2 Apr 2012

Lucas: Ex-Red is one of the 'best team-mates' ever. Future Liverpool manager?

Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia has been put in temporary charge of Bayer Leverkusen after the Bundesliga side sacked their manager at the weekend. Sami was/is hugely popular amongst Liverpool players and fans, and Lucas Leiva has taken to Twitter to wish his former team-mate good luck in his new role.

After the announcement of Hyppia's appointment, Lucas tweeted:

"Good Luck Sami Hyypia. One of the best team mates I ever had".

Sami is my favourite Liverpool player of the last twelve years; a superb footballer and a real gentleman, he embodied everything that was great about the club, and since he left, the gaping void at the heart of Liverpool's defence - and at the heart of LFC itself - has never been filled.

Liverpool miss Sami's imperious presence at the heart of the defence, especially his commanding aerial ability; organizational skills; leadership qualities and overall calming effect on the defence.

In my view, there are very few players at the club right now who have the same kind of class (both on and off the field) as Hyypia, and Liverpool really miss that. Lucas is probably the only current Liverpool player who comes near Hyypia in terms of attitude, temperament, humility and genuine class.

After taking the Leverkusen job, Hyppia said:

"I am convinced that our side is strong enough to reach this goal. We need to give self-confidence back to the players. We had 11 players on the field against Freiburg, but we did not have a team out there. We have got to show that we will give everything to be successful. For that to happen, we need to become closely knit as a team and we also need the support of the fans to achieve our objectives".

Good luck, Sami! Maybe one day we'll see you back at Liverpool as the Manager...



Jaimie Kanwar


42 comments:

  1. Fantastic defender and in my opinion let go a season or two early by rafa. Fingers crossed one day back at the club in some capacity.

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  2. For me too Sami is favourite player of all time. And i like your comparison about Sami with Lucas too.

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  3. "Lucas is probably the only current Liverpool player who comes near hyypia in terms of attitude, temperament, humility and genuine class"
    .............really no one else ??

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  4. i dont agree with a fair number of your views but i can't argue with any point made in this.. well said.

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  5. Again proves that players need time to develop. Sami and Lucas both were players who received unfair criticism at the beginning. Who would want to play for this great club where patience and style have been taken over by fans/media obsession with now? 

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  6. wat a top class defender who scored some of the best goals ive ever seen from a centre back. i miss seeing drogba in his back pocket !!
    true legend and pro who led by example.
    he read the game so well and im sure management will come natural to him

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  7. With respect, Sami was superb from day one, and I'm pretty sure he didn't receive any serious criticism from fans.

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  8. Good luck S Hyppia.

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  9. Not for me. It's hard to explain. There are certain players who transcend all the BS associated with football; players who are just genuinely nice people; players unaffected by the avarice and self-interest of the modern game; players who effortlessly embody the values and principles of LFC.

    Of the current squad, only Lucas fits that description in my view. Everyone else has personal or professional baggage. When you consider players like Lucas, Hyypia, John Barnes, Ian Rush etc, and others like Bob Paisley, for example, there's just something about the way they conduct themselves that demands instant and unimpeachable respect.

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  10. Didn't Sami struggle with Drogba (before playing for chelsea) in champions league?

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  11. Every player makes mistakes, even the greats.  

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  12. Hypia is a real Anfield legend gave his life to Liverpool not for 2 or 3 years like players do now a days. Someone you can build a defence around taught players like Carragher, Skrtel and Agger how to defend.
    Agger is the one who got his coolness and is desperately needed back in the team to steady his partner Skrtel before all his hard work goes to waste.

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  13. Brilliant site. I really liked Sami. Honest, style etc. I miss those days. Hand on heart - would he have the same impact now?

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  14. Yes, it seems that Agger had a huge influence on Skrtel's great form. As you say, Hyypia taught them all how it's done, and his form was not reliant on any other defender. His partnership with Stephane Henchoz was was also fantastic.

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  15. hyypia= brilliance

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  16. Yes, without a shadow of a doubt (IMO). Obviously, he's retired now, but if he was playing, then yes. It still pains me to remember how Benitez left him out of the 2008 Champions League squad, but included perpetually injured Phillip Degen instead. What a disgrace. Hyypia was a European powerhouse with masses of experience, and that's how he gets treated. It's no surprise that he left at the end of that season.

    Sami was immense right up until the day he left. His final season was 2008-9, the year we finished 2nd, and one particular game sums up his genius for me: the 4-1 hammering of Man United.

    Benitez had only used Hyypia sporadically that season, and prior to the Man United game, he'd been an unused sub for 7 of the previous 8 games. An pre-game injury to Martin Skrtel meant that he was called into action at the last minute, and went on to give an absolutely fantastic defensive performance as we put United to the sword.

    Benitez's treatment of Sami that season makes me angry even now, even more so because he didn't even start him in his last ever game for the club; Spurs on the final day of the season. The league was already lost; there was nothing to play for, yet benitez still couldn't give him the send off he deserved.

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  17. Pity they didn't come together when Roy Evans was in charge the defensive partnership we had been crying out for would have been 4 league titles on the trot not 4 top 4 finishes!
    Skrtel seems to take on the persona of the person he his playing with! Playing with Agger he looks like a footballer composed carries the ball out of defence which he hasn't done since Agger has been injured. With Carrgher who hasn't played badly seems to be making new mistakes with Carragher with getting caught under the ball on crosses, Skrtel's heading was the safest part of his game!

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  18. I love the sentiment of that post JK I hope all the doubters who say you are a fake supporter read it. You are soright.

