Lucas and Spearing isn't ideal,but Lucas and Gerrard is a better partnership.Okay it was only Carrick and Scholes and not Xavi and Iniesta,but Lucas and Gerrard beat both of them off the park.It was the foundation for our win.Lucas clobbered both of them.Gerrard was the more creative one and this allowed the further forward players ie Maxi,Raul,Dirkinho and Suarez to cause havoc.
I see what you're saying. I think Lucas and Spearing are too similar, perhaps Lucas will benefit from playing with a more attack minded player who can spray the balls, or play with a solid DM which gives Lucas license to push forward. I don't know what Lucas is, he is a jack of all trades but he's not a master of any. I see Lucas as a very good squad player to have. For me, the best central midfield we had in a long time was Mascherano and Alonso and that is the benchmark that we should be trying to achieve. For me, Lucas is no way near as good in either the Mash or Alonso roles but in fairness he has a better all around game. We've seen too many times this season (West Ham, West Brom, Spurs) where the midfield was non existent and struggled to keep the ball and create. I think Lucas and Spearing have shown what they can do, especially when they have time and space, in which they look very good however we will come up against a lot of teams that will be in their faces and not allow them that much space. This is where they struggle, and this is why we can't grind out results. When we win, we win well. But when we lose, we are over powered and outplayed. The last few times we've lost, it's been because we deserve to lose.
I'm sorry but there are. He's improved season on season, just like Lucas did. Last season he was thrown into a situation not of his making as 2nd striker and ended up 1st striker when Torres was injured. He scored some very Torres-like goals. He didn't only score against easy Europa teams this season (see Torres-like Arsenal goal and unTorres-like diving header against Villa.) He was singled out for slating in a poor Europa game when the entire team was poor. "LFC player" is a phrase so often misused, like only highly skilled players belong here. I suggest you read a bit about Keegan and why Shanks signed him. Skill vs work ethic = Babel vs Kuyt. Babel was never going to be a Liverpool player but the Lucas/Ngog slaters who use that phrase constantly claimed, "He'd be brilliant if he could just get a run of games." Boohoohoo, didn't work hard enough in training to earn a game. Excuse me but this is Liverpool and you don't get gifted a run of games, you earn them. *That* is what constitutes a "LFC player."
I reckon this is something that will be addressed and Kenny wants a midfield powerhouse to compliment what he already has.The player that Damien Comolli has identified to fill that role is Blaise Matuidi.
I have to be honest and say that I've not seen the lad play. But Comolli's has done his analysis on him and he's the type of player we need. A real battler, strong, physical presence. I still feel that we're missing a playmaker in midfield. Replacing Alonso was always going to be difficult but we need a player like him. Javi Martinez and Ever Banega are similar players, intelligent, quick thinking, skillfull, fantastic technique, range of passing, vision. We need someone that we can trust to control the ball, and retain it and then distribute. I still feel that Lucas can be caught out very easily and his touch will desert him and he simply doesn't fill me with confidence. I know it sounds like I'm 'Lucas bashing' but I'm not. I feel that the lad will continue to improve and I have always backed him to succeed because he does have ability. I just feel that he's not good enough to start all the time.
I agree in that we want players with the right attitude and act professionally. However, I do believe we have bought a number of players where the work ethic has compensated a lack of technical ability. Using Kuyt/Lucas/Maxi as examples - they are not a world class players, and are not technically gifted but they have the right attitude. Luis Suarez seems to be a player with a very good work ethic AND has the technical ability to match and we should be signing more 'Luis Suarez's rather than Maxi/Lucs/Kuyts ...
I reckon thats what Kenny and DC are aiming for,and if reports are anything to go by,two of the identidfied players could be one their way,as Blaise Matuidi is being targetted and has almost sent a 'come and get me plea'' as has Eljero Elia.Another report I read is that Fabio Contraeo is either joining Liverpool or Real Madrid for £25 million.
I think Contraeo is on his way to Madrid, If madrid can get Sahin for 10 mil by the way, surely we can get some top class players around that level as well!!
Banega is absoloutely class One of my favourite players.... I honestly think Barca should be chasing him and not Cesc..... He is more Xavi-like and dictates play from a deeper position than Cesc does...
Don't say that four2, banega is ours! haha. If he came here I will go straight away, get his jersey, and let everyone know the type of player we have. I think when he plays with the Argentine squad, him and messi link up really well ( in terms of your who barca should go after). I am really excited about the Copa America this summer so I can get to see some of the names being banded about and also some of my favorite players and styles of play.
Whilst I'd love to see him playing here... I pray you don't get him He's a superb player technically, with great energy... would expect him to be a massive infuence on your team like Alonso was.. So like I said, hope he's slipped Kenny's mind I understand he's only really put the graft in over the last two years or so (he was actually on the Verge of being loaned to Everton a couple of years ago) But since his improvement I honestly have no idea why the Spanish 'Big Boys' haven't tried for him..
