Mascherano and Man City sent priceless Liverpool message to FSG
A lot can change in 10 years.
But a decade ago, even the most spirited Liverpool fan would have struggled to predict that by August 23, 2020, the Reds, managed by the most revered boss in world football, would be champions of everything.
Back then, most Liverpool fans were just hoping they’d have a club to support after witnessing what might have been the nadir of Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s painful Anfield tenure.
Liverpool were a mess off the pitch when they arrived at the City of Manchester Stadium to take on Roberto Mancini’s exciting, young team on August 23, 2010.
And fans were about to realise just how far the Reds had fallen behind on the pitch, too.
City, spurred on by a debuting James Milner, tore Roy Hodgson’s hapless side to shreds to inflict the new Liverpool manager’s first defeat since taking charge. It wouldn’t be his last.
And sitting in the stands to take it all in was Sheikh Mansour, watching his Man City side for the very first time having splurged £130m in the summer transfer window – with more to come before it was out.
In truth, Liverpool’s problems went even further.
Their off-pitch worries were well documented and it would be another two months before John Henry’s New England Sports Ventures, now Fenway Sports Group, would win a high court battle for ownership of the club.
The sickness that had infected the club had taken hold on the pitch and, after Rafael Benitez had been sacked months earlier, Javier Mascherano had decided he wanted out.
Mascherano had emerged as one of Liverpool’s key men, but having watched the man who had signed him get the sack, as well as his midfielder partner Xabi Alonso leave a year earlier, he’d decided enough was enough. He had to leave. Barcelona were the main suitors.
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Never one to pull out of a challenge, the Argentina international went head-to-head with his new manager over his future, agitating for a move to such an extent that Hodgson felt he had no choice to leave him out all together.
“Javier Mascherano is not in the right frame of mind at the moment to play the game because his head…
Read More:Mascherano and Man City sent priceless Liverpool message to FSG