Amongst all the opinions and the press criticism there is a shortage of honesty about Lucas Leiva…

The honest truth is:
He is not Alonso…
He is not Aquilani…
He’s not even Darren Fletcher!

Of late Lucas has been getting and been giving a lot of press time. To the press room pundits he has emerged as a soft target in their constant search for angles to attack Liverpool and Rafa Benitez. The couch critics are also ready to use him as the reason why Liverpool cannot win their 19th title. Then there are a some, myself included, who see something in this young man who at one point was voted the Best Player in the Brazilian Championship (previous winners include Zico, Falcão, Careca, Alex, Fowi, Romario, Kaká and Tevez), who captained Brazil U20 and has just been included in the Full Brazil Squad for their crunch qualifiers against bitter rivals Argentina (led by our own Javier Mascherano) and Chile.

This week I have been engaged in a running battle with a good friend and fellow Red (Manny) regarding the virtues of Lucas. Looking at the first two games of the season I noticed a subtle difference in the positions taken up by Lucas in the game against Tottenham and that against Stoke. Comparing performances against two very different teams is dicey to say the least but for now that is all we have.

Against Tottenham he fulfilled his defensive duties well I think, but was not able to assert himself when we had possession. This is and has been one of the major criticisms of Lucas since his arrival. He has been off the pace and too lightweight to keep possession and find the right passes at times.
Then a few days later Lucas found a way to assert himself on the Stoke game almost from the off. The first shot (on target) in that game came from Lucas. Unlike in the Tottenham game he found himself in space at the top of the box and tested the keeper. Having been instructed by the boss to play higher up the field he was suddenly able to find a way to contribute. And to many he was close to being the man-of-the-match on the night. His passes found their target and he occasionally broke into the box and on one occasion was found striding beyond Torres into the box (unfortunately Torres’ flick did not reach him en route to goal).

To me those two games in a limited way sum up Lucas at Liverpool to date. Once in a while he finds himself in a game where he can make a difference. That is when we see the Lucas who was the best player in the Brazilian League. On other days, in other games he is almost a spectator. When he is off the pace and can’t seem to find any teammates.

I sat thinking long and hard after watching the Stoke game. The question on my mind, “Why can’t he play like that every game?” Then I thought back to the earlier Man U vs Burnley game and noted that Darren Fletcher had had a bad day at the office and Man U looked off form! And it hit me…
Darren Fletcher Bad Day equals Man U Off form!!!

I remembered back to the days when Fletcher was a source of ridicule. I would laugh at Man U supporters about having Fletcher in their team because the lad “couldn’t play”. The funny thing is many of them would publicly agree with me. They didn’t think he was worthy of a place in their team either. He didn’t seem to be able to cope in the Prem! There was even the ultimate humiliation of Roy Keane, the captain of his own team, coming out on the club channel and saying point blank he did not rate Darren Fletcher. Keane reportedly said, “I can’t understand why people in Scotland rave about Darren Fletcher.”

But out of all that has emerged a player who in recent seasons has put in some key performances for his team (to my dismay). If you look closely you may notice that whenever a big game comes up Fergie will invariably pick Fletcher. He is not by any stretch a world class player but in a team with class players he is deemed essential! The man himself says “People ask me why I do well in those games but I don’t think I do anything differently. I think I always play like that but it is only when you are up against the best teams that people notice the work being done in midfield”
Read more here.

This is the same Darren Fletcher that Man U fans would gladly have thrown on the scrap heap much the way Liverpool fans are ready to get rid of Lucas. At some point in his career Fletcher figured out how to make an impact in games, how to use his industry and effort to contribute to his team’s success. He doesn’t play 60 yard balls or do crossovers because he can’t. He does what he is good at and it works. He gets around the pitch creating options for his teammates. He finds the right pass within his range and plays it. He defends critical space on the pitch and makes the opposition work hard to get an inch. And I think football fans and so called pundits have forgotten the virtues of having a hard grafter in your team whose job is to do the boring hard work so that the likes of Gerrard can do that turn he produced for the third against Stoke. Somebody has to do those jobs! In my opinion it would be a waste to make Gerrard spend 90 min closing down Stoke’s Dean Whitehead when he can do magic!

