It sounds stupid unless you think about it but signing Mascherano like Benitez wanted probably would've changed the trajectory the club went on the next couple of years after the treble. So he has to be in any dream line-up imo.
Mascherano and Alexis Sanchez were the key signings that never happened that year.
Wouldn't wanted to see Milito or Eto'o sold that year of course.
But perhaps it was time to cash in on Maicon as the club knew his lifestyle wasn't sustainable, and maybe Thiago Motta as well. Would have been disappointed to see them go, but just saying that this could have been helpful in the long run.
Would have been a Mancini-like situation, but that worked in Serie A and Benitez was good in Europe.
Zanetti back to right back probably, Mascherano, Deki and Cuchu in the middle, Sneijder behind them and Eto'o-Sanchez since Milito was injured that year.
That would also mean no Pazzini, no Zarate and no Forlan but we'd probably go for someone like Jonathan unless we signed another RB following Maicon's sale in 2010. I still think we go for Ricky Alvarez though. And possibly Guarin, as we'd need more attacking options from midfield. We'd probably sell Sanchez by 2012, or 2013, so Palacios probably still arrives as his replacement, but we'd have funds to get another proper starter.
Why is this thread a thing?
