Analysis: How Lucas controlled the game

[WhiskeyJar]

Lucas Leiva turned in a dominant display against West Brom on Saturday afternoon - and Opta statistics from the match appear to back his manager's assertions that the Brazilian controlled proceedings.

 

 

Rodgers told reporters when asked about Lucas: "When you play that system, I've been looking to have someone in that controlling role. That allows the other two advanced players to go forward."

 

Facts and figures from the 4-1 win show how the midfielder had more touches of the ball than any other player on the park (87), he played more passes than any other (69) with an accuracy of 92.8 per cent.

Defensively he was solid, winning more tackles than anyone on the pitch (seven) as well as making two clearances and three interceptions.

 

You can browse through in-depth player stats for all those involved in Saturday's game by using the widget below.

 

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/147937-analysis-how-lucas-controlled-the-game

 

Defense: Tackles 8, Tackles Won: 75%

General: Minutes Played: 90, Touches: 87, Duels Won: 66.7%, Aerial Duels Won: 50%, Interceptions: 3

Distribution: Total passes: 69, Long Passes: 15.9%, Passing Accuracy: 92.8%

Discipline: Fouls Won: 1, Fouls Conceded: 3

 

[Guest LFD]

I think Lucas has been playing well all season.

 

The problem is we have had a midfield two most of the time, against three in centre midfield.  

 

When Henderson, Lucas and Gerrard are all together central it brings outthe best of all of them and we look a better team as a result.

[Bjornebye]

Saturday was his best game of the season. 

[WhiskeyJar]

Saturday was his best game of the season. 

 

Plus for the last 2 minutes of the game, he was Captain.

[Dr. J]

The 3-5-2 favors him, giving a bit more freedom to go forward and get involved in attacking play. We sometimes forget that we got him as a box to box midfielder but watching the game in Brazil the commentators were explaining to listeners that that wasn't his role with Liverpool, in case they were wondering what happened to the player they remember from Gremio. This formation gives him more of a chance to show his skill.

[Barnesey]

Luco had a really good game but you cant argue he got forward.That is not really expected of him but is unaffected by system anyway

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

By far his best game in 18 months. One of the best, if not the best displays I've seen from him. Hopefully he keeps it up. I've been vocal about needing to replace him, and I still haven't changed my mind. Credit where credit is due, though, that was a quality performance. They have a very good midfield, and our midfield bettered them. Something that hasn't happened against them for a while.

[etho]

All gives rise to the Coutinho conundrum. Does he get a start against the better sides in our current 3-5-2? Or does he get used when we don't have a midfield battle to win, as we surely will against Flamini Ramsey Wilshere and Ozil this weekend?

 

It's a nice problem to have anyway.

[stringvest]

By far his best game in 18 months. One of the best, if not the best displays I've seen from him. Hopefully he keeps it up. I've been vocal about needing to replace him, and I still haven't changed my mind. Credit where credit is due, though, that was a quality performance. They have a very good midfield, and our midfield bettered them. Something that hasn't happened against them for a while.

 

this.

[Pureblood]

By far his best game in 18 months. One of the best, if not the best displays I've seen from him. Hopefully he keeps it up. I've been vocal about needing to replace him, and I still haven't changed my mind. Credit where credit is due, though, that was a quality performance. They have a very good midfield, and our midfield bettered them. Something that hasn't happened against them for a while.

 

So would you still swap their midfield for ours?

[Guest LFD]

All gives rise to the Coutinho conundrum. Does he get a start against the better sides in our current 3-5-2? Or does he get used when we don't have a midfield battle to win, as we surely will against Flamini Ramsey Wilshere and Ozil this weekend?

 

It's a nice problem to have anyway.

 

Would start Coutinho on the bench vs Arsenal, mainly because he's coming back from injury and the other three will all be needed against them.

 

Might have to play a midfield diamond to fit Lucas, Henderson, Gerrard and Coutinho all into the same team.

[Jairzinho]

He's fucking brilliant.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

So would you still swap their midfield for ours?

You seem to have missed the point I was making, I suspect deliberately. You little scamp, you. I said that it wasn't about 'individual players, but how we're set up, and how they pair together'. I wasn't, as I'm sure you're well aware, actually advocating calling West Brom and asking to trade the players, just that even those, frankly much lesser football clubs have more effective midfields than us. Or at least they have done for most of this season and much of last. The point was, as I said, that something needs to give in our midfield. Either, as I said, the purchase of a player like Fernando, or, as I said to you later in the thread, a total rejig of our midfield.

