A Lucas Wednesday on the Liverpool Offside

By: Noel | January 19th, 2011

It’s been a while since I’ve had the excuse to run a post about how awesome Lucas Leiva is and that if you don’t agree you’re a stupid poopy-head who wants to have Andy Gray’s love child. I kid, I kid. Sort of. Still, in this generally disappointing season, the question, “So, what do you think of Lucas?” remains the easiest way of finding out whether somebody approaches the game of football from an outdated and stereotypically English need for mindless hustle and bustle and players just fucking running around a bit* so long as it gives the impression of great effort no matter its effectiveness or usefulness to the team, or whether they actually give a shit about team, tactics, and modern football.

*Edit: Apologies, as the originally included video of Lucas’ tackles against Everton has embedding currently disabled, so unfortunately I can only link to it. In its place I’ll include all his touches against United in the FA Cup instead, but the original video matches the post better and pairs with the second video, so… in the meantime it can still be watched on Youtube itself/Edit*

Lucas was for long stretches under Hodgson the player of the season, and though most assumed he’d have a role to play under Dalglish, it wasn’t entirely clear what that role would be or how important he might be to the new manager’s plans going forward. It still may not be entirely certain just what job he will be asked to do in the end, but that he will clearly be asked to do a job seems assured after being the only midfielder to play every minute of Dalglish’s first three matches back as manager, which perhaps shouldn’t be surprising given the desire to get the club back to playing pass and move football and the role Lucas now plays for a Brazil obsessed with pass and move football.

Already he’s almost single-handedly controlled the midfield against United in the FA cup after Gerrard got sent off and Meireles began taking up more advanced positions (and sure, single-handedly controlling the midfield at Old Trafford isn’t much of an achievement); provided more in defense covering for an aimlessly wandering Poulsen while being more effective in attack than a sloppy Meireles against Blackpool (and if you can’t appreciate somebody putting out fires all over the pitch you must hate firemen, you bastard); and again with Meireles misfiring badly ahead of him and paired with Spearing when the later was just back from a long layoff ran the show in the center of the park against Everton (and you’d think everybody would appreciate a player who saves his best performances for the biggest games).

Occasionally some brilliant individual will point out something along the lines of, “Well, if Lucas has been Liverpool’s best player, then just look where they are in the standings.” Which only goes to prove that some people shouldn’t breed (or breathe, I suppose, but I wouldn’t want to come across as being too harsh), because when the team is struggling the obvious answer is to get rid of the only part that’s looked consistently effective and confident before worrying about all the stuff that actually isn’t working like it’s supposed to. What’s really astounding in the overall circumstances is just how composed and sure of himself Lucas has looked in an otherwise underwhelming season–that he started on the bench behind Poulsen–while so many others are still clearly struggling to dig themselves out of the Hodgson malaise.

So, I guess that’s an excuse to ramble on about Lucas’ continuing stellar play taken.

*Thanks, Harry, that never gets old.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:

Category: Miscellaneous, Team News

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Liverpoolfcblog

Lucas reads the game better than most people. He makes himself available for a pass all the time, but I think his best quality is his unselfishness with the ball. His first instinct is to pass, not to be a hero, after all their is no I in team.

Let's not forget he knows how to put his foot in for a tackle too! At only 23 or 24, he's still got plenty of time to get better, but he's already one of the best defensive midfielders in the premier league.

And people think Rafa left a week squad? Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Lucas Leiva and Daniel Agger were all brilliant buys. Anyway... Noel I've linked your post on my site: http://liverpoolfootballblog.c...
Noel

Total agreement there. And I'll keep an eye on your blog to see if I can't return the favour.
steven.

