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I have decided to pretend this hasn't happened.

 

The only consolation I have is that I'm pretty sure we gave Sissoko an new contract a few months before we sold him.

 

Let's be realistic, we're not winning anything with a player like Lucas starting regularly in central midfield, but I suppose we've become used to mediocrity over the last couple of years.

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I have decided to pretend this hasn't happened.

 

The only consolation I have is that I'm pretty sure we gave Sissoko an new contract a few months before we sold him.

 

Let's be realistic, we're not winning anything with a player like Lucas starting regularly in central midfield, but I suppose we've become used to mediocrity over the last couple of years.

 

 

 

We accept your apology.

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I have decided to pretend this hasn't happened.

 

The only consolation I have is that I'm pretty sure we gave Sissoko an new contract a few months before we sold him.

 

Let's be realistic, we're not winning anything with a player like Lucas starting regularly in central midfield, but I suppose we've become used to mediocrity over the last couple of years.

 

 

I would dearly , dearly love to know what 99% of the people on here see in him.

I like his attitude, I like his effort but he doesn't have any ball skills - fairly important in my book , and before the kids start reaching for the neg button I'm actually not that concerned.

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I would dearly , dearly love to know what 99% of the people on here see in him.

I like his attitude, I like his effort but he doesn't have any ball skills - fairly important in my book , and before the kids start reaching for the neg button I'm actually not that concerned.

 

I think our fanbase has been so badly damaged by yank and Hodgson-related events that it's currently in the grip of some kind of mania. The forum is sitting on a couch, eating it's own hair and giggling uncontrlably about Lucas and Kuyt. It is also missing at least three teeth.

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Guest TK-421

Can we have more of these mediocre players who play for Brazil in central midfield please? For 6m you say, kind Sir? Why thank you. Thank you very much indeed.

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I think our fanbase has been so badly damaged by yank and Hodgson-related events that it's currently in the grip of some kind of mania. The forum is sitting on a couch, eating it's own hair and giggling uncontrlably about Lucas and Kuyt. It is also missing at least three teeth.

 

 

I'm not too sure who it was who said " he just runs around kicking people on the shins and giving fouls away " , but it was a fairly accurate assessment.

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Guest PurpleNose
I have decided to pretend this hasn't happened.

 

The only consolation I have is that I'm pretty sure we gave Sissoko an new contract a few months before we sold him.

 

Let's be realistic, we're not winning anything with a player like Lucas starting regularly in central midfield, but I suppose we've become used to mediocrity over the last couple of years.

 

Congratulations. You're absolutely fucking wrong. Again.

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What is your opinion on Busquets as a player?

 

Well I wouldn't shit myself half as much if he played in a holding midfield position for us instead of Lucas, but then if the thread was titled "babel" and I asked you for your opinion on John Barnes , what would your answer be ?

 

If he improves a vast amount then great , but I seriously doubt that will happen.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I would dearly , dearly love to know what 99% of the people on here see in him.

I like his attitude, I like his effort but he doesn't have any ball skills - fairly important in my book , and before the kids start reaching for the neg button I'm actually not that concerned.

 

I'm not too sure who it was who said " he just runs around kicking people on the shins and giving fouls away " , but it was a fairly accurate assessment.

 

Well I wouldn't shit myself half as much if he played in a holding midfield position for us instead of Lucas, but then if the thread was titled "babel" and I asked you for your opinion on John Barnes , what would your answer be ?

 

If he improves a vast amount then great , but I seriously doubt that will happen.

 

Elvis is dead.................reality

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The longest myth going about Lucas, has been that he only plays the simple pass, and this is mainly sideways, or back-wards. This brief post is aimed to demonstrate he really doesn’t, and I have taken 3 randomly selected games from this season which Lucas featured in to help explain.

 

I will show his passing statistics for those games (from Opta AnfieldIndex stats), as well as the chalk boards (from The Guardian).

