Lucas

[Exiled_red]

He is not ****e but imo he is not good enough to be a regular starter.

I would keep him as he will continue to develop and certainly can be a good back-up.

We need more quality for DM/CM role and I hope we go and buy a top notch player.

squad player at best

I think it depends on the players that are around him and getting a balance to the team, I see him in a similar role for us as Fletcher does for Man Utd. He's effective at doing the simple things, keeps the game ticking over and leaves the more spectaclar stuff to the players with better technical ability. The difference at the moment (or over recent years) is that Man Utd have had these technically good players and we lack them. It's a team balance issue

[JohnDoe]

Absolute garbage, are Brazil no longer classed a top side? Lucas has one of our most consistent performers for two seasons. Apart from adopting to a new country, a new position and a new team, he has to overcome the fans prejudice who labelled him not good enough as he isn't Alonso or Mascherano, yet at 23 he is only now of a similar age to both of those players when they joined.

It must be tough that you need to perform near faultless, to avoid the howls of derision that would accompany any minor error, yet other players seem beyond critique, no matter what type of performance they turn in. The pressure on young shoulders, must be immense and it would be understandable that you might take the easy option.

Perhaps with Poulsen being public enemy number one, this has taken the extra pressure of Lucas and this coupled with more maturity, means we will see a more adventurous player who lives up to his early career hype

There isn't one thing Lucas excels at. Not one thing. Teams don't respect him when he's got the ball, he just doesn't create anything with it in an organized game. He's a ball chaser who can do decently on the counter, nothing more. As a pure defensive midfielder, he's tolerable, yet not a very good tackler because he still concedes too many fouls in bad positions.

Lucas is what he is. A steady Eddie, it won't get you far.

[Neil Young]

He's going to be really good.

[Fredo]

There isn't one thing Lucas excels at. Not one thing. Teams don't respect him when he's got the ball, he just doesn't create anything with it in an organized game. He's a ball chaser who can do decently on the counter, nothing more. As a pure defensive midfielder, he's tolerable, yet not a very good tackler because he still concedes too many fouls in bad positions.

Lucas is what he is. A steady Eddie, it won't get you far.

Have you seen the way he motored upfield and nicked the ball off that dude for Stevie's 3rd goal last night?

[Norbs]

squad player at best

He'd probably agree that he's a good squad player at a top club, that's one of the things I'd like to think I like about him. He lacks flexibility IMO and is not stand-out good enough to call himself a master of his art.

That said, I'm happy that he's a Red and I hope he sticks around for a few years

[Arn]

Lucas is more or less the perfect example of how important it's for a young player to play games at the highest level to get better.

The reason to why he is now playing very good is that Rafa played him week in week out.

It's very difficult to give a young player the chance Rafa gave Lucas because the team will play worse until the young player is good enough but you still need to play him or else he won't get better.

[JohnDoe]

Have you seen the way he motored upfield and nicked the ball off that dude for Stevie's 3rd goal last night?

Yes. I've also seen hundreds of times when Lucas could not handle a player going past him and tripping him over in a dangerous position. You could pinpoint a few examples to back up any argument but what matters is efficiency over a long period. Lucas is not a very good tackler.

[Arn]

Yes. I've also seen hundreds of times when Lucas could not handle a player going past him and tripping him over in a dangerous position. You could pinpoint a few examples to back up any argument but what matters is efficiency over a long period. Lucas is not a very good tackler.

He was third or fourth last season in tackles won, if that isn't called being a top tackler when you're that in the PL then I don't know what is.

[JohnDoe]

He was third or fourth last season in tackles won, if that isn't called being a top tackler when you're that in the PL then I don't know what is.

I was waiting for that. According to stats, Lucas is a better tackler than Mascherano. Like **** he is.

All these tackles won stats show is that Lucas played a lot of games and didn't have the ball in most of them.

[Fredo]

He was third or fourth last season in tackles won, if that isn't called being a top tackler when you're that in the PL then I don't know what is.

You are very sharp on statistics and the likes Arn, aren't you? Have you got them bookmarked or archived somewhere? This is quite impressive.

[Arn]

I was waiting for that. According to stats, Lucas is a better tackler than Mascherano. Like **** he is.

All these tackles won stats show is that Lucas played a lot of games and didn't have the ball in most of them.

Stats don't tell the whole story but it shows that Lucas is a very good tackler and win many more tackles than he lose.

You could say that he had to win that many tackles because either he or someone else was out of position. An excellent defensive midfielder don't need to make that many tackles. Hamann is one example. Excellent reading the game so he didn't need to make that many tackles.

It also comes down to the way the team play. We played a high pressure game and that involves a lot of tackles and trying to win the ball back early.

[Mostar]

There isn't one thing Lucas excels at. Not one thing. Teams don't respect him when he's got the ball, he just doesn't create anything with it in an organized game. He's a ball chaser who can do decently on the counter, nothing more. As a pure defensive midfielder, he's tolerable, yet not a very good tackler because he still concedes too many fouls in bad positions.

Lucas is what he is. A steady Eddie, it won't get you far.

That's pretty much how I see him too.

He is the jack of all trades but not the master of any.

He is getting better but his skill set has limitations and we need more from DM/CM position.

Nothing against the lad as his behavior was always exceptional but he is not a solution to our problems.

[Assassin]

Yes. I've also seen hundreds of times when Lucas could not handle a player going past him and tripping him over in a dangerous position. You could pinpoint a few examples to back up any argument but what matters is efficiency over a long period. Lucas is not a very good tackler.

First bold comment; Bull****

Second bold comment; More Bull****

Lucas has given a way a few free kicks in dangerous positions, but at least he was there and available to male a challenge.

Lucas normally breaks up play in the oppositions half by giving away free kicks, he is very good at this. He stops the flow of the game for the opposition. Scholes does this every game and is lauded for it!

Lucas owned a very physical Bolton midfield last weekend

Lucas was on the field a couple of minutes against Napoli and he mugged the Napoli player to set up Gerrard's 3rd goal

Lucas is virtually a fixture in the team under two different managers.

Lucas is a very good young player who is growing in stature every game

Lucas, Gerrard and Meireles are beginning to gel really well as a trio in the heart of midfield, they will be more than a match for anyone as the season progresses

[RoadEnd]

Mate If Lucas was that good at attacking, he would have been used in an attacking role for LFC. That is a complete no brainer.

I think a lot of players under Rafa were never played in their best position. They were expected to fit into Rafa's masterplan.

[Mattshark]

There isn't one thing Lucas excels at. Not one thing. Teams don't respect him when he's got the ball, he just doesn't create anything with it in an organized game. He's a ball chaser who can do decently on the counter, nothing more. As a pure defensive midfielder, he's tolerable, yet not a very good tackler because he still concedes too many fouls in bad positions.

Lucas is what he is. A steady Eddie, it won't get you far.

Utter crap, he commits relatively few fouls and is a good tackler and is excellent at helping the team keep possession.