'That Mascherano yellow card will effectively win the game for United now,' predicted a member of the F365 Forum ten minutes into the biggest game of Liverpool's season. He wasn't to know how right he'd be.
The booking itself compromised Mascherano's effectiveness against a team containing the best attacking talents - as a group, even if you think particular players at other clubs stand out, no-one matches United's attack - in the league.
Make no mistake, against Ronaldo, Rooney, Anderson and co, the most important player in the Liverpool line-up wasn't Steven Gerrard or Fernando Torres. It wasn't Jamie Carragher. It was Mascherano, a man handed his place in the team with the specific task of stopping United playing.
It's a role he's fulfilled as well as anyone in the league this season, in all of Liverpool's best performances. The 4-0 Champions League win over Marseille saw Mascherano stifle the French side's impressively creative midfield. Later in the competition, the Argentine turned in an outstanding defensive display against Inter Milan at the San Siro to add to his man of the match performance in the first leg.
In Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield, the Gunners' goal came after a booking to the midfielder forced him to calm his relentless harrying of the Arsenal playmakers. So the yellow card for his lunge on Rooney did not bode well. Still, there was no way to know quite how quickly things would go from bad to worse.
Not that the red card came out of the blue. Mascherano had consistently berated Steve Bennett. Just five minutes before his sending off, having given away a free-kick, he let rip with a mouthful of abuse that had even Liverpool fans admitting he was treading a fine line. Bennett let it go. Five minutes later, though, he decided he'd had enough.
The ridiculous thing, though, is that the midfielder wasn't even involved in the incident that led to his sending off. Had he been protesting his own innocence, it might be possible to have some sympathy, but as things happened, Mascherano is denied even that.
The post-match reaction may well focus on whether Bennett was right or wrong to make the decision, but the fact is, to turn to the cliché, Mascherano shouldn't have given him the chance to make it.
Especially after - and this is something all the people who will be lining up to criticise Bennett should remember - a week when, following the scenes that accompanied Ashley Cole's booking on Wednesday, everyone from Sir Alex Ferguson to John Terry said players need to show referees more respect.
Past form should see Mascherano's teammates and manager come out in support after the game, but there was no doubt to anyone watching that both Gerrard and Benitez were furious with him at the time. And rightly so. His stupidity not just ensured that Liverpool would be chasing the ball even more, it deprived them of the best man they had to do it effectively. Even more than Jose Reina's flapping, that ensured the champions would take the points.
Benitez may even point to his own pre-match comments about Ferguson's words. "Ferguson is clever, that is clear. After a difficult game, he was talking about referees and before an important game he is talking about protecting Ronaldo," said the Spaniard. "The referees, though, have experience and they will know Ferguson."
One thing should be made clear: this was not a result of Ferguson's comments. Mascherano simply lost his head, and as a result lost his side the game. Time will tell if he has also handed the title to their most hated rivals.
Adam Fraser
Your Comments
JayBeBe
"I've usually got a lot of time for Andy Gray, but he was out of order on this issue. Andy's beef has been, and always will be with referee Bennett, and not with the ignorant foul mouthed Mascherano. TV clearly showed the amount of abuse Mascherano was directing at Bennett after he was booked, and should probably been sent off there and then ! He was clearly lucky to stay on the park as long as he did. The other clear indicator for me was that Stevie G. "might" be a great player ( Although he was posted missing during this game and Scholesy made him look like a pub player ) but he is certainly not a great captain. A good captain would have seen this coming a mile off and done something about it before it reched the sending off stage. But, then again, when Stevie G. ended up clearly having a foul mouthed rant at the referee later on in the game { I'll name hime Andy because clearly you don't have the bottle to do it on T.V. } it showed him to be just as bad as Mascherano !!"
ifffiness
"There is a need for players to respect the officials but how come English players can hurl abuse at officials while foreigners are treated far more severely? Another question is why literally a bone crushing takle does not come under the scrutiny by the FA but yet an Argentianan who abuses a referee will possibly face more than the usual 3 matches ban he would recieve for a bad takle. I think some referees dont display the kind of common sense and logic needed to improve the game of football. Also how many other players this season have been sent off for dissent and the English premier league is in its 32nd game? And Bennet chooses the Man U Liverpool game to send a player off for disent?? Does no one else see the inconsistencies in front of them! "
tuisce1
"Danielson-think you're right, he definitely gave a wave of his arms as if to say ''that's it,we throw in the towel''.As for the whole referee respect issue, it's not rocket science what's being asked in relation to how things need to change.It's very basic: 1. If there is a contentious issue during a match then only either captain be allowed to question the referee. This should be done in a polite manner, no swearing. 2. NO player be allowed to verbally abuse ANY of the officials.The FA needs to adopt rugby style rules where referee is sole law maker in any match. 3. Any player/team who breaks any of the above rules should be booked. If it persists, the red card AND 2 match ban. As i said, none of this is rocket science & surely doesn't need to involve any lengthy red tape but knowing the FA as we do this will ultimately drag on. Keith Hackkett needs to start really earning is corn by defending all officials he represents as i, for one, would not like to have to listen to the abuse that's dished fre's way every weekend."
