Lucas The Buccaneer

[Redspin]

About f'in time he got forward. Where would Arsenal be without Fabregas getting forward or Chelsea without Lampard? FFS. Hopefully we'll start playing like that against every schmuck that comes to Anfield.

Yes but Fabregas and Lampard are attacking midfielders, so the comparison with a Liverpool player should be with Gerrard not Lucas

[el matador]

i have to say the first half we got from him is probably what i thought we were buying when we bought the lad.

He clearly doesnt have a defensive bone in his body because he doesnt understand how to play that position and him getting forward was really good to see.

Hopefully he can carry this form on and fulfill his potential.

On a more sour note, we looked a little vulnerable from the middle when lucas bombed on and lille caused us plenty of problems. Not sure the 4141 formation is the way to go but certainly I was very pleased for Lucas because if he can keep on doing that then I think he should be applauded.

The key thing for him is decision making, ie when to run forward and when to sit and hold.

[Dalglish]

He hasn't been crap by any stretch of the imagination, nor is he a world beater. The truth is somewhere in between. He's a good player with the potential to be better. Definitely one our most consistent players this season and deserves his place in the top three or four of this year's MOM competition.

The stick he gets is totally ridiculous and really patronising.

Is right.

[Maxiedge]

Yes but Fabregas and Lampard are attacking midfielders, so the comparison with a Liverpool player should be with Gerrard not Lucas

Yes but Gerrards role is further up the field. The thing about breaking from a deeper role is that your marker is not as tight as lets say Gerrards is and sometimes you can leave him behind and become the extra man in attack. It's what we've been crying out for when teams are hard to break down.

[Kenneth]

well he must be doing something right as lucas leiva is crap is not the 4th most searched

It's now the 3rd search suggestion on google under Lucas Leiva.

[frank the tank]

i think i agree with the poster about the 4-1-4-1 formation...........

i think as well, if rafa sticks with a formation similar to this:

-----------------REINA------------

JOHNSON----CARRA----AGGER----INSUA

-------------MASCHERANO-------------

KUYT---------LUCAS------------BABEL

-----------GERRARD--------------------

-----------------TORRES---------------


this then gives us a bit more flexibility in that Aqua can fill in for lucas and mascher's role is the exact same - he doesn't need to adjust his game between each match so much any more.....

also, gerrard could play in the "Lucas" role above against lesser teams and we could play with 2 strikers


the only major problem with this though is if mascher is suspended or injured, we are back to square one because i don't think lucas could play the protector on his own...... maybe gerrard could but it wouldn't exactly be ideal.......

what i reckon we need, is a defensive midfielder who wouldn't leave us down when called upon but also wouldn't throw his toys out of the pram when he is on the bench.......maybe somebody like Patrick Viera would have been ideal

i'd also sell Babel and try to bring Arda Turan in as well to be honest......

[Craig_H]

"Liverpool is a good city, but not so big. The city where I lived before was two million people, so here is quite small compared to there, but we have some options like restaurants and shops. I am okay here."

"We have made some mistakes, that is clear,"

For sure, City and Tottenham will lose points and if we can win every game it will be much better."

United have a really good squad, so we have to go there and think positive and think about winning."

He's like a mini rafa with some of those comments

[nineteen]

He tries to support me and give me confidence," Lucas continues. "He has tried to give confidence for everyone, not just me, and I try to repay this in the performance and try to work hard. But we know that sometimes the people criticise me or him and this is a part of the life in football and you have to accept it and just carry on."

Seems to contradict what Riera said. Perhaps they have different definitions of what "support" means.

[Craig_H]

Riera said the manager isnt telling him why he's out of the team.

[MrMichael]

As you begin to type Lucas Leiva into Google, your third suggested search option gives an example of the difficulties facing the Liverpool midfielder.


When it is implied that he has had his critics in the past, he immediately responds: "I still have and to be honest I think I will have here forever. I don't think that the people will turn in my way, but I just try to be focused in my job and try to improve all the time and play for the people who like me.

"I don't know why the criticism started with me, but some people just do not like me. I don't know why.

"I never had this before (in my career) so it is the first time it happened and now I am really positive and just try to concentrate on my job."

Some may feel sympathy for Lucas, but he is aware that criticism and learning from lessons is a part of football, a part of growing up. After moving from South America when only just out of his teenage years, he knows that he has changed and that there is still room for progress.

"I was really young when I came here, I was 20," the man from Dourados explains as our interview continues at Liverpool's Melwood training ground on Tuesday. "Now I am a bit older and there are still a lot of things to improve. But I am still young, so I just have to keep going.

"My first season was more difficult because I had to adapt quickly to the style and also the tempo of the game. I am completely settled now in the Premier League, so I am trying to improve all the time and I am doing quite well this season. Of course we have to improve and as a team we can always improve more, so to just keep going is the best way to change things."

Comes across as a very balanced and mature lad actually.

Someone should email/twibook him a link to Morse's Motm standings, might make him feel better about his critics