Lucas Leiva The Man The Legend #thestats

The stats that show Liverpool’s Lucas is as good an anchorman as any in Europe
Posted by Biscan's Boots
WhoScored & Squawka)

Tackling:

No player in Europe’s top five leagues has averaged more successful tackles per match than Lucas – which would make him a very good holding midfielder all on its own.

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Passing:

Lucas has averaged the sixth most completed passes per match in the Premier League this season. Importantly though, he’s completed more than any other holding midfielder. Daley Blind and Morgan Schneiderlin come close – but crucially – they’ve averaged 0.1 and 0.2 key passes per match respectively. Lucas, at 0.9, makes almost one per match. So perhaps he’s more creative than we give him credit for.

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Aerial duels:

Lucas has won 1.8 aerial duels per match this season. Only five central midfielders have bettered that in the Premier League so far: Wanyama, Cameron, Dier and Kouyate.

Interceptions:

Lucas has averaged 2.3 interceptions, placing him a respectable 11th in the Premier League holding midfielder list, behind: Kante, Cabaye, Gueye, Capoue, Schneiderlin, Wanyama, Yacob, Cork, Alli and Behrami.

Comparing Lucas with Europe’s top holding midfielders:

Don’t read too much into the players we’ve selected here. We’ve picked four of the most highly regarded holding midfielders in Europe almost randomly, to list their numbers against Lucas’s to show he should be mentioned in the same breath. Our Brazilian matches them, and has actually played one less game than the others – meaning he’d look even better if Squawka worked on averages and not totals. For example, if he’d also played nine matches, Lucas would have the highest ‘successful passes’ as well as tackles won and blocks. No mean feat against Busquets, Matic and co…

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As an out and out holding midfielder, Lucas is simply invaluable and has been all too often overlooked. He’s composed, disciplined and provides a platform from which the rest of the side can perform. He helps Liverpool win back and retain possession, and his calm head should be totally valued around some of the lesser experienced players in the side.

Hopefully these statistics prove what an excellent and undervalued player Lucas really is.

 

How's that work then?

 

Number of tackles won is misleading when you consider how many tackles he makes in total. Whilst he wins a lot, he also loses a lot - his percentage is not that great.

His passing is actually quite good.

Respectable 11th for interceptions? That's not respectable for a top 4 team - suggests he cannot read the game.

And the comparisons with other top DM's is skewed as well. He's played more successful passes than Busquets - good but does that suggest he's better on the ball? Highly doubt it.

Lucas has performed better under Klopp - helps that he know has less space to cover. And he's a very good professional. He still needs upgrading, we had mascherano a few years ago and he was too class.

 

And Sqwaka once made Downing look better than Messi.

 

#denial

As much as I agree the stats may well only show part of the facts, there is no doubt that he's been the star man since Klopps arrival. Some though he was good before Klopp arrived.

His interceptions do not show that he cannot read the game as he doesn't play positional like Biscuits at Barca who holds space, Lucas goes hunting and does it effectivley breaking up the play by reading the game and arriving at the player at the point of him receiving the ball.

I have said in the past that he is one of the best holding midfieldersin Europe, nothing has changed.

 

Part of me hopes that was intentional

 

if it's all numbers rather than averages then that makes it even better considering with have more possession than most teams.

 

It was

 

He's a good squad player to have. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

He's a ****ing legend Jimmy a ****ing legend!

 

Under BR I was concerned for his future. Under Klopp he suits the set up and looks rejuvinated. I can't ask more than that.

Is there better out there? Probably but as it stands I don't believe any of the goals conceded have been his fault and we no longer look over run through the middle on the counter like we did with him or Gerrard in that position so...

My only concern now is that he picks up too many cards. I expect him to pick up more than most due to what he does but he will miss games over the course of the season because of it.

 

That is the annoying part but quite a few are tactical ones. He's astute and knows it's better to commit a foul and give away a yellow rather than let the player run and put the team in danger.

 

True but he commits so many fouls because he can't keep up.

 

Or he has no one else making tackles in the midfield.

Id like to see the tackle count for Milner, Hendo, can, Coutinho when hey play cm. I doubt they average over 1 a game meaning Lucas is having to make more to conpensate

 

as under Rafa Lucas thrives in a proper pressing game.

The fact we now apply a more effective pressing game Lucas doesn't need to defend space and he's now part of a defensive system rather than trying to cover for the players who went forward and lost the ball.

 

If we're signing that world class player Biscuits we have to sign his mate Tea as well

 

Costa?

 

Nah. He's a ****

 

If Lucas and Can stand 2 inches apart and Lucas roles the ball to Can that is a pass completed.

 

Thas true.... Not sure what the point you're making is though?