Liverpool FC Forum

[aCe']

i like fat frank....

[Igor Zidane]

I know Lucas is not what we originally hoped for (Kaka with a tackle), but I think he is a decent player who if Masch does go might still develop into a good player alongside Aquilani. That doesn't mean I think he is better than Masch or that he is ever going to be as good as Gerrard, but that he might be good enough for the first team if we have the right quality creative player beside him.

I think he has improved this season, and while I AGREE he needs to cut down on the silly freeckicks and be a little more expansive with his passing, he puts his foot in, shows determination, and is a hardworking player who has shown good character, putting up with boo's and groans etc and still performed.

Totally agree100% saint lad.

[stmichael]

spot on saint regarding lucas' character, especially given some of the gobsh#tes who thought it was acceptable to boo the lad during games.

his character has been nothing short of admirable, especially when you compare it to the shocking attitude displayed by other players (i don't need to mention names as we all know who i'm talking about).

[supersub]

i like fat frank....

never doubted it for a minute

[Fat Guus]

spot on saint regarding lucas' character, especially given some of the gobsh#tes who thought it was acceptable to boo the lad during games.

his character has been nothing short of admirable, especially when you compare it to the shocking attitude displayed by other players (i don't need to mention names as we all know who i'm talking about).

He's got marvellous character, fitness and works really hard but his lack of any type of football skill is obvious at times.

[Owzat]

I know Lucas is not what we originally hoped for (Kaka with a tackle), but I think he is a decent player who if Masch does go might still develop into a good player alongside Aquilani. That doesn't mean I think he is better than Masch or that he is ever going to be as good as Gerrard, but that he might be good enough for the first team if we have the right quality creative player beside him.

I think he has improved this season, and while I AGREE he needs to cut down on the silly freeckicks and be a little more expansive with his passing, he puts his foot in, shows determination, and is a hardworking player who has shown good character, putting up with boo's and groans etc and still performed.

Totally agree100% saint lad.

I think we can HOPE for more from Lucas, not sure Mascherano is likely to become any better except maybe more consistent

[Festy]

Lucas has improved this season.........

............but when will he become 'Premiership Standard' ? 

[polygemus]

I have given up watching Liverpool for anything more than 45 min this year.

Especially watching Lucas Leiva is a pain in the a*s.

We might as well bring back Mohamed Sissoko.

[Penguins]

Well, a midfield with Masch, Lucas and Kuyt has less creatvity than some other teams back line....
Awful setup and not one of those players can put a nice firm defense splitting pass on any consistant basis. When they do
You actually take notice and remember it cause you will not see anything like it for months...

[redbeergoggles]

I have given up watching Liverpool for anything more than 45 min this year.

Especially watching Lucas Leiva is a pain in the a*s.

We might as well bring back Mohamed Sissoko.

Our midfield was run ragged Yesterday, SO  CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF ,WE ACTUALLY MISSED LEIVA BADLY LAST NIGHT...   

[shawnk]

I have given up watching Liverpool for anything more than 45 min this year.

Especially watching Lucas Leiva is a pain in the a*s.

We might as well bring back Mohamed Sissoko.

Our midfield was run ragged Yesterday, SO  CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF ,WE ACTUALLY MISSED LEIVA BADLY LAST NIGHT...   

[redbeergoggles]

  care to elaborate a tad more ?  I thought Montolivo was class along with Donadel  ..

[Scottbot]

For me both the Lucas and Kuyt discussions are typical of the "Newkit effect" ™.  What you've got is essentially a hard-working, honest professional who rarely pulls up any trees but who occasionally puts in an eye-catching shift for the club.  At other times, though, he looks a little out of his depth and leads many to wonder, could we do better in that position?  The trouble starts when the posts flow in after either the eye-catching shift or the out-of-his-depth days.  That's when we get the "MOTM today, top player" or "feckin' shyte" type comments that instantly polarize the discussion and drive the more balanced views from the thread.  After a little lather, rinse, repeat we've got some heavily entrenched views about the lad that get their regularly weekly airing and which invariably get the other 'camp' frothing at the mouth.  If you take a step back and look at the broad spectrum of opinions, though--there's a message in these polarized debates.  If the same player is getting absolutely slated by some while simultaneously getting defended to the hilt by others, chances are the reality is split right down the middle: a hard-working, honest professional who rarely pulls up any trees but occasionally does the business.

Good post mate.

[Scottbot]

I know Lucas is not what we originally hoped for (Kaka with a tackle), but I think he is a decent player who if Masch does go might still develop into a good player alongside Aquilani. That doesn't mean I think he is better than Masch or that he is ever going to be as good as Gerrard, but that he might be good enough for the first team if we have the right quality creative player beside him.

I think he has improved this season, and while I AGREE he needs to cut down on the silly freeckicks and be a little more expansive with his passing, he puts his foot in, shows determination, and is a hardworking player who has shown good character, putting up with boo's and groans etc and still performed.

Good post mate. Lucas and Masch together, bloody awful. Pair either of them with a more elegant player and it's a decent midfield pairing. I'm not a fan of Lucas but I believe him to be a decent enough (although not really decent enough for us), hardworking lad who puts his foot in and keeps things simple. i actually think he would do a good job for team like Arsenal who have a team full of players who can beta a man, pass it and move, but lack a wrecker who can disrupt things in the middle and protect the back-line. Obviously a player like Masch would be invaluable for them, and even more so for a team like Barca, which (i fear) is where he is heading in January or the summer.

[shawnk]

Lucas Leiva is confident a victory over Arsenal on Sunday can be the catalyst for a profitable festive period for Liverpool.

The Reds head into Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash determined to claw back ground on the third-placed Gunners, who sit just four points ahead of Rafa Benitez's charges.

Lucas believes a Liverpool win will send out a real statement of intent as the busy Christmas schedule looms into view.

"This is a massive game for us and if we can win, we will get back close to the top four which is where we want to be," said the Brazilian.

"It's the perfect game for us to try something different and show that we can improve from now until the end of the season.

"If we win, it will give us a lot of confidence to go into the run of games we have over Christmas and we are all positive that we can change things around."

Following the visit of Arsenal, Liverpool will take on Wigan Athletic, Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It's a run of fixtures Lucas feels the Reds are capable of taking maximum points from, and the midfielder reckons a return to the top four before the turn of the year is a realistic target.

"We had a chance against Blackburn to improve our position but we could not do that and we were very disappointed," he said.

"But we are looking at the next few games as a really big opportunity to start putting things right and we know if we play well, we can win them.

"We will be focused and we will work hard to get the win. If we could get into the top four before the New Year, that would give everyone the best lift."

After sitting out Wednesday's Champions League clash with Fiorentina, Lucas will be hoping to return to the starting XI for the fixture with Arsene Wenger's side.

The 22-year-old is one of only three Liverpool players to have started every Barclays Premier League game so far this term, enabling him to form a blossoming partnership with Javier Mascherano in the centre of midfield.

Lucas added: "When I came to Liverpool, I wanted to play all the time and now I have had the opportunity to do that.

"I'm happy with my performances, especially with Javier, and I think we are linking well. But my form is not important; the team is all that matters and we have to improve."

Author: James Carroll
Source: Link

------------------------------------
This is one of the problem with the players under Rafa...
Rafa needs to let Lucas know he needs to change his game or improve... same goes to Kuyt. They need someone to tell them to change/improve their game else they would think they are performing hence a place in the starting XI.