Maybe pecking order? Villa, Silva, Mata, Banega? Hold onto them as long as possible before sending them off for a big fee, keep champions league footy money coming in, jersey sells, etc from Valencia's side of things? Ya I remember thinking he left Argentina way to early and then was getting loaned out and it did not look good. Another reason I would for us to get him, he has that determination to prove nay-sayers wrong and keep working on his game. Very good mental attribute he would need at a club like Liverpool ( see Lucas Leiva)
Yeah he seems determined on and off the Pitch.. Extracts from an article on him "Villa had begged to go; Valencia begged Banega to go. They even tried to force him to join Everton on loan. No money, just go. The reason was simple. Banega was trouble. And not that good. He was damaged goods. Sure, there had been flashes Рbut they were the wrong kind of flashes. There had been alcohol abuse and self abuse. One of five kids from a family he claimed was so poor they "practically ate mud", he had a face like a cartoon mouse, all protruding ears and nibbling teeth, and claimed that football had saved him. Yet he appeared an awfully long way from salvation. Part of the Argentina Under-20 squad that smashed up their hotel at the 2007 World Championship (and filmed themselves doing it), Banega left for Europe at 19, having played just 28 first division games. He was too young, he'd come too soon. No sooner had he arrived in Valencia than he was caught on a webcam performing some online onanism. Soon he was picked up by the police having jumped a red light. At 3.30 in the morning. While over the limit. It was not an isolated incident. One week he was out on the town four nights running. He joined Atl̩tico on loan, having signed a no-going-out clause, but still he went out. Night after night. Within the club, there was a feeling that unlike Maniche Рthe man who managed to lose two club suits during trips to away games (and ask yourself how you lose a suit) Рhe wasn't a bad kid. And, they suspected, he might not be a bad player one day. He wasn't just off the rails, he was screeching across the platform, maiming terrified commuters. He set a new club record for disciplinary fines. He was, says one observer, a cabra loca Рa crazy goat. When he turned up over an hour late and "practically asleep" to a team meeting the chances of the rojiblancos exercising their right to buy finally disappeared. A few years later: In pre-season training he threw himself into every session; team-mates could not believe what they were seeing. Tetchy when he was asked about alcohol, there was nonetheless a tacit admittance of his sins. "This year, I'm starting from scratch," he said. "I arrived at 19 and made mistakes. I wasted two years and have thought about things. Now I hardly ever go out." "Banega," declared Jos̩ Luis Hurtado in Marca, "has had a facelift Рin his brain. Everything he didn't need has been binned. There's nothing left of that lad who was run over by the league and by life."
Ya I remember he ran into some trouble but did not realize the extent of it. Looks like he has his head screwed on now. Good thing, because we would have missed out on a top player to watch and admire!
haha a 'facelift- in his brain', great expression. Matuidi isn't a physical powerhouse like some are suggesting- if its meant how i think. From what i've seen of him play and read about him he's actually quite diminutive (5'9), and his talent comes in positioning and reading the game, though he can be fierce in the tackle. I'll see if i can dig out an article i read on him the other day. Also not sure why- if he was a target- Comolli would talk about his stats in Janaury. Lucas is the classic Shanks 'run through a brick wall' player, and you can tell he is becoming more ambitious and confident with his passing so i see him as an important team member in the future. I think those who write him off as a squad member don't recognize how good he could be if he continues progressing at this rate.
I'm with you on this, I'm sure that Lucas will start for us as long as he's fit and Kenny won't be looking to buy someone to play in his place but just to back him up if injured.
It was always going to be difficult for Lucas to step up because we're always goign to compare him to what we had - Alonso. Just like Ngog is compared to Torres. It's unfair but it also highlights the difference in quality. Should we be waiting for 2-3 years for a player to develop in the role, allowing him to start every match and then turn good? Or should we have replaced Alonso like for like straight away (Aquilani).
It was too early when he first started playing and he was a knightmare. But I would now compare him to Mascarano other than Alonso and would say he may not be quite as good an all round player but is much more effective than Mascarano. I posted somewhere that I would not swap him for Mascarano. But that's just my opinion of course.
I would definately swap him for Alonso. I think we have a few 'in your face' midfielders with Lucas, Spearing and Shelvey. What we need is real technical quality. A deep lying playmaker who can spray the balls to our 'new wingers' ...
I agree with you there, I would swap him for Alonso I was a big fan. You're right we could do with a central midfield player to create and defend, this would leave Lucas to do the Mascarano job with the new Alonso to have more freedom. I suppose a lot depends on the formation Kenny plays as to what type of midfield player we buy.
