Lucas

[Mattshark]

I'm more than willing to be proven wrong but I just can't understand the concept of the centrality of a non scoring, non game changing, non crossing, short passing midfielder regardless of what it allows full backs to do.

So you didn't like Mascherano then?

[badpiggy]

So you didn't like Mascherano then?

I didn't like the Mascherano/Lucas pairing. Mascherano seems more direct to me. I've never got over the loss of Xabi. Xabi/Mascherano midfield was dreamland.

[Mattshark]

I didn't like the Mascherano/Lucas pairing. Mascherano seems more direct to me. I've never got over the loss of Xabi. Xabi/Mascherano midfield was dreamland.

Mascherano and Lucas do pretty much the same job. Why do you expect from Lucas in that role? Mascherano offered very little in terms of attacking play. Lucas' tackling may not be as spectacular but it is equally effective.

[badpiggy]

Mascherano and Lucas do pretty much the same job. Why do you expect from Lucas in that role? Mascherano offered very little in terms of attacking play. Lucas' tackling may not be as spectacular but it is equally effective.

Fair enough. Ultimately I'm bored by Lucas. He's not a great spectator sport.

[Big-Red-Ed]

The Gerrard Lucas axis is not working as a defensive shield or as means to set the tempo in games. I am not sure why as each on their own bring plenty of positives.
One or both needs to drop out or Gerrard needs to be further up the pitch because he is still IMO the best pure finisher at the club and a great striker of the ball from the edge of the box.
Lucas for all his ability to break up the opposition play needs to be able to make an offensive forward pass at least some of the time otherwise we would have been better with keeping Momo.
I wish Allen was a wee bit stronger. I was so impressed when he first went in but I think he must have just lost his mojo.

[Norbs]

Fair enough. Ultimately I'm bored by Lucas. He's not a great spectator sport.

I think that's it in a nutshell, he's not the sort of player kids want to aspire to be.

[Arn]

Well, a lot of us are Susan Black ******s according to foresterbloke because many of you think that Gerrard hasn't been good enough this season.

[Kenneth]

Whilst I'm not a massive Lucas cheerleader, I agree that Gerrard is the weak link in our system. He's not mobile enough anymore. He can create a goal out of nothing with a long/lobbed pass but the fast short passing and movement we obviously want to adopt mostly breaks down with him. He doesn't keep the balling moving quick enough and looks for the best ball, not the quickest.

[RedReet]

So Lucas, immune from criticism on here, bulletproof?

[Arn]

Whilst I'm not a massive Lucas cheerleader, I agree that Gerrard is the weak link in our system. He's not mobile enough anymore. He can create a goal out of nothing with a long/lobbed pass but the fast short passing and movement we obviously want to adopt mostly breaks down with him. He doesn't keep the balling moving quick enough and looks for the best ball, not the quickest.

Gerrard is mobile enough but he is playing in the wrong position. You can see when he play how much he want to be the creator, he is looking very frustrated out there.

I think that he is still a top class player but only in an attacking position.

[badpiggy]

I think we all hoped that a less of explosive aging SG would slot into a more classic CM role but it seems that game just isn't in his locker. Lucas passing to someone with guile and vision and knowing the right ball to play and doing it quickly would probably be great. As it is, the limitations to Lucas' role - as perhaps opposed to Lucas himself - are very evident.

[Norbs]

Should swap Gerrard and Henderson in position and allow Gerrard to operate centrally behind Sturridge

Lucas Henderson
Sterling Gerrard Suarez
Sturrdmidge

[Norbs]

Or

Lucas Henderson
Suarez Gerrard Moses
Sturridge

[baitman]

Or

Lucas Henderson
Suarez Gerrard Moses
Sturridge

this one.

[Chazza]

Not going to happen.