Lucas goes from zero to hero at Anfield……well almost
It’s always great to see a player win over his club’s supporters. And, for Lucas Leiva it seems as though this is the case. His first two years at Anfield, after being bought for £6 million from Gremio in July 2007, were average to say the least. The Brazilian was seen by many Liverpool fans as a waste of money and a squad player at best. But this season Lucas seems to have come of age – it is easy to forget he is still only 23 – and the Kop are starting to see what all the fuss was about when he was plucked from his homeland nearly three years ago. He even has a few chants being drawn up – a sure sign that his talents are starting to be appreciated.
While Pepe Reina, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres have been The Reds’ star men again this season, injuries have stopped them from getting on the pitch together on enough occasions. For that reason Lucas has probably been Rafa Benitez’s most consistent performer, an accolade that would have looked unlikely this time last year. Last summer the Brazilian international bulked up and that extra strength has helped him look far more comfortable in the Premier League. Last summer Benitez vented his anger at the media for targeting Lucas, labelling it unfair.
He said: “Lucas has a very good mentality. But for someone of his age to suffer such criticism from the experts on TV is wrong. He is so good but still he was criticised. I have been really surprised at the amount of criticism he has had to cope with from the pundits, the so-called experts. Lucas is still a young player but he has experience. And after the display against Stoke everyone can see, even the so-called experts on TV pundit panels, can see he is a very good player. Hopefully they will now stop using him as a target. He is a very good lad, an excellent professional. I find it hard to understand that if you are an expert on TV, you cannot see these things.”
The criticism he received was unjust – he is certainly not the first foreign player to have a slow start in the English game and he won’t be the last. But, Lucas meanwhile, put a brave face on it suggesting that the flack he took made him emerge tougher. His experience in England initially was nothing like the easy ride he got in Brazil and maybe his initial period in this country has helped spur him on to make him a better player.
At the beginning of this season he stated: “Back in Brazil everything seemed to progress perfectly for me. I played well, scored goals and won titles. Since I have moved to Liverpool, I’ve had some difficult moments. However, those experiences can help me. They have made me mentally stronger. I have done plenty of work in pre-season, I am better able to cope with the physical side of the game here. I will be able to get forward more and I believe I can have a good season. I have confidence in myself – you need that in life, not just football. So no matter what, I believe in myself and the manager does too.”
And this belief seems to have helped the South American enormously this campaign. No longer is he seen as a flop. He is now seen as an integral component of this Liverpool side. We may not even have to wait too long before Lucas Leiva is being sung proudly by the masses in the Kop.
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Lucas has had a great season so far, the early criticism was unjustified. He filled in when our main 3 midfielder’s were injured/rested and an unfair comparison was drawn. Rather than compare him to Gerrard, Mascherano & Alonso a fairer comparison would be against the oppositions equivalent Diaby, Song, Obi Mikel, Fletcher, Gibson, Anderson (the little bloke off of different strokes). Against these he compares favourably. His engine is superb, his tackling is improving and his passing and reading of the game are all as good as his peers (those youngster’s mentioned above). Get off the lads back and let’s give him the same support as Gerrard & Masher !!!!!
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Agree with Deano – the criticism has been unjustified (as has much of it against the rest of the squad – anyone would suffer with 4 first team players out).
He’s come on leaps and bounds and I would rate him far above Anderson who cost 3 times as much – but do we ever see Fergie get any stick? Also, I remember a time Darren Ferguson was in the same boat – look at him now, Utd are lost without him.
I can see him adding goals to his game in years to come so I hope we hang on to him.
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Nice article Danny and thank you for coming out with a positive article about Lucas who i also feel has been getting unfair criticism for a player his age. all those LFC fans who criticise him need to realise that when he arrived he was in a similar predicament that Ngog finds himself in if not worse, i.e. competing for a 1st team spot or filling in for Torres.
Lucas had to compete with Alonso, Masch and Gerrard and i’m sure all of us are in agreement that most players in the world would look average when compared to those 3 let alone a 20/21yr old. now he’s starting to show the qualities that won him the Brazilian equivalent of Player Of the Season at the age of 19 and that, in my knowledge of football, is as clear a sign of an exceptional talent as when Rooney was playing and scoring goals for the blue noses at age 16/17, so lets stop all this “Lucas is not good enough to wear the all RED” rubbish and get behind the lad so he can perform even better for that RED shirt. YNWA Lucas go on and show these numb-ties how good you really are.
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Completely agree. Hasn’t tried to hide where others in the squad have this season. Always putting the work in, getting forward more and his passing ability is growing as his confidence does. It’s our job as supporters to build him up so he can continue to improve.
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Completely disagree, if you look at matches he has played in he has helped compound the negative tactics deployed by Rafa, being a defensive midfielder I am sure it is in his nature to pass the ball back rather than forward, we didn’t need that, we needed him to balls forward, when the likes of Benayoun, Gerrard and Aquilani are not fit we needed someone to provide some good forward passing, Lucas never gave us that.
His passing was suspect to begin with, but it has improved as is his ability to hold the ball, but we have Masch to do all this and he does it much better than Lucas.
True he has bulked up and this can only be good in the long term, but you cannot get away from the fact that we do not provide an attacking threat from his position and the games he has played in where we are lacking attacking players, he has let us down.
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He is a very average defensive midfielder, he has 1 assist and no goals this season.
He has been mediocre at best and has played more poor games this season than good games.
If Liverpool want to win anything next season they will have to sacrifice one of there defensive midfielders and it will have to be Lucas.
He should be a squad player he is not a regular first team player at a club like Liverpool in a million years
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lucas suffered as someone above mentioned for not being as good as alonso, mascherano and gerrard – who is though? gradually though he has improved and this season has been one of our best players without doubt, no longer making me cringe when seeing his name on the teamsheet.
id point out the opta stats where it has lucas as the 4th best tackler and 3rd best passer IN THE LEAGUE!! not bad eh? though stats as always dont always tell the tale and now that hes establishing himself id like to see lucas pop up with some more goals and assists and we could have some player on our hands. i worry about the influence his game time will have on our forgotten midfielder aquilani’s game time – only time will tell i suppose.
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All behind MG’s comment, Aquilani seems to fit better in the Gerrard role (aka attacking midfielder position), but there is a reason that it is called the Gerrard role.
Maybe try 4-2-3-1, Rafa?
).
With Masche and Lucas in the def. midfield, Gerrard, Aquaman, Benny in attacking midfield and, of course, Torres as striker (maybe striker position could be renamed Torres-position?
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Totally agree with Johnny – 4-2-3-1 could really work as Johnson and Aurelio could provide width from full-back. Would need quicker centre halves than Kyrgiakos tho! He’s got a great attitude but he turns like an oil tanker
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Sorry, Lucas is an average player,and I don’t know another top manager who would have indulged him as long as Benitez . There’s no room for him and the Duracell Bunny in the team together it just waters the team down to mediocracy. He’s nothing special,he lacks real ballsy character, is not strong enough in the tackle, holds onto the ball too long and gives it and free kicks away in dangerous areas.He is tactically naive and makes poor choices and as pointed out by others has no assists and can’t score.It annoys me that Benitez indulges these type of players saying they offer other qualities when reality they offer very little. And as far as ‘the give him more time he’s getting better deusional brigade’ are concerned.No he won’t not to the standard of a good world class midfielder. But you know what really gets on my nerves you could’nt injure him or kuyt if you dropped a house on them, just the vital players get injured!!
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