Lucas

[Neil Young]

http://twitpic.com/3i6smk

Lucas is boss

It's a good picture of him.

[Fredo]

Fatnougat

[Craig_H]

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva admits he used to be scared of Anfield boo boys

Brazilian now glad to still be at club despite summer uncertainty

By Kevin Emery
23 Dec 2010 16:11:00


Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has admitted that he used to pefer playing away from Anfield at the start of his career in English football.

The Brazilian international was seen as something that encapsulated former manager Rafa Benitez's final season in charge, one of the bad buys the Spaniard had apparently left the club with. But he has since won over the Liverpool fans and is now a huge part of the first team, with more responsibility on his shoulders since the departure of Javier Mascherano.

However, Leiva admits it was difficult at the start when the fans at Anfield got on his back.

"I liked to play there because we had the supporters, of course, but when you do not have their full confidence, sometimes you prefer to play away," Leiva revealed to the Telegraph.

"Then you hear things but you can blame the away fans.”

The 23-year-old said the fans booed him “only once or twice”, adding: “The rest of the time the fans have been very good with me and now I can see they believe in me. I feel comfortable, and when you feel comfortable, you play better.”

In the summer he was told that if a suitable offer was received for him then Liverpool would let him go, and his name was linked to European champions Inter after Benitez took the reins in Italy.

But Leiva is glad he stayed: "When they told me, I said I will try to find a club, but that I would not go just anywhere.

“[I said] I think I can be at a good club, since Liverpool is a good club and I had been here for three years.

"But I also said I would fight for my place, I will train, that I am a professional. It was not easy, but sometimes you have to be calm.

"A few offers came, but Liverpool did not accept them. I am glad that I stayed, because I am playing well, helping the team, and I am more important now than I was a few months ago.”

Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson revealed earlier this month that Leiva would be handed a new contract.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/12/23/2274668/liverpool-midfielder-lucas-leiva-admits-he-used-to-be-scared

Another example of why it's not only disgraceful to boo your own players, but how it's entirely counter productive and more likely to achieve the opposite level of performance that you're looking for, from the player in question.

Feeling intimidated to play at your own ground? Devoid of confidence? Scared to make a mistake, in case the boos start again?

How the **** can a 20 year old newcomer to England, English football and English culture (as he was then) be expected to handle that, and perform properly?

****ing idiots. Good on Lucas for coming through it, great strength of character and maturity. And now excellent performances to go with it

[Neil Young]

[Kenneth]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/...d-to-be-scared


Another example of why it's not only disgraceful to boo your own players, but how it's entirely counter productive and more likely to achieve the opposite level of performance that you're looking for, from the player in question.

Feeling intimidated to play at your own ground? Devoid of confidence? Scared to make a mistake, in case the boos start again?

How the **** can a 20 year old newcomer to England, English football and English culture (as he was then) be expected to handle that, and perform properly?

****ing idiots. Good on Lucas for coming through it, great strength of character and maturity. And now excellent performances to go with it

Although he wasn't booed when he first played and was rubbish, but I generally agree.

[Drago]

It definitely showed in his performances at the time. He was noticeable much better away from home.

[Vermilion]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/...d-to-be-scared


Another example of why it's not only disgraceful to boo your own players, but how it's entirely counter productive and more likely to achieve the opposite level of performance that you're looking for, from the player in question.

Feeling intimidated to play at your own ground? Devoid of confidence? Scared to make a mistake, in case the boos start again?

How the **** can a 20 year old newcomer to England, English football and English culture (as he was then) be expected to handle that, and perform properly?

****ing idiots. Good on Lucas for coming through it, great strength of character and maturity. And now excellent performances to go with it

[RedReet]

Another excellent performance from him yesterday, and personally I think he’s quietly establishing himself as one of our best outfield players. Behind Gerrard and Torres I can’t think of anyone who is more assured and deserving of their first team place. I seen quite a few people predict future line-ups with the transfers they want to see and have relegated Lucas to the bench behind Meireles. As much as I like Meireles, I don’t think there is much between the two right now and Lucas is only gonna get better and better.

I expect the usual hyperbole response and maybe I am getting carried away, but as I go through our first team I honestly can’t think of any other player who a). I would definitely start every week and b). has been playing well enough to deserve to start. Maybe I’d add Agger to the list if he can stay fit, but as always that’s a big if. Maxi is also playing well but will always divide opinion with Cole and Babel viable alternatives.

It could just be the lack of other options in CM that help overstate his importance or the thought of Poulsen starting again is so scary that Lucas almost seems invaluable. Quite possibly when we start playing a more expansive game under Kenny then his teammates might begin to outshine him again, but on current form and performances for the past 18 months then Lucas has easily been one of our best and most consistent players and he deserves a lot of credit for it.

Let’s just hope Kenny can get the same level of consistency out of the rest of his teammates and we can finish the season on a high.

[dww]

I thought he did well defensively but his distribution was poorer than it has been for most of the season yesterday. He's a good player but his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute. Hopefully as Agger gets back to full fitness we can get a more balanced set up and the problems will be minimised.

[kris90210]

I thought he did well defensively but his distribution was poorer than it has been for most of the season yesterday. He's a good player but his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute. Hopefully as Agger gets back to full fitness we can get a more balanced set up and the problems will be minimised.

Agreed. There was one extremely lazy pass in particular that gifted Utd possession in a dangerous position. Aurelio was guilty of the same thing on a couple of occasions too!

[el matador]

i think the best thing hodgson ever did was to sign poulsen and konchesky.

What it did was to take the criticism away from lucas onto those two. All of a sudden lucas wasnt the worst player in the team cos these two came along.

Just having that space and peace from the fans can take a weight off your shoulders and it looks like it has off lucas.

[Pablo]

I thought he did well defensively but his distribution was poorer than it has been for most of the season yesterday. He's a good player but his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute. Hopefully as Agger gets back to full fitness we can get a more balanced set up and the problems will be minimised.

Very sloppy in possession at times yesterday.

[Assassin]

I thought he did well defensively but his distribution was poorer than it has been for most of the season yesterday. He's a good player but his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute. Hopefully as Agger gets back to full fitness we can get a more balanced set up and the problems will be minimised.

Lucas was doing the job of two men sunday. He was all over the pitch closing down people and making himself available to team mates (not in a sexual way). The last 10 minutes he was exhausted to the point I was wondering if he would see the game out. He almost single handedly snuffed out the scum midfield. It is hardly surprising his distribution was not up to its usual level.

Some people are so fickle.........Lucas was either our MOM or runner up

[RedReet]

I thought he did well defensively but his distribution was poorer than it has been for most of the season yesterday. He's a good player but his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute. Hopefully as Agger gets back to full fitness we can get a more balanced set up and the problems will be minimised.

Damn, no chalkboard for FA cup.

I do remember a few stray passes during the game, but what stood out was that even when under pressure he did always try to pick a man out (or carry the ball a bit which I’d like to see more of in future) instead of hoofing. That was evident from most of our players to be fair and it was refreshing to see. It’s also understandable that pass completion is likely to drop if the other team have an extra man for most of the game. I thought we controlled the midfield quite well for most of the game yesterday, and considering Meireles was way below par, Lucas must take a lot of credit for that.

“his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute”

What exactly do you mean by this?

[danperkins]

I thought he did well defensively but his distribution was poorer than it has been for most of the season yesterday. He's a good player but his lack of acceleration causes problems in terms of linking up different parts of the team at the minute. Hopefully as Agger gets back to full fitness we can get a more balanced set up and the problems will be minimised.