CONCERNS are mounting from fans about our transfer business (or lack thereof) so far this summer, and these worries are already heading into overdrive in the coming days as Carroll to West Ham grows louder, and rumours circulate regarding the future of Daniel Agger.
I however want to concentrate on one of the oldest clichés in the book – and there are more than a few of them:
” *Insert name* is back from injury, he’ll be like a new signing.”
I generally find myself cringing whenever I hear that, not least because I always end up thinking of Harry Kewell, but when we’re talking about Lucas Leiva, I am going to actually agree and smile whilst I’m doing it. Much maligned for almost all of his first three seasons at the club, Lucas has grown into an immense central midfielder for Liverpool.
He may need to continue to work on his ball retention, but the Brazilian is a tackling machine. He is one of the best second-ball midfielders in the Premier League and I am in fact struggling to think of any better. He hoovers up the loose balls, is strong in the tackle, wins the ball cleanly and moves it on. That’s his game. He is a destroyer. He is like Mascherano but not quite on that level yet. Certainly if his passing game (which isn’t all that bad but is for me his biggest weakness) can ultimately match the Argentinean he has all the other attributes to be his equal. Time yet is still on his side.
I truly think that the turning point of the last season wasn’t the Suarez ban, or the Arsenal game when we hit the woodwork 47 times, it was when we lost Lucas to injury. He hobbled off during that Carling Cup quarter final tie at Stamford Bridge and we struggled in the league more or less since then. Of course we were in the hunt for 4th place until the weekend after we won the Carling Cup, but we weren’t winning games convincingly if we were winning them at all.
One of the big issues was the centre of midfield becoming very vulnerable. Charlie Adam had to play more games than he was signed to play, and he was asked to play deeper. I don’t think the Scot is a brilliant player at the best of times, but he struggled to hold whilst his central partner got up the pitch. He simply does not have the fitness and the discipline to do it, it was perfectly obvious he wasn’t up to the task but was asked to do it anyway. Spearing has both fitness and discipline but gives the ball away too much. Henderson has a good engine but is not a holding player. Gerrard was unavailable for large swathes of the season and is neutered if he plays deep.
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All things point to one man – Lucas. It was patently obvious that we missed him as ordinary teams with ordinary central midfields overran us with scary regularity, cutting through massive gaps and winning the second ball, which whether you like it or not is a very important part of winning any centre midfield battle in this country.
With an impending change of formation to 4-3-3 Lucas is going to be integral to Brendan Rodgers’ plans for the coming season. He will sit in front of the back four allowing Gerrard and (looking likely at the moment) Joe Allen or A.N Other to get further up the pitch and get involved going forward before then dropping back when we don’t have the ball.
He might not score many goals or be the name on most people’s lips as you leave the ground at full time on a match day but make no mistake, the return of Lucas and the importance he brings to the centre of midfield is a sight for sore eyes.
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Too, too true. I certainly can’t wait for him to get back to doing what he does best weekly.
I disagree. Lucas was playing better than Mascherano ever did before he got injured. Mascherano doesn’t have much passing skills and always went sideways or back. Lucas tackles just as good, is stronger and is a much better forward passer.
I agree that Lucas is very important. I think he is great. But I can´t see how on earth you think that Mascherano has got a better passing game then Lucas. In my opinion, one of Mascherano´s biggest weaknesses was his passing.
I think you’re not giving Lucas enough credit for his passing! He is more positive than most defending midfielders that his passing is 90% moving forward!
I am happy that after all the abuse, he stuck with it and has become one of our best and loyal players… A rarity these days! I hope he has a gold contract because he deserves it!
Mascherano has a better passing game than lucas?????? I stopped reading at that point. What games have you been watching???? Lol
only thing lucas miss is his confidence going forward… but i think its down to managers… the fact that BR took time to motivate him is he will be the pinacle of our success this term, hes the kind of player who recycles the possesion and build attacks like allen, i think rodgers can try buy ramirez istead of Allen, and give suso first team chance… suso gerrard and lucas can be a good combination, suso can dictate play and lucas can protect the backline… and stevie can do watever he wants and always win games..