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  19. I think Agger is a real class act. He would make any defensive partner look better. He is a great reader of the game. Wonder how Coates would play with him alongside

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  20. For once Jamie, you have written a decent article.

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  21. Wow!! Showing a little too much here Jaimie - starting to understand where your dislike of Rafa comes from

    But yes, to not start him in last game, a dead rubber. Lousy 

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  22. Sami got destroyed by Drogs in a league game once, but Sami was ill, vomiting before the match with a stomach bug, but he still played

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  23. We denied Spurs European football by beating them

    Strategic decision perhaps, not as lousy...

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  24. Sami - What a player!!

     

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  25. I've filled my quota for the year then.

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  26. "The Liverpool Way" - exactly Jaimie, I agree

    That is why the owners went with Kenny - someone who has intimate knowledge and association of Shankly's closest confidents

    I believe that Rafa understood the importance of "The Liverpool Way" and this is why he is loved ( CL title helped too)

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  27. Simply couldn't agree more with this, spot on, seeing Sami leave this Club left me with mixed emotions, partly sad and partly very angry.....

    Didn't like how Rafa treated him,  i would say he (Rafa) had the ability to almost patronize great players at the Club who really did fit the Liverpool Way.

    Should'nt have let him go when we did for starters....speaks volumes about Rafa that IMO i think many fans were aware of his ability to cold shoulder players, hardly surprising that Owen got out when he did.....another player who Rafa didn't want.....

    I suppose the Rafa revisionists will all be up in arms again though at the mere mention of any Rafa wrongdoing....

    Sami will always have my upmost respect, still love the guy, hope to see him back at the Club one day in whatever capacity, meanwhile good luck to him.

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  28. Worth pointing out that Rafa did want to keep him on as a member of the coaching staff, so he obviously did have respect for him.

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  29. Absolute legend. Would love to see him back here. We probably should have tried to prise him away before he took the top job, but hopefully he'll get his chance in the hotseat here someday.

    Aside:
    Has there ever been a successful manager as physically imposing as Sami? Riijkard was a big fella but Sami is more fearsome looking. I'd love to see Ferguson try his mind games on a monster like Hyypia!

    Return of the Aside:
    Henchoz never gets enough credit for his exploits.

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  30. Love Sami Kenny is KING - Stick with Kenny - he has won more trophies this season than  Moyes has in a lifetime and our young Reserves are growing up quick COME ON REDS - COME ON KENNY

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  31. Well,this is one of the bigest reasons of Liverpool downfall in past 20 years- there was no loyalty towards club greats.I mean seling Hypia- how stupid that was at the moment?Liverpool had a very good team in the midle of the 90-s but than Houllier came and made a garage sale.Than ,Benitez did it again,repeatedly.And of course KK again.Keeping club icons as a spine is the righ way of makeing of a succesfull team .

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  32. Chi Bai Lucas, a manager's job is a different ball game altogether. You are still a greenhorn !

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  33. Chi bai Ashfah..PKMK..keep your comments to yourself Greenhorn..go play your FM and assume that you know everything..Lucas deserve some slack.He has been missed alot in midfield.And btw..everyone is entitled to his views.Just respect the lad.And JK..nice review.SH is truly a class act.And may SH succeed at the highest level..Gd Luck mate..You deserve it..

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  34. Let's hope he can do well at Leverkusen and hopefully become a genuine contender to return as manager here some time.

    Definitely agree with everyone who thinks Hypia was class, both as a person and a player. Fantastic.

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  35. With respect, Owen got out because he wanted a fat cheque from somewhere else. He has no business being mentioned on a thread talking about players who embody the Liverpool Way, IMHO. The only person Michael Owen has ever cared about is Michael Owen...

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  36. JK, is true that Lucas has put in the most tackles this season out of all LFC players, despite being out since forever

    If so, that is just pathetic from his team mates

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  37. Yes, Sami is the legend, but why many of you can't even spell/type his surname; it's HYYPIA, not hyppia. The correct name is Hyypiä (with dots), but I could accept also Hyypia...

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  38. The recent development from John W. Henry and
    Thomas Werner to require a written report by Damien Comolli, Kenny Dalglish,
    and Steve Clarke is a very encouraging/promising movement that
    simply signalize their intention not to compromise with mediocrities and their
    determination to not tolerate from anyone, even if his name is Damien Comolli
    or Kenny Dalglish, with his decisions to put the overall success of turning the
    fortunes of this historic club around and guide/lead it to a new golden era in
    jeopardy. Every cent/penny that will be provided by them as a transfer budget
    should be spent wisely not on ambiguous value football players, but on players
    that have a proved record that can make the difference. On this specific aspect
    both Damien Comolli and Kenny Dalglish have failed and they are held
    responsible for that. Damien Comolli has succumbed to Kenny Dalglish’s limited
    knowledge of modernized football and tactics by bringing in players that are
    not made up for a club as LFC. This proves that they both (Damien Comolli and
    Kenny Dalglish) do not have the knowhow of how to build a title contender team
    in today’s modernized football. My assessment on Damien Comolli is based on the
    fact that by holding the position of football director should apply veto when
    he feels/believes that the players the manager/coach is asking for cannot stand
    up to the standards of a club like Liverpool. My assessment on Kenny Dalglish
    is based on the fact that he was out of the game for a decade and he cannot
    understand the changes that applied in this field.

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  39. Maxi? Skrtel? 
    I might be off here, but they don't look like media-seekers to me.

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