 

The 3 games were totally selected at random. But it is nice to have a mix of home/away and wins/losses. Any percentages in brackets (xx%) are the percentage of passes that were forward/backwards/sideways/attacking half. These percentages are not pass completion.

 

Note: The Opta Stats and Chalkboard passes don’t always match up, but they are 99% the same. Also, the Chalk-Boards are embedded (not image files) so may take a few moments to load up).

 

 

 

V Blackburn Rovers (H) – 24/10/2011

 

Pass completion – 85%

Total passes – 55

Total forward – 40 (73% of passes)

Total backwards – 3 (5%)

Total sideways – 12 (22%)

Attacking half passes – 39 (70%)

 

 

 

Of the randomly selected matches, without doubt his best “attacking” performance. A large percentage of his passes were in the attacking half, and nearly 3/4′s were forwards. This game wont alone wont dispel the myth, but it isn’t a bad start.

 

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" name="chalkboard" width="460" height="620" align="middle" id="chalkboard">

<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" />

<param name="allowNetworking" value="all" />

<param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" />

<param name="movie" value="http://www.guardianchalkboards.com/guardianchalkboards_embed.swf?chalkBoardID=o0LfK943IU82Mj466nqm"/>

<param name="quality" value="high" />

<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />

<embed src="http://www.guardianchalkboards.com/guardianchalkboards_embed.swf?chalkBoardID=o0LfK943IU82Mj466nqm" swLiveConnect="true" allowNetworking="all" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="460" height="620" name="chalkboard" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" />

</object>

<font size="1"> by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards">Guardian Chalkboards</a></font>

 

V Everton (H) – 16/01/2011

 

Pass completion – 84%

Total passes – 50

Total forward – 25 (50%)

Total backwards – 9 (18%)

Total sideways – 18 (36%)

Attacking half passes – 24 (48%)

 

 

 

Not quiet as “attacking” as it was against Blackburn (a game we won), but in a Derby, it is a very, very different game. We drew 2-2 this time. Lucas was clearly, much deeper (look where his passes were being made from in the main) when compared with above. This is likely why less of his passes were not forwards. But still, half of them were, and half of them (nearly) were in the attacking half.

 

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" name="chalkboard" width="460" height="620" align="middle" id="chalkboard">

<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" />

<param name="allowNetworking" value="all" />

<param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" />

<param name="movie" value="http://www.guardianchalkboards.com/guardianchalkboards_embed.swf?chalkBoardID=Y34v0iBeVH4BjV50Rtc7"/>

<param name="quality" value="high" />

<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />

<embed src="http://www.guardianchalkboards.com/guardianchalkboards_embed.swf?chalkBoardID=Y34v0iBeVH4BjV50Rtc7" swLiveConnect="true" allowNetworking="all" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="460" height="620" name="chalkboard" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" />

</object>

<font size="1"> by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards">Guardian Chalkboards</a></font>

 

V West Ham (A) – 27/02/2011

 

Pass completion – 85%

Total passes – 67

Total forward – 46 (69%)

Total backwards – 5 (7%)

Total sideways – 16 (24%)

Attacking half passes – 34(50%)

 

 

 

A game which we lost, but Lucas still maintained his excellent pass completion again. Also, most of his passes were forward, yet again, dispelling the myth. Another interesting random stat for you, he never was caught in possession of the ball. The whole game. (So, the only time he surrendered possession, was with one of his uncompleted passes. A rarity).

 

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<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" />

<param name="allowNetworking" value="all" />

<param name="allowFullScreen" value="false" />

<param name="movie" value="http://www.guardianchalkboards.com/guardianchalkboards_embed.swf?chalkBoardID=4n54v4Z35glnuBJdT7JT"/>

<param name="quality" value="high" />

<param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" />

<embed src="http://www.guardianchalkboards.com/guardianchalkboards_embed.swf?chalkBoardID=4n54v4Z35glnuBJdT7JT" swLiveConnect="true" allowNetworking="all" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="460" height="620" name="chalkboard" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" />

</object>

<font size="1"> by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards">Guardian Chalkboards</a></font>

 

So, there you have it…

 

lucasface.png

 

Lucas doesn’t just pass it side-ways. He retains ball possession brilliantly, he is constantly looking for the forward pass, and while now seen as a “defensive” midfielder, a lot of his work can come in the attacking half.