Lucas needs to tell his barber he's tired of looking like and asshole.
Mike

I was going to make a lesbian joke but I felt it a bit crass. The waters are safe now, thanks.
steven.

he looks like Ellen .. that's not crass, that's obvious.
Ibra

never been a lucas hater. good passing and tempo but his tackling is too rash for my liking. In truth he has had to settle for the role he has been playing now and he's doing a good job but that wasn't his style initially. Credit to him for working hard and adjusting because he wouldn't have made it in the premier league as a box to box midfielder with finesse and play-making ability, don't think he'll ever have the impact of a player like Alonso though so to call him great is a stretch for me. Will probably thrive even more under Kenny.
Kai

Fair play to Lucas. I must admit I was one of those calling for his head in the early years but the lad made me eat my words this season. Esp with Chelsea match.
Russell

I agree he's gotten tremendously better this season, but against Everton I did remember him getting hit off of the ball. Luckily, when he's getting out-muscled he can usually draw the foul. Also, did you see Cole playing for the reserves? Suso wasn't in the lineup for them, so could he be in the lineup against wolves?
Noel

As I understand it, Suso and Conor Coady (center back, England u17 captain) are training with the first team this week and will travel, but won't be on the bench--it's part of working some of the more promising youngsters into things slowly so that they're more comfortable later on, but it doesn't mean either is likely to take part in actual first team matches this season.

And Cole needs minutes, since he can't be anywhere near match fit. That he only went for one half makes me think he might be available as a sub but there's no chance of him starting against Wolves.
Russell

Thanks. and where did you find this Suso and Coady information?
Noel

One of the more trustworthy journos (Ben Smith, maybe, or Rory Smith... I think. Can't recall now) tweeted they'd been brought up to Melwood before clarifying it was a bedding in thing rather than a promotion.
Yann

It took some time for me to fully warm to Lucas but I really like the way he goes about his football, and the feature of his play I most appreciate is his meaty tackles. He signals intent with each dispossession and that can only be good for those around him who are a little slack.
arn00b

He's a good player. I don't understand why fans of this club are so polarized. Some want him out and some think he's amazing, but I, a neutral, think that he's a good player. He has the potential to be great. He could improve his positioning and finishing, although it's been hard to improve his positioning over the last few months since no one knows who is playing where. It's an issue of angles, but I see him becoming a great player soon.
Noel

I don't think that most of us who think he's amazing, as it were, actually think he's the greatest player in the prem or anything like that. As much as anything, the rift between opinions on Lucas has more than anything to do with a more general approach to football--passion and lung bursting runs versus team balance and footballing IQ. Classic English heart versus continental tactics. Etcetera and other comparatives.

Also, Roy Hodgson's appointment by a clueless fan with a TalkSport view of football and the backing of prehistoric media types who think the English approach to football isn't fundamentally broken and will lead to World Cup glory again one of these centuries makes the Lucas issue a bit of a bellwether. It's as much about tactically incurious fans led around by clueless Glory of '66 twits who appointed Hodgson, shipped out Aquilani, and over payed for Joe Cole because of his passport as it is about Lucas himself. Because even if in retrospect they might not agree with those moves having happened, it's a shared mindset that still manages to insist that "Lucas is shit, end of."

And I really don't care for that incurious mindset. Especially when it pretends to be anything but a braying lowest common denominator "sports fan." If people want to mindlessly cheer, that's fine--watch, enjoy, don't worry, etc. If they want to mindlessly shout and share their opinion that Lucas sucks and the 442 leads to salvation and Martin O'Neil will cure what ails you, well, I occasionally like making sure I've drawn the line in the sand rather deep.

Ahem... righteo.
Tom Foolery

Lucas? Psh. Talk to me when we sign Danny Murphy and Paul Scholes.
Joking, I'm joking...Take it easy Noel.
This guy really has been one of the only consistencies in a loopy season. But, I think that his best attribute is his hunger for more. He really wants to improve, he puts his all into every minute, and it shows. And, what is he...23? With the composure of a seasoned vet. Gota be one of Rafa's best signings (and best moves...to play him from the get-go that is). Couple his premiership experience with his newfound international experience, and the development of this young brazillian will only grow (exponentially?).
Noel

Hey, don't be forcing me to say nice things about Paul Scholes--then I'll be really angry.
Noel

Oh, wonderful, an embedding disabled Youtube video... that's just fantastic.