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Lucas aim for double Inter blow

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LeTallecWiz

LeTallecWiz

Doos
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from .tv:

Lucas Leiva has revealed he turned down Inter Milan in order to fulfill his Anfield dream and is hoping to disappoint the Nerazzurri once again when the two sides lock horns in the Champions League next week.

The Brazilian midfielder insists he has no regrets about turning his back on the reigning Serie A champions and believes the opportunity to make history in the Premier League was the key motivation behind his decision to snub Milan in favour of Merseyside.

"I am the kind of person who likes a challenge," he told LFC Magazine.

"I was in a fortunate position at Gremio because I had achieved some success and I was made a lot of very interesting offers - offers which would have made a lot of money.

"Some of them were in Spain and it's true I had an enquiry from Inter Milan too.

"They were all famous clubs but the Liverpool option stood out from the first moment I heard of their interest.

"I had heard of them back in Brazil and we saw a lot of Premier League matches so I was aware of what the manager was building here at the club.

"I was interested in what they had to say from the first moment. My father and my agent came across here to speak to Liverpool and they were very impressed with everything.

"For me it was only a sporting project and a club that would help me meet my ambitions and allow me to help them achieve theirs."

Lucas has enjoyed a bright start to life in England and capped his first six months at the club when he curled home a delightful equaliser in the 5-2 win over Havant and Waterlooville in the FA Cup fourth round last month.

It saw him become the first Brazilian to score a goal for Liverpool, an achievement he is tremendously proud of, and one he hopes to build on as he looks to enhance his reputation in the English game.

"I would like people to remember me as the first young Brazilian to win everything with Liverpool. I became the first Brazilian to score a goal for Liverpool and that was a proud moment for me.

"I could have gone to Spain or Italy and it would have been more like I am used to. But I want to make the most of my career and I want to challenge myself.

"I have friends from the international team at Inter, Cesar and Maicon are great players and I will enjoy playing agaisnt them.

"But I would much rather play for Liverpool than Inter. That was my decision then and it would be the same if I had to make it again."

Lucas made his name in his homeland at Gremio, where he helped them reach the final of the Copa Libertadores.

Sadly they lost the two-legged clash to Boca Juniors, but if he can help Liverpool progress to the final of Europe's equivolent - the Champions League - he will become the first Red to achieve the feat of playing in the finals of both continent's most elite competiton.

It is a record he would love to realise, but one he refuses to comprehend ahead of a big last 16 tie with Inter.

"That would be nice, but we look no further than Inter who will be a tremendous team and very hard to beat, he said, before adding: "I think we have the tools to beat Inter, but it will be an exciting game and my first time - hopefully - playing at the San Siro."
Click to expand...

I like this kid ...
 
Good Stuff.

If he continues with his progress, I cannot see Alonso hanging about much longer.
 
Are we being a little premature in our praise here?

He's nowhere near as gifted a passer as Alonso, and he has none of the pace, power and drive of Steven Gerrard.

So what is he? A decent, tidy footballer.

That's all we've seen so far. Is there more?
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490707#msg490707 date=1202898169]
Are we being a little premature in our praise here?

He's nowhere near as gifted a passer as Alonso, and he has none of the pace, power and drive of Steven Gerrard.

So what is he? A decent, tidy footballer.

That's all we've seen so far. Is there more?
[/quote]

Ive got to admit i was hoping that the "brazilian league player of the year" would have shown he has a little more to his game than we've seen so far.

Maybe a haircut might help him.
 
He's still young and still getting used to a new country, culture and style of football. Brendan's right to point out the danger of going overboard about him but I don't actually think we're doing that here, just saying the lad has made a decent start.
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490707#msg490707 date=1202898169]
Are we being a little premature in our praise here?

He's nowhere near as gifted a passer as Alonso, and he has none of the pace, power and drive of Steven Gerrard.

So what is he? A decent, tidy footballer.

That's all we've seen so far. Is there more?
[/quote]

He did score that cracker against Havant & whatever there called
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490707#msg490707 date=1202898169]
Are we being a little premature in our praise here?

He's nowhere near as gifted a passer as Alonso, and he has none of the pace, power and drive of Steven Gerrard.

So what is he? A decent, tidy footballer.

That's all we've seen so far. Is there more?
[/quote]

He hasn't really been given a license to strut his stuff ...
 
lucas definately needs to learn to be stronger on the ball, if he can't learn to be stronger on the ball then at least learn the 'didi crumple'.
 
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=20666.msg490761#msg490761 date=1202903415]
lucas definately needs to learn to be stronger on the ball, if he can't learn to be stronger on the ball then at least learn the 'didi crumple'.
[/quote]

We should have kept Der Kaiser at Anfield for purely that reason.
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490764#msg490764 date=1202903497]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=20666.msg490761#msg490761 date=1202903415]
lucas definately needs to learn to be stronger on the ball, if he can't learn to be stronger on the ball then at least learn the 'didi crumple'.
[/quote]

We should have kept Der Kaiser at Anfield for purely that reason.
[/quote]

How good was it to see Didi boss the Manc derby at the weekend. He was immense.
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490752#msg490752 date=1202903231]
He hasn't really been given a license to strut his stuff ...
Click to expand...

What stuff? He has no pace and is always getting shrugged off the ball.
[/quote]

That's true. The initial Gerrard comparisons had me thinking he was going to be a lot more dynamic than he actually is, so he's been a little disappointing in that respect.

In my opinion, he's the Brazilian Xabi Alonso, not Gerrard.
 
[quote author=keniget link=topic=20666.msg490804#msg490804 date=1202905432]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490752#msg490752 date=1202903231]
He hasn't really been given a license to strut his stuff ...
Click to expand...

