THE Lucas thread

[Maxiedge]

There's a player at Arsenal, Denilson, who's learning his trade and improving very similar to the course Lucas is on at the moment.

[MrMichael]

Sadly at the moment the only options are Gerrard (therefore depleting our attack), Benayoun (creative but lightweight) and Plessis (untried due to Rafa's reluctance to blood players bar a "special" few).

That's not true at all, Plessis has made several first team appearances and frankly, if you think Lucas is bad.....

[FatTony]

Harsh.

He's actually been quite decent until that freak goal, seems to have knocked his confidence. I'm not necessarily saying he's good enough but I don't think he's been the problem so far this season.

The problem is that he's slotted in for Alonso, and he's no Xabi. If he was playing alongside a player of Alonso's ability, he may be sufficient, but he's not.

[Exiled_red]

I don't care if he's a replica of Alonso or not, he's just not good enough to play for Liverpool. He lacks the physical and mental strength and is just a bits and pieces player. I doubt he'd get anywhere near the bench of most other top sides.

My point is that the gap in the team made by Alonso is not solely Lucas' responsability to fill it's up to all members of the team to ensure that Alonso isn't missed, as Lucas isn't the same type of player as Alonso hence we are playing a different system. Therefore I think it's unfair to single out Lucas in this respect.

I think your comments above may have a small level of truth but the guy is still only 22 and there is a huge exageration in some of those comments in my opinion.

[cream]

My point is that the gap in the team made by Alonso is not solely Lucas' responsability to fill it's up to all members of the team to ensure that Alonso isn't missed, as Lucas isn't the same type of player as Alonso hence we are playing a different system. Therefore I think it's unfair to single out Lucas in this respect.

Agreed, but he's still crap like.

[Roberto Bobbolino]

Utter nonsense. Who's responsiblity is it? We should carry passengers because we sold a player?

We're playing the exact same system, and it's not like he hasn't been here for two years and played for us before.

[DannyMan2006]

Not the worst tonight by any means but how long does the manager keep faith in a player clearly not up to the job in the fulcrum of the team?

He's been here 2 years and yet looks like he only arrived last week and is still over awed by it all. It's nice that he follows the managers instructions to the letter but we need more industry and invention from that position, especially given he has licence to get involved in the game with Masch covering behind him.

The bit in bold is right. Some of your other posts on here have been well over board mind. Fattony was spot on in another thread. The team is set up to play the same way it was last year, meaning poor old Lucas is somehow expected to play like Alonso, which he is not capable of.

As you say here, Lucas is not a bad player. But he should not be at the fulcrum of the team in a position where he is expected to make our team tick, because he is not good enough for that.

[Roberto Bobbolino]

The bit in bold is right. Some of your other posts on here have been well over board mind. Fattony was spot on in another thread. The team is set up to play the same way it was last year, meaning poor old Lucas is somehow expected to play like Alonso, which he is not capable of.

As you say here, Lucas is not a bad player. But he should not be at the fulcrum of the team in a position where he is expected to make our team tick, because he is not good enough for that.

Isn't that the point?

Not sure why everyone keeps bringing Alonso up, he's gone. If Lucas isn't capable of stamping his own mark on that position then get him out of the team.

[DannyMan2006]

There's a player at Arsenal, Denilson, who's learning his trade and improving very similar to the course Lucas is on at the moment.

Denilson isn't shouldered with the responsibility of making Arsenal tick. That goes to Fabregas. Anyhow, Arsenal play an entirely different system to us.

Denilson would not be good enough to be our playmaker either.

[pondus]

I would blame this one on Rafa, persisting with a player which is clearly not good enough. He's being stubborn about this, refusing to try out someone else in Gerrards position and put Gerrard in midfield. If your midfield has an off day, your forwards have an off day, and it is much harder for the defense as well when your midfield is overrun.

****ing ****. And it's only August. Why do we even bother.

[Roberto Bobbolino]

Denilson is far, far better than Lucas, and has a bit more fight in him.

[Nicey]

Not the worst tonight by any means but how long does the manager keep faith in a player clearly not up to the job in the fulcrum of the team?

He's been here 2 years and yet looks like he only arrived last week and is still over awed by it all. It's nice that he follows the managers instructions to the letter but we need more industry and invention from that position, especially given he has licence to get involved in the game with Masch covering behind him.

Anybody who has followed my football tosh will tell you I support the team an it players and staff but I worry about Lucas .. sure he is Quality sure he has skill but is he that man .. because Like it or lump it .. his position makes this current team tick .. I fear not .. and thats not like me .. I am firmly a glass is half full kind of supporter but i do worry for the season without Alonso

[Exiled_red]

Utter nonsense. Who's responsiblity is it? We should carry passengers because we sold a player?

We're playing the exact same system, and it's not like he hasn't been here for two years and played for us before.

We are playing the same formation but not the same system because we have different players, Lucas isn't the same type of player as Alonso, so hence we have to play a different way and adapt our style within the formation. If we were to play Gerrard or Aquilani in the Alonso role we would be playing with a different style. We have to adapt our style of player to fit the players we have in the team, in order to do this all the players need to adapt their roles not just one, it's not a case of carrying passengers it's a case of ensuring the team works as a unit.

[vonk]

I just don't see where everyone sees the improvement in him? I don't see him getting stuck in except when he gives stupid fouls away. He headed unmarked into his own net. I'm prepared to forgive any player for a few mistakes when he turns it around for the team in some matches, like lil Luis and Steve G tonight, but Lucas has not lit up one game in his two years for the first team. I struggle to think of a game where he has made an impact or had us all purring over him. We are waiting for him to step up but he looks lost out there and favours the safer pass. At this point we need to accept that we need Gerrard back in centre mid and someone else partnering Nando. The team is lacking the quick back-to-front transfer of the ball we had with Xabi. Lucas is the sideways pass master and will never be good enough, unless we are prepared to give him as much time to blossom as the other waste of space, Babel.

[Roberto Bobbolino]

I would blame this one on Rafa, persisting with a player which is clearly not good enough. He's being stubborn about this, refusing to try out someone else in Gerrards position and put Gerrard in midfield. If your midfield has an off day, your forwards have an off day, and it is much harder for the defense as well when your midfield is overrun.

****ing ****. And it's only August. Why do we even bother.

How he sees Lucas above Gerrard in that position is beyond me, even with the latter's mythical lack of 'tactical awareness'. Systems for systems sake. Get your best players on the park and change the tactics accordingly, instead of messing around trying to replicate previous form with inferior players.