 

I think both are necessary, actually. That's my opinion, you're free to disagree with it. As well as I think the midfield played, it wasn't the same set-up as before. The inclusion of Henderson - a partial rejig - left them much less exposed as a partnership. If we can perform like that every week, rather than once in 9 games, then I'll be more than happy. I'm happy we got the best of their midfield, as them getting to the better of us in midfield the last few times we've played them started to piss me off.

[Pureblood]

He's fucking brilliant.

 

This.

[Pureblood]

You seem to have missed the point I was making, I suspect deliberately. You little scamp, you. I said that it wasn't about 'individual players, but how we're set up, and how they pair together'. I wasn't, as I'm sure you're well aware, actually advocating calling West Brom and asking to trade the players, just that even those, frankly much lesser, football clubs have more effective midfields than us. Or at least they have done for most of this season and much of last. The point was, as I said, that something needs to give in our midfield. Either, as I said, the purchase of a player like Fernando, or, as I said to you later in the thread, a total rejig of our midfield. I think both are actually necessary.

 

That's my opinion, you're free to disagree with it. As well as I think the midfield played, it wasn't the same set-up as before. The inclusion of Henderson - a partial rejig - left them much less exposed as a partnership. If we can perform like that every week, rather than once in 9 games, then I'll be more than happy.

 

Way to duck the question. 

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

No, I wouldn't advocate swapping our Captain for Mulumbu or Jacob. I would swap either of those players for Lucas, if that's the only deal available. So no, I wouldn't, as I explained to you in that thread a few posts later, swap Gerrard for anybody. I do want to buy somebody else, though. That's the ideal for me. You and Jairzinho seem to think Lucas is utterly outstanding. I think he's decent but a way off being a top player. I want more top players.

[Pureblood]

Do you think Jacob and Mulumbu are top players?

[Jairzinho]

There's some grey area between thinking he's "utterly outstanding" and preferring some clogger at West Brom.

[spider-neil]

Lucas' best game since coming back from injury.

[red6]

Do you think Jacob and Mulumbu are top players?

 

I think the question is do we all think Lucas is a top player?

 

If we don't or are still unsure (after 5 years at the club) then why not sign competition for his place? It won't do him any harm.

 

I agree with numero vienticino our midfield doesnt function aswell as some lower table sides and it hasnt for quite some time. We get over run and teams target our lack of pace in the middle.

 

That said i think Lucas played really well on Saturday and seems to be regaining his fom pre-injury. It worked well with him, gerrard and henderson but it's just one game and we need to see how those 3 hold up against better opposition.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Do you think Jacob and Mulumbu are top players?

No. Which is why I wouldn't buy either of them. I do think Fernando is a top player though, so I'd buy him.

 

There's some grey area between thinking he's "utterly outstanding" and preferring some clogger at West Brom.

Obviously I don't consider Lucas to be 'fucking brilliant', nor the WBA pairing to be cloggers. Then again, I consider Mario Suarez to be better than Lucas, so it's just another thing we disagree on. Out of interest, is there more than two DMs in the world you'd swap for Lucas. I suspect Vidal is one, anybody else?

[Pureblood]

We've signed loads of players to challenge Lucas. Allen, Poulsen, Sahin, Shelvey and Spearing were all tried and failed (so far, in Allen's case -the rest are history). That's about £25-30m worth and none have taken his place.

 

Yes, i think he is a top player. The results when he's in the team speak for themselves.

[Pureblood]

No. Which is why I wouldn't buy either of them.

 

So you don't want a top player then.  Just someone who isn't Lucas. Sorted.

[Jairzinho]

Obviously I don't consider Lucas to be 'fucking brilliant', nor the WBA pairing to be cloggers. Then again, I consider Mario Suarez to be better than Lucas, so it's just another thing we disagree on. Out of interest, is there more than two DMs in the world you'd swap for Lucas. I suspect Vidal is one, anybody else?

 

 

Yeah, a few. Vidal isn't a holding midfielder though, he's one of the few proper box to box midfielders on the planet, he'd be excellent alongside Lucas. It's not really a priority position for me. We need to settle on a formation and then sign some attacking players to suit it. We've got fuck all on the bench to change a game.

[aws]

Of course we could buy a better DM to replace him. But we'd have to be shopping in the £20m plus market and be lucky enough to find a CL standard player who doesn't mind not being in the CL for a while.