I think opponents feared Masch more but he did not and still does not pass as well as well as Lucas.
Another Rafa signing!
Correct article, isn’t it?
Overrated player with only 1 premier league goal in 6 seasons.
How many goals did makalele score again?
He’s not in the team to score goals he’s there to prevent them!
Makalele: Appearances 607 Goals 18
Considered to be the best of his era.
Lucas for me is the best destroyer in the game!
Looking back at our last season, the loss of Lucas thru injury has impacted us than the loss of Gerrard. That’s a massive statement. Rogers should learn from Dalglish and find a back up pronto
I completely agree with “Patrick”
“I disagree. Lucas was playing better than Mascherano ever did before he got injured. Mascherano doesn’t have much passing skills and always went sideways or back. Lucas tackles just as good, is stronger and is a much better forward passer.”
Lucas is a very good passer of the ball in fact, sideways, backwards or even forward if you watch closely as he does it 2 or 3 times per match.
And he does not commit stupid fouls in front of the goal like mascherano did. In my humble opinion Lucas has not surpassed Mach.
Well done Rafa!
Lucas is now one of the most vital players at Anfield and he has become a great playe for the club, but he is not a better player than Mascherano. Even though Mascherano is a mercenary and a joke, his pace,speed, mobility, able to cover every bit of ground with ease and crunching strong mean tackles put fear into evry oppositions teams centre midfielders
Lucas is a better passer than Mascherano and does tackle well and hard now, but he still is not in Mascherano’s Class at coevring ground and winning the ball back all over the pitch. Our club have always managed to bring in some class quality defensive midfielders, Hamman, Sissoko, Mascherano and now Lucas.
Just we don’t keep hold of them for long enough, Lucas is a huge/vital part of side and now and is getting beter and better season by season and i was one of his worst critics in past i must admit. But he has shown true grit and character to become the player he is today
But hopefully B Rodgers can bring in J Allen Of Swansea For £12-£13M and M Fernandez Of Beskitas for £6-£8M.
And i think Gerrard will be used more wisely next season in the big games, so we do not burn him out or injured. I think next season our midfield trio will be Allen, Lucas and Fernandez. And we will dominate teams within the centre of park for sure with those 3 players.
The owners will need to give B Rodgers £75M bring in thse 7 players also:
1:Al Habsi Of Wigan should be brought for £3-£6M GK
2:S Kjaer Of Wolfsburg should be brought £8-£12M CB
3:I Munian Of A Bilbao should be brought for £17-£20M AM
4:G Ramirez Of Bologna should be brought £12-£16M
RW/AM/LW
5:S Sinclair Of Swansea should be brought for £3-£7M LW
6:C Dempsey Of Fulham should be brought in swap deal for C Adams. AM/FD
7: M Susaeta Of A Bilbao should be brought for £8-£12M RW
I was at the game when Lucas was injured(in the Chelsea section :/) and didn’t realise the extent to his injury at that point.
I will say iv always been a Lucas fan and those who slated him never understood his role a Destroyer. His game hasn’t changed that much over the yrs IMO. Those who didn’t know jack about football only started taking note when the pundits stopped there bias reporting of him.
I’d watch games where he was a monster and a saviour only to read comment about how shite he was…..
How many man of the match awards has he ever been awarded???
People used to talk as if we spent £20m on him and he wasn’t performing lol more like £5m, 19yrs old and he was just finding his feet and Rafa was still finding his position!
Since mash left he’s Lucas has been our backbone and his stats speak for itself Hopefully will our next captain when Gerrard moves upstairs.
On another note, iv seem Hendo play a few times and thought wow he was dreadful!
But at the back end of the season I saw him gaining confidence and looking like he could live up to price tag! He started to play the forwards as opposed to back and sideways!!
If given the chance I’m very confident we will show us just how good he is do a fantastic job!
Lucas has been injury free all his Liverpool career except last season and that cost us badly. We do need a backup CDM in this case.
He is surely now one of the most vital players in the squad