Source: Team_Talk
Masch suffers player backlash - Report
Javier Mascherano reportedly suffered a backlash from his own team-mates after he pulled out of the Liverpool team to play Manchester City.[LNB] Mascherano was described as not being 'in the right frame of mind' to face City, and was therefore left out of Roy Hodgson's starting line-up.[LNB]However, according to both The Daily Mirror and The Sun, Mascherano's withdrawal wrecked Roy Hodgson's carefully planned tactics.[LNB]Hodgson reportedly worked on a 4-2-3-1 formation with Mascherano and Lucas Leiva anchoring the midfield, in order to combat City's strength in the middle of the pitch.[LNB]However, with Christian Poulsen apparently deemed not ready to start such a big Premier League match, Hodgson was forced to deploy a 4-4-2 system that left Liverpool exposed.[LNB]A 'club source' told The Sun: "The senior players at the club were seriously hacked off with Mascherano on Monday night and that was clear when he arrived back on Tuesday.[LNB]"There are players in that squad who are Liverpool through and through and they were fuming at what Mascherano did."[LNB]The Argentinian did train at Melwood on Tuesday, but reportedly did so alone.[LNB]Barcelona made a bid for Mascherano on Monday, which was swiftly rejected by the club.[LNB]Hodgson said of the offer: "Unfortunately the fee the club thinks is the correct fee and the fee we are being offered are very far apart.[LNB]"Unless that can be resolved he might be unhappy for a long time to come."
