kind of goes out the window. Not a team player. 😛

Originally posted by jimslyp69
Perhaps he should learn when to stop talking? After the climate created between the PFRA and the FA following Mr Cole's professional behaviour on Wednesday, you would have thought that Mascherano would have foreseen his own sending off, especialy considering that he was already on a yellow. Not very bright.
If someone lacks the ability to see how such act ...[text shortened]... etter about themselves, then everything else kind of goes out the window. Not a team player. 😛

I thought Andy Gray was totally wrong in his very vocal opinion.

He contended that Torres shouldn't have been booked, and that by booking Mascherano, you are removing the passion from the game.

A) Nobody likes players asking for others to be booked.
An FA directive was made at the start of the season that any player asking for another to be booked would be booked. Torres got his free kick, he pointed out other places he had been fouled and presumably asked for somebody to be booked. He then got booked, rightly so.

B) Nobody likes players running from miles away to mob around the referee ala Chelsea the other night (and most games) and United years ago involving D'Urso (I think).
The only way to stop mobs of players from rushing over and surrounding the ref is to book individuals from running 50 yards to remonstrate with the ref. Remember a mob is made up of individuals.

Also, to put the incident into context, Keith Hackett apparently adminoshined Bennet for not getting involved in the Ashley Cole incident . Also, the FA chairman called for more respect for refs yesterday, after they invested a lot of money recently in trying to get more respect in the game at grass roots.

Given all that and remembering that Masch had already effed at the ref on a number of occasions, as soon as he sprinted 40 yards and wrestled past Alsonso, who had more sense, to talk to the ref, there was only going to be one outcome.

D

Originally posted by Ragnorak
[b]I thought Andy Gray was totally wrong in his very vocal opinion.

Andy Gray talks a lot of Bull most of the time

Originally posted by spurs73
Andy Gray talks a lot of Bull most of the time

I think he calls most things correctly (or at least, how I see them).

He's my favourite soccer pundit by far. He just got it wrong that time.

D

Originally posted by spurs73
Andy Gray talks a lot of Bull most of the time

Most?

ALL THE TIME

Originally posted by Ragnorak
I thought Andy Gray was totally wrong in his very vocal opinion.

He contended that Torres shouldn't have been booked, and that by booking Mascherano, you are removing the passion from the game.

A) Nobody likes players asking for others to be booked.
An FA directive was made at the start of the season that any player asking for another to be booked ...[text shortened]... Alsonso, who had more sense, to talk to the ref, there was only going to be one outcome.

D

Spot on Rag...

Mascherano appeared to have an opinion on every decision Mr Bennett made... everyone could see what was coming.
Rafa Benitez should fine him heavily for this indescretion. I'm not saying Liverpool would have won at Old Trafford with 11 men, but it's a lot harder to get a result with 10 and that's a fact!

Some players seem to think they can run matches... or get the referee's to change a decision.
In my experience (and God knows it cost me enough in fines over the years!) once a ref has made a decision he's never going to change it, whether it's the correct decision or not.

Originally posted by Ragnorak
adminoshined

adminoshined? I'll have to copyright that one. I meant to write admonished.

D