Lucas Leiva....

[el matador]

you have to hand it to the boy. he must be so strong mentally because some of the stick he's had would have destroyed better players.

this is a new liverpool epitomised by a new type of player. lucas is the new breed with never say die attitudes.

absolutely brilliant.

[Redspin]

I think you may put people of from giving your opinions credence with your somewhat patronising tone.

I tend to agree that many of the qualities Lucas is now showing were always there. Equally though I think that some of the flaws were too. When there is good movement in the team and people are passing confidently Lucas helps them - when they don't he isn't the sort of player (in contrast to say Fabregas or Alonso who are) whose passing and movement induce others to follow their example or brings them into play and create space.

I like him a lot (and always have) but you have to consider the downsides as well as the positives. In the PL I think his interception and 'nick the ball' rather than crunching tackle style is perceived as a weakness and if the rest of the team don't step up the opposition are encouraged in their efforts to bully us and referees tend to let this happen if they believe you are weak. He is also clearly not mobile enough to be a Mascherano style sweeping presence in midfield. His short, quick passing is excellent but he does not possess the option of longer, aerial passes, even when they may be a good option. This sometimes leads to him dallying in midfield if there are not sever deep running options.

With regard to your first sentence:

(a) the tone is only patronising if you infer it to be so
(b) why in God's name would I care about anyone on a website giving credence to anything?

I also disagree about his passing range. Mascherano was an average passer, certainly inferior to Lucas. He was a destroyer pure and simple. Just there to break up play and give the ball to someone who can pass. His limitations are keeping him as just a benchwarmer for Barcelona. I can't recall any examples of him using longer aerial passes than Lucas. Perhaps you can enlighten me

Lucas was yet again magnificent in the holding role yesterday. Mascherano would not have been an improvement on that performance. But maybe you were disappointed with his lack of aerial passes?

[Redspin]

"somewhat" patronising?

He's always uber-patronising, speaks like he and nobody else knows anything about football, and never once have i read a post from him which ISNT like this.

The amusing thing about this and your other posts is that you seem to be blissfully unaware of the delicious, breathtaking irony they display. Please do keep it up

[Redspin]

His average pass completion rate is something like 85% - astonishing! That's gotta be in the top 3 in the league surely??

Yes but he apparently doesn't do enough longer, aerial passes (or "hoofs" as they are technically known)

[Neil Young]

The amusing thing about this and your other posts is that you seem to be blissfully unaware of the delicious, breathtaking irony they display. Please do keep it up

The amusing thing about this and your other posts is that you seem to be blissfully unaware of the delicious, breathtaking irony they display. Please do keep it up

[Arn]

With regard to your first sentence:

(a) the tone is only patronising if you infer it to be so
(b) why in God's name would I care about anyone on a website giving credence to anything?

I also disagree about his passing range. Mascherano was an average passer, certainly inferior to Lucas. He was a destroyer pure and simple. Just there to break up play and give the ball to someone who can pass. His limitations are keeping him as just a benchwarmer for Barcelona. I can't recall any examples of him using longer aerial passes than Lucas. Perhaps you can enlighten me

Lucas was yet again magnificent in the holding role yesterday. Mascherano would not have been an improvement on that performance. But maybe you were disappointed with his lack of aerial passes?

Masch was bought to be a backup player at Barcelona. Almost no injuries means a lot of bench time. He played very good the few times he played.

It isn't his limitations that is keeping him on the bench. Why would Pep bench Busquets when he is playing excellent? No need to change a winning team.

Masch fits in very well at Barcelona. His one touch football and short excellent passing game fits their playing style.

[danperkins]

I have been fairly critical of Lucas in his time at LFC, last season he showed an improvement, but this season he has been excellent. Fair play to Lucas and delighted he is proving me and many others wrong, well done lad keep it up.

[Craig_H]

I have been fairly critical of Lucas in his time at LFC, last season he showed an improvement, but this season he has been excellent. Fair play to Lucas and delighted he is proving me and many others wrong, well done lad keep it up.

[dww]

With regard to your first sentence:

(a) the tone is only patronising if you infer it to be so
(b) why in God's name would I care about anyone on a website giving credence to anything?

(a) Communication is a two way street. In order for it to work the sender must make at least some effort to understand how their message will be interpreted by the receiver.
(b) Why post then?

I also disagree about his passing range. Mascherano was an average passer, certainly inferior to Lucas. He was a destroyer pure and simple. Just there to break up play and give the ball to someone who can pass. His limitations are keeping him as just a benchwarmer for Barcelona. I can't recall any examples of him using longer aerial passes than Lucas. Perhaps you can enlighten me

Lucas was yet again magnificent in the holding role yesterday. Mascherano would not have been an improvement on that performance. But maybe you were disappointed with his lack of aerial passes?

He was indeed excellent. It was however a game in which we rarely looked to attack and largely kept a deep compact shape. I think he is a very good player but I think it is reasonable to say he has limitations.

I agree that Mascherano also has limitations, I think you over state them though. Being a benchwarmer in one of the best club sides ever is hardly a disgrace. I would suggest that he has some areas of passing he is better than Lucas but I probably agree with you that Lucas is a better passer over all.

[anfieldanfield]

I was very anti-Lucas in the past.

I'm still not sure about him in the starting 11 for a side who is looking to win the league, but he seems to improve every year and at 24, in that position, should really be in his prime over the next two or three years.

I wouldn't sell now for less than 15 million.

[Buzzo]

I have been fairly critical of Lucas in his time at LFC, last season he showed an improvement, but this season he has been excellent. Fair play to Lucas and delighted he is proving me and many others wrong, well done lad keep it up.

Minor understatement!

But I take my hat of to you mate, you have shown yourself to be able to admit when a player proves you wrong. And your assessment of him is pretty accurate as things stand. So and fair play.

Personally I had never thought Lucas was that bad - but equally I never felt he was capable of the consistency of performance he is putting in now.

Lets hope Glen Johnson can do something similar and we shall all be happy!

[Shaggy]

Haha I've been a Lucas advocate right from the off. Then one day very early this season I ran out of patience and thought to myself "ah ****, he's never gonna be quite good enough is he". The next day Poulsen made his Liverpool debut and I immediately reviewed my position.

Since then he's been fantastic.

[Fredo]

I have been fairly critical of Lucas in his time at LFC, last season he showed an improvement, but this season he has been excellent. Fair play to Lucas and delighted he is proving me and many others wrong, well done lad keep it up.

Now, it leaves you to admit that I was always right when you were always wrong.

[Maxiedge]

Well done Lucas

I think particularly under the new regime his game has really come through. I think towards the end of rafa's reign and under hodgson i was quite critical of lucas because i wanted someone to grab games by the scruff of the neck and his style of football seemed to negate more what was already quite negative.

With more movement around him, i totally see what he can bring to the team and he's actually a very good defensive midfielder now.

[DannyMan2006]

I've always been on/off with Lucas myself. Support him one minute, be pissed off the next. I always thought he had something in him to be a success, but did get frustrated that he never seemed to show this.

Have to say that I was all for selling him at the start of this season if we had got a decent offer. Thankfully he stayed and he's really stepped up to the plate.

Have to say though, I still don't know where I'd put him in our midfield. Depends what system we are going to use tbh. But I think we have to find a place for him. Really showing lately why he is rated so highly by his national side.