 

His role in the team will be key going forward. No, he isn’t there to unlock a defence with a killer pass, but he does constantly keep the ball moving, and rarely gives it away. If he can find Gerrard, Mereiles, Johnson, Kelly, or whoever, he can then allow them to do what they do. If the ball is moving constantly (and successfully), it makes it a lot easier for the creative players.

 

So Lucas doesn’t just pass it sideways and backwards, does he.

 

 

Source

 

20100517_134555_MythBusted.gif

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The longest myth going about Lucas, has been that he only plays the simple pass, and this is mainly sideways, or back-wards. This brief post is aimed to demonstrate he really doesn’t, and I have taken 3 randomly selected games from this season which Lucas featured in to help explain.

 

I will show his passing statistics for those games (from Opta AnfieldIndex stats), as well as the chalk boards (from The Guardian).

 

The 3 games were totally selected at random. But it is nice to have a mix of home/away and wins/losses. Any percentages in brackets (xx%) are the percentage of passes that were forward/backwards/sideways/attacking half. These percentages are not pass completion.

 

Note: The Opta Stats and Chalkboard passes don’t always match up, but they are 99% the same.

 

 

V Blackburn Rovers (H) – 24/10/2011

 

Pass completion – 85%

Total passes – 55

Total forward – 40 (73% of passes)

Total backwards – 3 (5%)

Total sideways – 12 (22%)

Attacking half passes – 39 (70%)

 

 

 

Of the randomly selected matches, without doubt his best “attacking” performance. A large percentage of his passes were in the attacking half, and nearly 3/4′s were forwards. This game wont alone wont dispel the myth, but it isn’t a bad start.

 

 

V Everton (H) – 16/01/2011

 

Pass completion – 84%

Total passes – 50

Total forward – 25 (50%)

Total backwards – 9 (18%)

Total sideways – 18 (36%)

Attacking half passes – 24 (48%)

 

 

 

Not quiet as “attacking” as it was against Blackburn (a game we won), but in a Derby, it is a very, very different game. We drew 2-2 this time. Lucas was clearly, much deeper (look where his passes were being made from in the main) when compared with above. This is likely why less of his passes were not forwards. But still, half of them were, and half of them (nearly) were in the attacking half.

 

V West Ham (A) – 27/02/2011

 

Pass completion – 85%

Total passes – 67

Total forward – 46 (69%)

Total backwards – 5 (7%)

Total sideways – 16 (24%)

Attacking half passes – 34(50%)

 

 

 

A game which we lost, but Lucas still maintained his excellent pass completion again. Also, most of his passes were forward, yet again, dispelling the myth. Another interesting random stat for you, he never was caught in possession of the ball. The whole game. (So, the only time he surrendered possession, was with one of his uncompleted passes. A rarity).

 

So, there you have it…

 

lucasface.png

 

Lucas doesn’t just pass it side-ways. He retains ball possession brilliantly, he is constantly looking for the forward pass, and while now seen as a “defensive” midfielder, a lot of his work can come in the attacking half.

 

His role in the team will be key going forward. No, he isn’t there to unlock a defence with a killer pass, but he does constantly keep the ball moving, and rarely gives it away. If he can find Gerrard, Mereiles, Johnson, Kelly, or whoever, he can then allow them to do what they do. If the ball is moving constantly (and successfully), it makes it a lot easier for the creative players.

 

So Lucas doesn’t just pass it sideways and backwards, does he.

 

 

Source

 

20100517_134555_MythBusted.gif

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