I’ve never been one of Dirk Kuyt’s or Lucas’s biggest fans, as I could never understand exactly what they brought to the team; I always had this vision of Kuyt being a poor mans Carlos Tevez. And Lucas as a jack of all trades but a master of none.
Today is the day that I’d like to offer a whole hearted apology to both players. I was wrong.
After watching Liverpool vs Chelsea and other recent performances I realised how important Dirk really was to the team. His work ethic is 2nd to none, he always gives 100% and what impressed me the most was his ability and influence that helped get the best out of his team mates. Fernando Torres looked like a completely different player, Gerrard played well, Lucas came alive, Meireles looked like he’d been at the club for years. Now I’m not saying that the whole team performance was due to Dirk returning. However, for me it definitely had a major effect.
For me this is the game that Lucas finally came out of Mascherano’s and Alonso’s shadow and showed the world that he is good enough to play for Liverpool Football Club, his performance was magnificent. Although Torres got all the plaudits for his brace, in my opinion it was Lucas who was the stand out performer. He was here there and everywhere breaking up play and stopping attacks. And I think it’s only now that Malouda is finally climbing out of Lucas’s pocket. This is his time to build on a superb performance and I for one finally believe that he can do that.
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I pretty much agree with this article. Lucas has been absolutely fantastic in the middle of the park, gets his foot stuck in, fights for every ball, breaks up attacks and distributes the ball well. His work does not stand out but his work rate is really second to none. He provides cover for Gerrard and Meireles and protects the back four very well. He has had a lot of stick and he’s often been compared to Alonso since the latter left but right now he’s on top of his form. Same for Kuyt, whether he plays just behind Torres or out on the right, he brings a lot to the team. He gives 100% every match and against Chelsea you could see how much of a difference he made. I really hope fans stop pointing the finger at the pair when the team plays bad, many don’t seem to realise how hard they work and how much they bring to the team.
agree with you Eric, they work hard for the team and their effort often goes unnoticed. kuyt is a key player and lucas has been magnificent
Dont change the winning team unless they are exhausted !!!
We need to change the manager unless he can win all the games before xmas !!!
I cannot completely agree with the article.
Sure Lucas played really well against Chelsea though he did not create many chances.But since then he has not played very well against Wigan and Stoke. He is nowhere near the same class as Mascherano. Also its easier to find players who will run till they drop, Meireles did the same and as you have already said so did Kuyt. Liverpool’s problems are not likely to be defensive with Roy’s tactics. Their problem is creating goals and taking them. If Lucas did not play that game Spearing might have played as well. If Torres did not play that game -forget about scoring. One of his goals was all Torres and world class.
Kuyt in his own way is very good,his hustling and pressure combine well with Torres. But if he is a forward he does not score many goals and if he is a winger he is not Alexis Sanchez.
well said, both are better than many fans believe
them to be…..Rafa may be gone but he was right to have these two players on his team sheet
Dirk proves that he is an important part of this team! Lucas is getting better and stronger, just needs to control the blood rush when he is working really hard!
naw, haven’t changed my opinion yet – Lucas has definitely improved considerably since last year, but still doesn’t dominate midfield consistently and both should be squad players if anything (would’ve preferred to get the big money for Kuyt while it was still on the table though).
Btw, for everybody that says a player like Kuyt is so important, please explain to me why there isn’t a player fulfilling his role in all the top teams?? (Funnily enough, most of them do tend to have a “lazy” and “inconsistent” matchwinner out wide though…)
The closest comparison is Park imo, but he’s just used a bench player that is dragged out for selected games. He also plays best when he is given a free role through the middle for his headless chicken act btw. I can’t think of many other wingers in top teams that get played because of their “work rate” and “determination”
Can’t agree one bit.yeah both have had a couple of decent games but generally add nothing to the side.
lucas has definitely improved in last few months..but kuyt has always performed and worked hard in a liverpool shirt, he is one of our key players right now…sure, he may not be that skillfull on the ball but he is one of the most committed and hard working player we’ve got and his energy picks up the performance of the whole team…
Kuyt’s a good worker for the team, he plays where he’s asked to, albeit that he’s out of position, don’t forget he’s a striker not a winger, so his pace makes him look far worse than he is. Lucas on the other hand has had one or two good games in 4 years at the club, the best against Chelsea, not a good return for 4 years is it? There’s far better midfield players in the premier league that go unnoticed. For me he’s not good enough and we’ll never win anything with players like him ( and one or two others ) at the club.
Hodgson, by any chance?
they are both 7/10 players good if u want to be mid-top of the table but not good enough for a top 4 finish they need to be squad players rather than starting 11 every week players. I wish and hope I am proved wrong this season
I’ve always been a huge fan of Kuyt. He may not be the fastest player or most natural goal scorer but his overall contribution to the team is immense.