Mikey_Stop
"He had to go. He'd been in the ref's face after every decision, whether it involved him or not. As soon as he got booked and complained I predicted he'd be sent off, it was obvious to me as a neutral that it was heading that way. Rafa's reaction to him running over to contest the decision he got sent off for showed that he at least knew exactly what was coming. The isolated incident that resulted in the second yellow wasn't much, but taken with the rest of his behaviour he had to go. He harangued the ref until he'd had enough of him. I agree his captain let him down by not speaking to him earlier, but he can only really blame himself and I would be blaming him too if I was a team mate or his manager. Idiot."
Cava248
"jamiehalus- What is a futile gesture? Although you will not get a decision changed, it can have a massive effect letting the ref no you are not happy with a decision. Sometimes they feel more pressured giving the next one in your favour. Fergie has always been the master of knowing which refs to put pressure on to, and I admire it to be honest. Mascherano should not have been sent off, even if he should have known better, his actions did not warrent a yellow. "
Cava248
"The second yellow card was a joke. I agree that Mascherano was silly for going up to him, but what he did was not wrong and it was not a yellow card. I feel the ref has handled the situation very, very badly. The amount of times we see United and Chelsea players surrounding the ref the whole game and nothing happens. The sad thing is that it simply depends who it is that goes up to the ref. If you are English who get away with it."
charco83
"I am losing faith in football in general, i need some help please. Why oh why is kuyt playin football professionally, seriously why. He doesnt score, his first touch is awful, he has no pace, he cant beat players, he gives the ball away constantly, liverpool will never ever win the league with such an inept player in their ranks. I have supported liverpool for 20 years now and its getting annoying at the huge gap of class between pool and united. How is dirk playing on wing, a totally useless player. Fingers crossed he is shipped out in the summer, and to think that he cost £10million quid. Boggles the mind, sheer madness. "
bingosmith
"Although the sending off of Mascherano against ManYoo seemed a tad harsh it goes to show the level of petulants that has become exceptable from over paid and over priced players of the premiership. The fact he ran 40 metres to get involved in an incidnet he wasn't even involved in goes to show his stupidity and the levels of inflated egos. It's about time the authorities (referees) were allowed to disciplne players for over the top protests especially as recent years has seen playing groups using linch mob tactics on the men in black (more often than not from the top 4 teams). Not only protests but the man handling of referees have also gone unpunished. A complete lack of respect has probably hindered the level at which the game is run... let them do there job. This kind of beaviour needs to be abolished from the game and I believe the 10 metre penalty reward as used in Rugby League is the way to bring respect back into the game and to stop all of this on field nonsense. Well done Mr Bennet I say!!!"
Haggisnoats
"Here we have another coterie of individuals who, like politicians, have been allowed to manoeuvre themselves into positions of influence when they patently do not have the practical experience or intuitive talent to fit the job. I am referring of course to football referees. I do not doubt that most of them, operating in their own spheres of expertise, are commendable. But why, in God's name, are they allowed to pontificate during a ninety minute period of play that often represents sums of money counted in multi-millions of pounds. The Sunday debacle involving referee Bennett and player Mascherano was triggered, not because the player lost the plot, but because he knew the referee's performance was threatening to turn a competitive spectacle into a pusillanimous farce and he wanted to know why. The real truth behind this most serious problem is that the vast majority of players and football lovers have no genuine respect for this crop of genetically modified referees and their multifarious interpretations of a rule book that every player knew, thoroughly, by the time he was ten years of age. Where then, do we find the referee that would be widely respected, his decisions more likely to be accepted even if not agreed, and his quiet words of advice spoken when the time was right and not during the white heat of an incident that the current whistle blowing anoraks have no understanding of. The answer is staring us in the face, especially at the end of every season. Most players retire from the game in their thirties. Some unfortunates have to retire earlier through injury. Why do we endure the same problems decade after decade when, now that referees have got themselves professionalised, so many genuine football experts are ready, willing, able and desperate to continue in the sport they love. "
orchardm1
"How many times can anyone remember a referee changing his decision just because an overpaid prima donna constantly whines at him......ummm never i think. How many times have you seen a PROFESSIONAL footballer plead his innocence when it looks like hes fouled someone only for the replay to clearly prove that he did commit a foul. Football needs to adopt a rugby style of officiating, you cannot answer the ref back or argue with him, you cannot even offer an opinion. Also the fourth official should have access to a replay screen and any contentious issues should be looked at by him. It works perfectly in rugby and now cricket and tennis i might add. Does anyone know why the authorities refuse to employ these tactics?? As for Mascherano and for all the people that are defending his actions. The first yellow card was justified, no question!!!! Then on at least 4 or 5 occasions afterwards, he was in the refs face shouting, swearing and abusing him. Im not a trained lip reader but i could clearly make out the obsenities he was using. If yoiu are all honest you know what he said also. Every time a Man U player commited a foul he was at the ref telling him to show a card. Thats not his job.......do you ever see refs telling the players how to kick the ball etc. The bottom line is, these over inflated egos (footballers) have far too much power and respect from joe public and thats the reason they go around doing exactly what they want. Time to put a stop to it all i think. They need to be reminded who it is thats paying their ridculously high wages. "
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