Lucas Leiva - Next season's shock

[Hyppia 4]

His tackling isn't great, his distribution has been oveall poor and the next person who tells me he is box to box or worse an attacking midfielder is getting a slap. He could be one day, but in the prem, he just blatently is not. Yet despite all of this I still have faith in the lad.

 

He has been booed on and booed off. He is the only man that could play a significant part in winning a derby and yet be lambasted for not being Steven Gerrard (something I was guilty of). So why will he improve? Because he has the desire to do so and a manager who sees potential in him.

 

Lucas is fast becoming a favourite of mine based soley on his will to succeed. He is constantly trying to better himself and towards the end of the season he actually did. It came as a shock to me that he began to add an element of consistency into his game but the one thing he has improved more than anything, so much so it is part of his game that Mascherano can only dream of, is his positioning.

 

He was at first a lazy player, I know that is something that could never have been levelled at him in Brazil but when he came here he looked out of his depth and we jumped on him which led to him not having the drive a player like him so sorely needs. He has it now and he is also working on his upper body strength in the form of weight training, this is what could make him a much better player.

 

Until he learns to time his tackles he will never be as good as he could or should be but if he can make himself a presence on the field (as he did towards the end of the season) then this could go a long way to building on his confident end to the season and who knows what he might be able to do with or without the ball.

 

For all these reasons I see him being the surprise package next season. I see myself and many others eating our words and I wish the lad the best of luck, because if anyone in our side deserves it (aside from Degen) then it is him.

[Hermes]

He is box to box. He traps the ball on the edge of our box and chases to the opposition box for his second touch.

[Guest TK-421]

He has a rubbish first touch - hahaha!

[Guest TK-421]

By the way I agree, Lucas gonna rule the school.

[Red Nick]

He's fucking shite wish Rafa would sell him

[Best Believe It]

I have a certain (albeit admittedly unrational) optimism about Lucas next season for us.

[silverlining]

Lucas makes me sad.

 

Such a fucking mediocre player.

[RobbieOR]

I think the booing has actually helped him. It was wrong to boo but he even admitted himself that it helped him focus more and helped him play better. I like him but I can only think we will get rid.

[t1971]

Hes going to make the step up next year.

[SpeedyG]

Lucas = Mascherano - Energy - Winning Mentality

 

His passing is better than received wisdom would have you believe.

He out tackles and out intercepts Mascherano most of the time but because he mistimed a couple the other 700 tackles are ignored and the label "mis-times tackles" is attached. Yet if you actually watch the game he does a lot of tidy work that is completely missed. It's confirmation bias in all it's glory.

 

Lucas in the same place as Babel. He needs to sort his head out, not giving up is not the same as having a winning mentality. Vickery summed it up in one word. Timid. If he can get past that he will be the perfect Benitez player because his reading of the game and technical quality is good enough for this league. Oh and he needs to develop his physique obviously.

[Hyppia 4]

Lucas = Mascherano - Energy - Winning Mentality

 

His passing is better than received wisdom would have you believe.

He out tackles and out intercepts Mascherano most of the time but because he mistimed a couple the other 700 tackles are ignored and the label "mis-times tackles" is attached. Yet if you actually watch the game he does a lot of tidy work that is completely missed. It's confirmation bias in all it's glory.

 

Lucas in the same place as Babel. He needs to sort his head out, not giving up is not the same as having a winning mentality. Vickery summed it up in one word. Timid. If he can get past that he will be the perfect Benitez player because his reading of the game and technical quality is good enough for this league. Oh and he needs to develop his physique obviously.

 

The energy has vastly improved though. I like the way he is saying the booing improved him, maybe off the pitch it did but on it, it seemed to make him as you say more timid.

 

However once he got over that maybe the memory of the treatment he got made him better?

 

All I know is that balls he previously let go he was chasing after. He was providing fare better and more sensible cover for the team and for the first time it was easy to see how he ended up at Liverpool in the first place.

 

I don't think it is a coincidence that the best attacking displays he has shown have been against weaker opposition that we absolutely battered.

 

Confidence is a big thing with this lad and I believe he is starting to believe he can be the player Rafa believes he can be.

