Lucas

[Bender]

That sounds different, and better, than the marcus quote above about it being about price.

We don't want to sell

He's banned now[Hello Marcus,ignore that banned remark ]

[MosRay]

It's good news that Lucas will remain at the club because there is no doubt that he is the best we have as a DM by a long shot. If he can stay fit (big if though) he'll be an absolute must for us in the bigger games, imo.. He offers balance to our midfield no doubt at all about that.

I am also glad that Rodgers had the sense to make public his thoughts about the player too, makes Lucas feel wanted.

[Fosterbloke]

Another positive step for the club and this season.

[BobTheCharmer]

Having not seen the game nor any highlights, how did the boy wonder perform?

[danperkins]

He had a stinker. Guy isn't anywhere near match fit & IMO has been treated fairly poorly by Rodgers. He needs games desperately.

[BobTheCharmer]

He had a stinker. Guy isn't anywhere near match fit & IMO has been treated fairly poorly by Rodgers. He needs games desperately.

Managers fault again? Perhaps Lucas just isn't up to it these days and like Gerrard its time to let him go. He's too ****ing slow. His body is knackered.

[baitman]

He seemed to be too far forward at times. Full backs push up, west ham sitting deep soaking up our limp.wristed pressure. And as soon as they break out lucas was often found too far up the pitch. Our centre backs are then back pedalling like some weird backward running race with no challenges on the runners until the ball is virtually in our box.

No point playing a dm and then letting him go walkabout.

[The Birdman]

Here's where I think Rodgers has changed for the worse, in his first 2 seasons he would have left Lucas out for today's game on the basis that home to West Ham he doesn't need a dedicated defensive midfielder, he'd have had the bollocks to change the side from Arsenal because he's have recognised that West Ham at home is obviously vastly different to Arsenal away.

Consequently Lucas is asked to play 10-15 yards higher than he's comfortable and he gets found out (again)
Lucas is a horses for courses player, a needs must player.

Not a starter every week.

Hindsight is wonderful but Coutinho/Firmino deeper with Milner or Can being the deep lying play maker with Ings/Ibe/Origi closer to Benteke would have been much better

[danperkins]

Managers fault again? Perhaps Lucas just isn't up to it these days and like Gerrard its time to let him go. He's too ****ing slow. His body is knackered.

He is not fit, simple as that. Yesterday he had a ****e game, against Arsenal in the first half he was brilliant and tired in the second. The only problem yesterday was that unfortunately aswell as Lucas playing ****e... everyone else did aswell.

[Chazza]

Here's where I think Rodgers has changed for the worse, in his first 2 seasons he would have left Lucas out for today's game on the basis that home to West Ham he doesn't need a dedicated defensive midfielder, he'd have had the bollocks to change the side from Arsenal because he's have recognised that West Ham at home is obviously vastly different to Arsenal away.

Consequently Lucas is asked to play 10-15 yards higher than he's comfortable and he gets found out (again)
Lucas is a horses for courses player, a needs must player.

Not a starter every week.

Hindsight is wonderful but Coutinho/Firmino deeper with Milner or Can being the deep lying play maker with Ings/Ibe/Origi closer to Benteke would have been much better

Totally agree.

Only a few games at home should he be needed to start, yesterday we could have gone with a diamond where can or Milner play at the base and then phil sits behind Benteke and Ings/Origi

[Shaggy]

I agree too - like I said the other day he'd play almost every away game for me, but in home games we can afford to be more adventurous. Just looked a confused set up yesterday.

[Exiled_red]

I agree too - like I said the other day he'd play almost every away game for me, but in home games we can afford to be more adventurous. Just looked a confused set up yesterday.

[DannyMan2006]

Here's where I think Rodgers has changed for the worse, in his first 2 seasons he would have left Lucas out for today's game on the basis that home to West Ham he doesn't need a dedicated defensive midfielder, he'd have had the bollocks to change the side from Arsenal because he's have recognised that West Ham at home is obviously vastly different to Arsenal away.

Consequently Lucas is asked to play 10-15 yards higher than he's comfortable and he gets found out (again)
Lucas is a horses for courses player, a needs must player.

Not a starter every week.

Hindsight is wonderful but Coutinho/Firmino deeper with Milner or Can being the deep lying play maker with Ings/Ibe/Origi closer to Benteke would have been much better

That's not hindsight tbh, that's obvious. I expect fans to be blinded by the display against Arsenal and demand a similar line up, I don't expect that from our coaching set up.

Against lesser sides we have to get after them and Lucas isnt the man for the job. More down to his legs as much as ability.

[Exiled_red]

That's not hindsight tbh, that's obvious. I expect fans to be blinded by the display against Arsenal and demand a similar line up, I don't expect that from our coaching set up.

Against lesser sides we have to get after them and Lucas isnt the man for the job. More down to his legs as much as ability.

It should be obvious that you don't play the same tactics at home to West Ham as away to Arsenal.

Lucas or his role is certainly required away at the big sides, there may be an agruement to play him in most away games and possibly at home to the big sides. The tactics should be considered on a game by game basis, which is something we don't seem capable of doing effectively.

It seems obvious that we adapt our tactics for the big teams - you could see that for the Arsenal work we had done our homework, the same level of thought obviously hadn't gone into the West Ham game. I find this particularly odd given that we much have watched how West Ham played against Arsenal in preparation for the Arsenal game surely we must have expected them to play a similar way against us, yet we didn't seem prepared for it.

[baitman]

Its a misconception to think there are 'lesser sides' as these lower ranked teams still score against us and often do well enough to make us look like the lesser side.
stoke, palace, bournemouth, Southampton, etc.
some of these teams might be more likely to sit back and be hard to play through but they will still look to hit us on the break once we over commit going forward.

our tactics are naive in the extreme as even playing lucas he was pushed so far foward he was useless to assist in holding in front of the cb's when west ham countered.
even the centre backs were on the half way line, and then ran BACKWARDS all the way to our goal area before deciding to make a challenge.

Even at home, even against teams that usually finish lower, we still need a dm (and more tactical awareness) to allow the rest of our midfield to push on.