Lucas Leiva

[einar]

hehehehe Good work. I did that up until Feb and he won as much ball as mascherano.

He is so underestimated IMHO that it is really unbelievable.

[BrianF80]

He is so underestimated IMHO that it is really unbelievable.

He is and it's because of how he wins the ball and your stats show that. He doesn't do sliding tackles, he either intercepts or pressurizes to force an error. People remember the sliding tackles but not the intercepts etc, so they assume he's crap when in fact that couldn't be further from the truth.

He's a good player but some combination of mentality and role needs to change for him to be more than just a continuity player.

[einar]

He is and it's because of how he wins the ball and your stats show that. He doesn't do sliding tackles, he either intercepts or pressurizes to force an error. People remember the sliding tackles but not the intercepts etc, so they assume he's crap when in fact that couldn't be further from the truth.

He's a good player but some combination of mentality and role needs to change for him to be more than just a continuity player.

IMO what he needs to improve is his strength and his aggression. And he needs to get more games to improve in general and start to impose himself in the attacking part of the game. The rest of his attributes are IMHO potentially world class.

[Kenneth]

The bangwagon has turned 180 degrees and it building up speed in the opposite direction. He was utter turd, and booed. Now he has great potential and potentially world class attributes. In reality, he's a pretty average player who's limitations will prevent him being first choice for us, or any other PL side. He's should be sold to a foreign club imo.

[wiw]

The bangwagon has turned 180 degrees and it building up speed in the opposite direction. He was utter turd, and bood. Now he has great potential and potentially world class attributes. In reality, he's a pretty average player who's limitations will prevent him being first choice for us, or any other PL side. He's should be sold to a foreign club imo.

Calling it a bandwagon is harsh..there's been a few of us who have always liked him. He's improving and getting praise for it, that's all?

[red g]

IMO what he needs to improve is his strength and his aggression. And he needs to get more games to improve in general and start to impose himself in the attacking part of the game. The rest of his attributes are IMHO potentially world class.

thats a strong statement....i have seen nothing in him that is potentially world class. He was brought as far as i am aware as more of an attacking mid and has been used mainly as a holding mid so far......we may see more of him over the next few years he is young and for his age has done ok.


I just dont see anything in him that i think in a few years he will be a superb player.

[red g]

http://www.lucasleiva.co.uk

A big weekend where Lucas Leiva, fondly referred to back home as 'The Brazilian Gerrard', receives his first taste of the atmosphere and passion of a Merseyside derby

[Fierce]

thats a strong statement....i have seen nothing in him that is potentially world class. He was brought as far as i am aware as more of an attacking mid and has been used mainly as a holding mid so far......we may see more of him over the next few years he is young and for his age has done ok.

I just dont see anything in him that i think in a few years he will be a superb player.

Whilst there's nothing bar speculation to back it up, I would hazard a guess that Rafa is trying to improve the defensive aspect of his game. He has only ever played a more attacking game once or twice to my knowledge, and I dont think Rafa would have bought him based on his excellent attacking abilities (back home) solely to use him as a holding/defensive midfielder

Suppose that argument could then be levelled at Kuyt, but he was given a fair crack at the strikers role after all

I think next season could see Lucas playing a more attacking game, and if reports from his previous club are true, he would seem to be a natural successor to Gerrard. Whether the lad can or will wait for that opportunity remains to be seen

[red g]

Whilst there's nothing bar speculation to back it up, I would hazard a guess that Rafa is trying to improve the defensive aspect of his game. He has only ever played a more attacking game once or twice to my knowledge, and I dont think Rafa would have bought him based on his excellent attacking abilities (back home) solely to use him as a holding/defensive midfielder

Suppose that argument could then be levelled at Kuyt, but he was given a fair crack at the strikers role after all

I think next season could see Lucas playing a more attacking game, and if reports from his previous club are true, he would seem to be a natural successor to Gerrard. Whether the lad can or will wait for that opportunity remains to be seen

while i agree that next season we will probably see a more attacking Lucas and maybe its rafa who has said jsut keep things simple.....but i dont believe that we have seen enough clever passes, dribbling infact anything that would make him look good in an attacking sense! and will Rafa have reallly said right dont do anything other than intercept and pass sideways, maybe he did though after all he had only scored 4 for gremio, yes he won the golden ball so he must have had a half decent season

[barnes10]

The bangwagon has turned 180 degrees and it building up speed in the opposite direction. He was utter turd, and booed. Now he has great potential and potentially world class attributes. In reality, he's a pretty average player who's limitations will prevent him being first choice for us, or any other PL side. He's should be sold to a foreign club imo.

joking aren't you.

top 5 or 6 maybe but for the rest, he'd get into most as a first choice.

i dont think its a bandwagon turning, but like everything, those cheering him on now were perhaps quieter before and those who were booing him are busy eating a bit of humble pie to slate him now. yourself excepted of course...

[dww]

joking aren't you.

top 5 or 6 maybe but for the rest, he'd get into most as a first choice.

i dont think its a bandwagon turning, but like everything, those cheering him on now were perhaps quieter before and those who were booing him are busy eating a bit of humble pie to slate him now. yourself excepted of course...

The thing is I think that it might be true but it isn't really relevant many of the teams below about 6th would sacrifice quality for strength. For example Geovanni has been dropped by Hull recently and no one would doubt that he is better than the players he was replaced by - he simply didn't fit their game plan at the minute.

[Exiled_red]

The thing is I think that it might be true but it isn't really relevant many of the teams below about 6th would sacrifice quality for strength. For example Geovanni has been dropped by Hull recently and no one would doubt that he is better than the players he was replaced by - he simply didn't fit their game plan at the minute.

I don't believe all this such a player isn't good enough for them or so he isn't good enough for us, or we shouldn't be signing somebody because he wouldn't get in the Man Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal team etc. Different teams play different ways you get good players who look woeful because the system doesn't suit them, and average players who look excellent because the system suits them perfectly change the team and they aren't the same player.

As for Lucas I don't think he's anywhere near as bad as people like to make out. Alot of the work he does goes unnoticed alot of the time because he usually keeps things fairly simple.

[einar]

thats a strong statement....i have seen nothing in him that is potentially world class. He was brought as far as i am aware as more of an attacking mid and has been used mainly as a holding mid so far......we may see more of him over the next few years he is young and for his age has done ok.


I just dont see anything in him that i think in a few years he will be a superb player.

I agree, these are strong statements. But I would say without hesitation that his passing, vision and positioning are potentially world class.

[Kenneth]

I agree, these are strong statements. But I would say without hesitation that his passing, vision and positioning are potentially world class.

I don't really understand what 'potentially world class' means tbh. I assume it means that these aspects of his game do not make him world class in anything yet, but that he has potential to develop these to the very highest level. If this is what you're getting at, I don't agree. I see no reason why we should belive that Lucas has the potential to improve significantly more then other players.

[red g]

I agree, these are strong statements. But I would say without hesitation that his passing, vision and positioning are potentially world class.

fair play mate, i would say with out hesitation i have seen nothing in him that i think he will have the same impact as our other 3 World class midfielders in the future game. Just think he does a lot of things ok.......and if he does make the grade and become World Class....good spot sir