What stuff? He has no pace and is always getting shrugged off the ball.
[/quote]

That's true. The initial Gerrard comparisons had me thinking he was going to be a lot more dynamic than he actually is, so he's been a little disappointing in that respect.

In my opinion, he's the Brazilian Xabi Alonso, not Gerrard.
[/quote]

I think he will come good at the central midfield if we are interested in moving the ball through the opposition midfiled along the grass. If we incist to hoof it towards crouch he is a waste of space. But in a 3 man central midfield trying to keep the ball moving, he will fit in!!
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490752#msg490752 date=1202903231]
He hasn't really been given a license to strut his stuff ...
Click to expand...

What stuff? He has no pace and is always getting shrugged off the ball.
[/quote]

he hasn't got use to this league yet, which i'm sur eyou'll agree, is far more difficult than the brazilian. give him another 18 mths ... i hope he'll be starting by every game by then.
 
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490707#msg490707 date=1202898169]
Are we being a little premature in our praise here?

He's nowhere near as gifted a passer as Alonso, and he has none of the pace, power and drive of Steven Gerrard.

So what is he? A decent, tidy footballer.

That's all we've seen so far. Is there more?
[/quote]

He needs to beef up a little and then we will see what he is made of.
 
[quote author=Dreambeliever link=topic=20666.msg490829#msg490829 date=1202906381]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490707#msg490707 date=1202898169]
Are we being a little premature in our praise here?

He's nowhere near as gifted a passer as Alonso, and he has none of the pace, power and drive of Steven Gerrard.

So what is he? A decent, tidy footballer.

That's all we've seen so far. Is there more?
[/quote]

He needs to beef up a little and then we will see what he is made of.
[/quote]

But he is in the group of players that will have to prove something everytime he is selcted. There is a group of players allowed to underperform week in and week out and still play a major part the next game, while another group have to play the game of their lives everytime they get the nod, or else they are branded not-good-enough. So while I agree he has to show a little more, I still reckognize that a five games strwak would actually beef him up a little, and maybe show him from a even better side!
 
[quote author=keniget link=topic=20666.msg490804#msg490804 date=1202905432]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490752#msg490752 date=1202903231]
He hasn't really been given a license to strut his stuff ...
Click to expand...

What stuff? He has no pace and is always getting shrugged off the ball.
[/quote]

That's true. The initial Gerrard comparisons had me thinking he was going to be a lot more dynamic than he actually is, so he's been a little disappointing in that respect.

In my opinion, he's the Brazilian Xabi Alonso, not Gerrard.
[/quote]

I think he can adapt better to the pace of the PL better than Xabi, who has throughout his time here, even in his best form, got caught in possession- Lucas seems to have good awareness. He also gets forward more often than Xabi has been of late. I think Lucas is going to be a great player for us.
 
I think it's 50-50 whether he'll be a great player for us or whether he'll end up getting sold for £2.5m to a midtable Spanish side in a couple of years...
 
[quote author=Anita link=topic=20666.msg491036#msg491036 date=1202918557]
He's already featured more than most of the other young guns we've had.
[/quote]

how many starts at CM?
 
[quote author=Anita link=topic=20666.msg491059#msg491059 date=1202920521]
I'm not a stats centre, why don't you look it up.
[/quote]

well as far as i remember (i have not looked it up), he's started two games at centre mid ... and in both games, he played rather well (havant & chelsea).

he also played very well against Besiktas, though he wasn't on the pitch for too long ...

I've seen enough to 'think' he'll develop into a much better player ... I wonder how different his career would be if say he was at Arsenal.
 
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=20666.msg491014#msg491014 date=1202915823]I think he can adapt better to the pace of the PL better than Xabi, who has throughout his time here, even in his best form, got caught in possession- Lucas seems to have good awareness. He also gets forward more often than Xabi has been of late. I think Lucas is going to be a great player for us.
[/quote]

I wasn't so much talking about his ability to adapt, rather the style of player.

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=20666.msg491143#msg491143
well as far as i remember (i have not looked it up), he's started two games at centre mid ... and in both games, he played rather well (havant & chelsea).
[/quote]

He started at Newcastle as well, didn't he?
 
[quote author=keniget link=topic=20666.msg491160#msg491160 date=1202931643]
[quote author=doctor_mac link=topic=20666.msg491014#msg491014 date=1202915823]I think he can adapt better to the pace of the PL better than Xabi, who has throughout his time here, even in his best form, got caught in possession- Lucas seems to have good awareness. He also gets forward more often than Xabi has been of late. I think Lucas is going to be a great player for us.
[/quote]

I wasn't so much talking about his ability to adapt, rather the style of player.

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=20666.msg491143#msg491143
well as far as i remember (i have not looked it up), he's started two games at centre mid ... and in both games, he played rather well (havant & chelsea).
[/quote]

He started at Newcastle as well, didn't he?


[/quote]

don't remember and too lazy to look it up ... i need my stat man (glock)
 
It's quite depressing how its all turned out really.

We sign someone full of promise, who seems to have either a twin or have been previously employed by a blind man.
 
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=20666.msg490816#msg490816 date=1202905878]
[quote author=Brendan link=topic=20666.msg490752#msg490752 date=1202903231]
He hasn't really been given a license to strut his stuff ...
Click to expand...

What stuff? He has no pace and is always getting shrugged off the ball.
[/quote]

he hasn't got use to this league yet, which i'm sur eyou'll agree, is far more difficult than the brazilian. give him another 18 mths ... i hope he'll be starting by every game by then.
[/quote]

Careful what you wish for 🙂
 
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