In my eyes Lucas has shown he can contribute in much the same way that Fletcher has. In our Old Trafford 4-1 win Lucas starred, putting in one of his best performances to date. Unlike in Fletcher’s case his teammates and captain rate him and fully back Lucas. Against Stoke he showed he can dominate midfields such a Stoke’s. It is worth remembering that the league is made up mostly of midfields like Stoke’s. They finished 12th last season.

It’s clear to me that Lucas can provide something to this team. If he can play to his strengths and in a way that allows Gerrard to do his magic, that helps relieve the defensive load on Mascherano. Then for me he is value. My friend Manny asked me straight out what I see as Lucas’s role in the team currently.
My response to him was as follows:
Lucas’s current role is to keep the game moving (not to set the pace). He has to be available for passes all over the park. When the attack is blocked and our players look for the ball retention pass, it should to Lucas. He has to use his energy and stamina to get around the park and keep the game ticking for us. He has to make his tackles and make his passes (within his range). He has to give our match winners security to do what they do best. Rafa does not send him out there and ask him to be Alonso so why are we sitting watching expecting Lucas to be Alonso?

In all the hysterical mourning about Alonso’s exit it escaped everyone attention that Alonso contributed 5 goals and 4 assists from 38 starts last season whilst Lucas scored 2 and made 4 in 25 starts. Now the stats don’t tell you about Xabi’s control of the game and the way he dictated play. But the Stoke game on Wednesday shows that against most bottom half teams you can expect them to yield control of the game as they set up for a hard fought draw in any case. It seems to me Liverpool critics have decided we will miss Alonso even in games we won’t need him! Rafa has instructed Lucas to play further up the pitch against weaker opposition. And if this can be the difference in turning draws into wins then we’ll all soon forget our loss and embrace the “arrival” of Lucas.

If Lucas can do a Fletcher and figure out how to impose himself on games consistently then his value will become more evident. It’s time for Lucas to show what he is worth and what he can do. I look forward to seeing him doing it in Red!

Lucas YNWA!

Dear Lucas,

I hope I find you well and that you are enjoying your time away in Switzerland for the pre-season training. It is great to see some football action again as life is never the same without football. The reason I write this letter to you is so that I can try reach out to you before the season starts. I am sure you are aware with all the hype surrounding Xabi Alonso leaving us this summer. You may have a clearer picture on what is going on but from what I can see, it looks like Xabi will be leaving us this summer. I am not too sure how you feel about Xabi leaving. You probably will be sad to see him go as he is a fine player for us but then again, his departure could open up the door for you and you could finally establish yourself as a Liverpool regular.

I will not lie to you, you are not my biggest fan. I think what disappoints me the most about you is that when we signed you, I stood at the top of the world and told everyone how great a player you were and how you are going to be an Anfield legend. Your CV was impressive, I mean, who would doubt someone who was named Brazilian player of the year? I even watched footage of you when you were still at Gremio and I was highly impressed. But for some reason you have just not replicated that form for us and as a result you have even dropped down the pecking order for the Brazil national team.

Some have said that you have taken a while to settle into life in England but you have been around for a while now so that should not be an excuse. Some say you have not gotten a long consistent run in the team, fair enough, but you have been given your opportunities as Rafa has stuck by you, you have just not shown us and Rafa how good you are and thus he drops you. Maybe now if Xabi leaves you will get all the game time you need and finally proven to us that you can deliver the goods.

I just want to reach out to you and ask you to please finally deliver for us this season. I believe that you have talent in abundance and that you can be a star for us and maybe even be better than Alonso. I know a lot of fans are not behind you but please prove them wrong this coming season. I do not only want to see you establish yourself as a regular for us but I also want to see you in the Brazil national team that will be coming to South Africa in the World Cup.