 

For what it is worth, so am I.

 

I know what you mean when you say they are in the same place but at the same time I believe they are polar opposites.

 

One has a great football brain but lacks confidence and physique.

 

The other needs cue cards to play football but has bags of confidence and the perfect physique for this league.

 

Also you get the feeling football is Lucas' life, whereas it is Babel's job.

[silverlining]

The energy has vastly improved though. I like the way he is saying the booing improved him, maybe off the pitch it did but on it, it seemed to make him as you say more timid.

 

However once he got over that maybe the memory of the treatment he got made him better?

 

All I know is that balls he previously let go he was chasing after. He was providing fare better and more sensible cover for the team and for the first time it was easy to see how he ended up at Liverpool in the first place.

 

I don't think it is a coincidence that the best attacking displays he has shown have been against weaker opposition that we absolutely battered.

 

Confidence is a big thing with this lad and I believe he is starting to believe he can be the player Rafa believes he can be.

 

For what it is worth, so am I.

 

I know what you mean when you say they are in the same place but at the same time I believe they are polar opposites.

 

One has a great football brain but lacks confidence and physique.

 

The other needs cue cards to play football but has bags of confidence and the perfect physique for this league.

 

Mascherano "needs cue cards to play football"

 

What *are* you on about, bellend?

 

EDIT: Oh hang on, I'm a bellend too, you meant Babel.

 

You're still a bellend, though.

[Xherdan]

Lucas will singlehandedly win us the league next season.

[silverlining]

Lucas will singlehandedly win us the league next season.

 

The best thing he can do to help us win the league is to not play for us in any games.

[SpeedyG]

The energy has vastly improved though. I like the way he is saying the booing improved him, maybe off the pitch it did but on it, it seemed to make him as you say more timid.

 

However once he got over that maybe the memory of the treatment he got made him better?

 

All I know is that balls he previously let go he was chasing after. He was providing fare better and more sensible cover for the team and for the first time it was easy to see how he ended up at Liverpool in the first place.

 

I don't think it is a coincidence that the best attacking displays he has shown have been against weaker opposition that we absolutely battered.

 

Confidence is a big thing with this lad and I believe he is starting to believe he can be the player Rafa believes he can be.

 

For what it is worth, so am I.

 

I know what you mean when you say they are in the same place but at the same time I believe they are polar opposites.

 

One has a great football brain but lacks confidence and physique.

 

The other needs cue cards to play football but has bags of confidence and the perfect physique for this league.

 

Also you get the feeling football is Lucas' life, whereas it is Babel's job.

 

Babel, bags of confidence?!?!?!?!?!? Now I know you don't get mentality.

 

Snidey remarks aside :smile:

 

Next year is the year he needs to integrate his attacking play with the rest of the team. He makes lots of intelligent forward runs, yes against weaker opponents, but the team hasn't worked out how to leverage them yet. Until this season I was hopeful about him, but now I just don't think he'll realize his full potential. He may continue as 4th chocie for a while but the ingredient he needs to add is the toughest one to find.

[silverlining]

Babel, bags of confidence?!?!?!?!?!? Now I know you don't get mentality.

 

He's quite good at the "mental" bit, though

[Owen]

You been banned from some other site, Brendan?

[Guest the boy]

He had a terrible period whilst we were in our trough, and the games especially against Everton and Wigan have made people reluctant to forget it. The poisonous attitude of internet generation fans like Red Nick and Toxteth doesn't help.

 

But, he finished the season strongly. I'd certainly have taken Barry ahead of him as an option, but I'm not so averse to having him in the squad. As noted his passing isn't nearly as bad as has been made out ; his main deficiencies lay in simply turning off, and making needless fouls in dangerous areas. If he can eradictate that from his game, then he can certainly be at worst a very competent player for us. If not, I could imagine him succeeding at a team like Sevilla, where he's less likely to be harried for the ball as by the dogs that are in this league.

 

I certainly don't believe the gulf is that wide between Anderson and Lucas. Of similar ages, except the former cost around £10 million more. Anderson, so far as I can see, has had one good game against us, and one against Arsenal. He's been largely atrocious the rest of the time, and his faults are more intrinsic than Leiva's. Next season'll be a big one for Lucas, as I can't see him leaving.

