RedAnt » Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:49 am wrote:ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Thu Dec 04, 2014 10:42 am wrote:Strange that people are so vitriolic about the one player who has come into the side and actually made a difference. Brendan has chopped and changed his line up umpteen times this season without much actually changing out on the field but he brings Lucas in and suddenly we string a couple of wins together and only concede 1 goal. Coincidence?
Lucas isn't a spectacular player who catches the eye with 50 yard raking passes or an ability to sprint and home in on opposition players like Mascherano but that doesn't mean he isnt a very effective player. He stops the opposition by doing the subtle things that Gerrard didn't do i.e blocking passing lanes, giving away smart 'tactical' fouls, picking up runners, knowing when to press/drop off and generally being in the right place at the right time.
Away at Madrid he was at the heart of a scratch team that was up against the likes of Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema et al but he marshalled the defence superbly.
Every team needs spectacular players who can change games in an instant but you also need players like Lucas too.
Mate, perspective... He's performed adequately against Stoke and Leicster (two teams that were our bread and butter once upon a time) and helped stabilise a sinking ship. But my point goes deeper than our last two matches. The ship shouldn't be sinking. It's sinking because Lucas is our best DM. It's sinking because throughout the squad are players who are willing to run and work but without great quality. These guys are footballers and are paid a fortune. The very least they can do is work hard. Raise the bar!
Lucas has had nothing to do with our poor form though mate so why is he coming in for so much stick? He wasn't on the pitch when we lost to the likes of Villa, Palace, Basel, Newcastle, City, Madrid (at Anfield), Chelsea and West Ham. Every game he has played in this season we have done quite well, even Madrid away.
Lucas has always done well for us just as long as he isn't paired with Gerrard in the middle, last year when Gerrard was out injured Lucas came into the side just as we hit our toughest run of fixtures and did very, very well.
We smashed Spurs at their place and were very unlucky not to get anything from our away trips to City and Chelsea too. We would have been 2-0 up at City but for a horrendous offside decision against Sterling and Chelsea got the rub of the green against us as well, Eto'o should have been sent off in the first minute for a horror tackle on Hendo and how the ref never gave a pen when the same player brought down Suarez off the ball god only knows.