Please please please Lucas, make us proud this season. I know you can do it.

YNWA
Ron

There are reports today that Lucas Leiva may be ready to leave Liverpool this summer in a bid to get a place in the Brazil national team for the 2010 World Cup. I am not the biggest fan of Lucas. When we signed him from Gremio he came with a lot of expectations. After all he was named player of the year in Brazil. But I have rarely seen glimpses of fine form from the young Brazilian. I thought maybe he needed some time to adjust to life in England and get used to our style of play but he has had 2 full seasons now and still I am not convinced he has what it takes to be a star for us.

The reason he may leave us in the summer is that he wants to get regular first team football. Fair enough, you need to be playing well and regularly for your club if you want to play for your country. I am sure Lucas would command a regular starting place in most of the teams in the Premiership outside the top 4.

For me, only one game stands out for me with Lucas, this seasons win at Newcastle. The guy just looked ‘world class’ but that is the sad thing, he has only shone once and it was in a game that virtually the whole team played well. I must say that in this weekends game against Manchester United, Lucas did okay. But yet again, the whole team did well. I want to see Lucas stand out head and shoulders above other players once in a while. I believe the guy has bags of talent, after all he was name Brazil’s best player once upon a time. Maybe now that he has cut his hair he will start playing better!

If Lucas is willing to be part of the squad then I have no problems with him staying with us as we are going to need a lot of depth if we are to challenge for honours next season. But if he wants to leave then I really will not be that sad. I would want us to give Lucas one more season to prove himself and stand up when called upon when Mascherano or Alonso are injured or rested. At times I think it is just a lack of self belief with Lucas, he just needs some va va voom!! He has had enough time now to figure out how the game is played in the Premiership. In Brazil he had acres of space and time on the ball now you get shutdown within seconds. I feel the difference in the pace between the two leagues is what really affected his game.

Come on Lucas! Step up to the plate son and show us what you made of. Rafa has had a lot of faith in you now don’t let him down.

There was certainly no love lost last night in the semi-finals of the Olympics when Brazil took on Argentina. As a game, it was always going to be a show piece, is it not always when these two great South American nations go at it on the field? Now before the game, Rafa was happy that either Lucas or Mascherano were going to return to Anfield and one of them was going to play in the Final. Now what many did not expect was that Lucas was going to get sent off for a challenge on Liverpool team mate Javier Mascherano!

This incident just went to show how much passion there is between the two nations and any ‘love’ the players may have for each other at club level goes out the window. At first I was shocked when I saw Lucas put in such a tackle on Mascherano. I said, “That is your own team mate for crying out loud!” But then I realised that meant nothing on the international stage. Brazil were frustrated at loosing 3 - 0 and were now taking out their frustrations on the Argentines. I am sure if Rafa was watching that match he would have been fuming like I was because Lucas’ challenge on Mascherano could have resulted in a serious injury for the Argentine. And that was not the end of it; Brazil got another red card before the game was over and it was Mascherano again who was tackled! And yet again it was a tackle that could have injured Javier!

I am sure that there is no bad blood between Lucas and Mascherano (well at least I hope not) and that when both players return to Melwood, things will be okay between the two of them. They are two great players with a lot of fight in them and as the professionals they are they will now focus on success for Liverpool.

It’s now been confirmed that Lucas will be in the Brazilian squad for the Olympics this August, leaving us short in the midfield as predicted.

I personally think it will be a chance for Plessis to get his feet wet, and the same for Barry. No pressure, no one behind them for those first few games to shake the cobwebs out. More so for Plessis, to see just what kind of a role he is capable of this season.

I certainly wish all of our players the best of luck in the Olympics, but I certainly won’t be sad to see the back side of them as far as our title chances go. We really don’t want to be playing catch up from the start, so it’s vital we grab those first 9-12 points and not look back.