[silverlining]

You been banned from some other site, Brendan?

 

Yes, actually, although it was only for 48 hours.

 

Why?

[Xherdan]

The best thing he can do to help us win the league is to not play for us in any games.

 

 

 

Thats unfair on a former Brazilian League player of the year..

[SpeedyG]

He had a terrible period whilst we were in our trough, and the games especially against Everton and Wigan have made people reluctant to forget it. The poisonous attitude of internet generation fans like Red Nick and Toxteth doesn't help.

 

But, he finished the season strongly. I'd certainly have taken Barry ahead of him as an option, but I'm not so averse to having him in the squad. As noted his passing isn't nearly as bad as has been made out ; his main deficiencies lay in simply turning off, and making needless fouls in dangerous areas. If he can eradictate that from his game, then he can certainly be at worst a very competent player for us. If not, I could imagine him succeeding at a team like Sevilla, where he's less likely to be harried for the ball as by the dogs that are in this league.

 

I certainly don't believe the gulf is that wide between Anderson and Lucas. Of similar ages, except the former cost around £10 million more. Anderson, so far as I can see, has had one good game against us, and one against Arsenal. He's been largely atrocious the rest of the time, and his faults are more intrinsic than Leiva's. Next season'll be a big one for Lucas, as I can't see him leaving.

 

Lucas is better than Anderson. Anderson is more boisterous, but Lucas does far more for the team.

 

We say next season is the season, but this season was supposed to be the season!

 

In pre-season last year both Benitez and Lucas gave interviews where they spoke about the plans for the upcoming season and they made it clear, prior seasons he was being taught to play the DM role to round out his development as a CM and that this season they would be adding to the attacking side of his game. I was pretty pleased when I heard that given what we'd seen of him at Gremio, but it just didn't materialize.

 

Was that because Benitez didn't get Barry and so decided to change the approach going for the possession game that suited Alonso, rather than the double piston that would have suited Gerrard, Lucas and Barry? Who knows? What I think is clear though is that opinions on Lucas are not going to change much unless he makes a quantum leap in the timid stakes or he's given more responsibility than just performing the screening role with the odd forward run.

[GRADY]

Il be very surprised if Lucas becomes a good player for Liverpool.

 

Cant help thinking he is so well supported on here because Rafa clearly likes him as I cannot believe the reason is much to do with the way he has played in a red shirt.

 

An I know its a cliche but from what I have seen of spearing for the reserves and his cameo's for the first team I would say he could have done what lucas did for us this year an more.

[The Golden Eel]

Can anyone stop his inevitable World Player of the Year award for 2010?

 

I seriously doubt it

[silverlining]

Can anyone stop his inevitable World Player of the Year award for 2010?

 

I seriously doubt it

 

It will be either him, Sissoko, Crouch or Josemi.

[Hyppia 4]

He had a terrible period whilst we were in our trough, and the games especially against Everton and Wigan have made people reluctant to forget it. The poisonous attitude of internet generation fans like Red Nick and Toxteth doesn't help.

 

But, he finished the season strongly. I'd certainly have taken Barry ahead of him as an option, but I'm not so averse to having him in the squad. As noted his passing isn't nearly as bad as has been made out ; his main deficiencies lay in simply turning off, and making needless fouls in dangerous areas. If he can eradictate that from his game, then he can certainly be at worst a very competent player for us. If not, I could imagine him succeeding at a team like Sevilla, where he's less likely to be harried for the ball as by the dogs that are in this league.

 

I certainly don't believe the gulf is that wide between Anderson and Lucas. Of similar ages, except the former cost around £10 million more. Anderson, so far as I can see, has had one good game against us, and one against Arsenal. He's been largely atrocious the rest of the time, and his faults are more intrinsic than Leiva's. Next season'll be a big one for Lucas, as I can't see him leaving.

 

Great post. Another thing to point out is that Anderson has far more experience so he was bound to settle quicker.

 

Anderson really impressed me when he adapted to his new role but for purely purist reasons I'd like to see him getting first team football in the role he played at Porto because he just looked a much more exciting player.