21 Aug 2009

POLL: Is Rafa Benitez right about Lucas Leiva?

Rafa Benitez has been publicly defending the much-maligned Lucas Leiva, arguing that the Brazil midfielder will be one of the stars of the season. Is he right, or is this just wishful thinking?

Benitez's comments about Lucas:

"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 an easy target...but he will have a big season. He was the best player in pre-season and at Spurs, when we did not play well, he was still one of the best alongside Glen Johnson and Pepe Reina.

"Against Stoke he again showed his quality. He has a very good mentality. He can tackle, win headers and pass the ball. He will make mistakes like anyone, but he is and will be a very good player.

"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".


This site is a fan of Lucas; In my recent interview with ESPN, I tipped him to be Liverpool's young player to watch this season. And recently, when speculation was rife that Lucas might leave, fellow Liverpool-Kop writer Chris Severs wrote an article explaining why Liverpool could regret losing Lucas.

But what do YOU think?




20 comments:

  1. I'm not saying anything. It'll just get deleted. :-$

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  2. If you stick to the comment policy your post will remain.

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  3. I happily criticised Lucas last season, but my opinion of him in pre-season and especially the last game has definitely changed.

    People at the game still got on his back, but a good deal gave him encouragement. The lad needs confidence, and the fans getting on his back as well doesn't help.

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  4. i am not convinced, his choice of pass has improved but he tackles with the wrong leg almost everytime, so will give free kicks away and collect daft bookings, but i hope rafa is right

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  5. true, in football  confidence is  a very big part of the game you will try difficult things when confidence is high

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  6. I've never quite understood the criticism, not for a player of his age. I don't think people ever quite appreciated how he fit into Rafa's system and the reality is that he fits absolutely perfectly. His presence in midfield is exactly what Rafa wants, a player who can move box to box, make tackles and be in a position to take posession going forward or back. He's a linch-pin, not as defensive as Masch and more mobile than Xabi without being quite as driving as Gerrard. I think his performance against Stoke shows simply more of what we had glipses of last season. Against lesser teams he shows just how good he can be and as he improves he'll bring that quality against more fancied opposition. 

    The main thing that constantly amazes me about fans is how they think they're smart enough to second guess Rafa and his tactics. Sure, you'll think your opinion is as valid as anyone's but I think Rafa has shown countless times that his tactical understanding of football is simply outstanding and he is deservedly seen as one of the top 5 club managers in the world. In the end he's the one who sees what Lucas does and if he considers the performances to be good then maybe everyone should take some notice of that, think a bit more about why they don't agree.

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  7. I wouldn't say he fits 'absolutely perfectly' - it may be what Rafa wants but the end result is not always perfect.  I agree that his performance against Stoke was very good, and if he's given a consistent run in the team, I'm sure he will get even better.

    Given Rafa's spirited defence of him, I'm sure Lucas will now become one of the untouchables (i.e. Rafa's favourites) like Dirk Kuyt - always in the team no matter how he plays.

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  8. Lucas Leiva-Rafa gives him a job to do and apparently Rafa is pleased with the job he does. How do we know what his orders are? Rafa described the lad as a player who can go box-to-box but does Rafa's gameplan include Lucas doing this? Maybe the criticism should fall onto Rafa for not letting said player(s) (I include Babel in this conversation) of not doing what they do best? I have seen Lucas and Babel play for their national side to much affect and wonder if maybe Rafa is holding the reins too tightly on occassion?

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  9. Lucas Leiva-Rafa gives him a job to do and apparently Rafa is pleased with the job he does. How do we know what his orders are? Rafa described the lad as a player who can go box-to-box but does Rafa's gameplan include Lucas doing this? Maybe the criticism should fall onto Rafa for not letting said player(s) (I include Babel in this conversation) of not doing what they do best? I have seen Lucas and Babel play for their national side to much affect and wonder if maybe Rafa is holding the reins too tightly on occassion?

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  10. My last post wasn't derogatory. It was just a statement. Guess you can only be positive when you are negative and the otherway round.

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  11. I wouldn't say that! I think Rafa is very good at talking players up, either to give them more confidence because they have the potential to give more to the team (i.e. Lucas) or to encourage potentially interested clubs to make a bid (i.e. Voronin).

    I think once Aquilani is fit, then Lucas will struggle to maintain a regular role in the team but will be an important member of the squad nonetheless.

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  12. wtf? theres more than 100% in the poll's results.

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  13. Your Shankly comment wasn't deleted:

    http://www.liverpool-kop.com/2009/08/rafa-benitez-next-bill-shankly.html#jsid-1249934920-749

    I don't recall what your deleted comment was - do you have an email receipt for it?  if so, please post the comment here.

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  14. can we choose more than one answer???

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  15. Lucas not good enough for Liverpool,never has been and i doubt ever will be,played OK against Stoke,but im sorry if we really think we are going to challenge for the title without replacing alonso,then we are much mistaken,hate to say it but its a fact,Lucas just isnt good enough

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  16. Yes, you can choose two answers

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  17. LucasisRafaslovechild2:20 pm, August 23, 2009

    Only reason I can think why Rafa constantly selects this guy.

    I really cant see what he does well.

    Give a local lad like Spearing a chance, I cant see what we would lose.

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  18. I'm sorry, but the Bolton game sealed it for me for Lucas. It's incredible how many plays (and momentum!) were stopped cold by either his stumbling, his dives or simply by his very poor passing. On top of that, there's just no creativity to his play when in the box. He was an absolute circus in that game. I just don't see what Rafa sees in him. He's certainly not worthy of starting.

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  19. if RAfa ejoys  playing for fourth then maybe i should re-think about watching EPL , i start watching again when we find a manager thats has a winning mentality and not thinks he has one ,
    quite simple if you are kak then your kak , no believing that time will make kak better , etc you build your car with the best parts in it , no use putiing in a part that has an advers affect to the whole car , then you you just lying to yourselves , ans that me you all you fans with blinkers on.

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  20. I cant believe we are still talking about lucas,what with him and voronin we are in a bad place,both are championship players at best,im afraid rafa has a way worse team than when he took over the worst liverpool team in the last 15 years,tottenham have a better bench than we have first team,either gets rid of the rubbish and buys 6/7 GOOD players or we really have to think about a new manager,sorry to say this as rafa has been great,but the team now is pathetic,if we lose torres and gerald we have no one who steps up to the plate.

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