Lucas - Silly fouls thread

[the count]

I reckon that the number of free kicks that Lucas concedes is a small percentage of the actual fouls he commits, most of them going unpunished.
As these minor indiscretions seem to form a major part of his ability to break up the playmaking of the opposition perhaps the occasional free kick conceded in a dangerous area isn't the highest price to pay.
I seem to recall that Xabi was praised for his professional fouls and his worthwhile yellow cards.

 

[juniormember]

I reckon that the number of free kicks that Lucas concedes is a small percentage of the actual fouls he commits, most of them going unpunished.
As these minor indiscretions seem to form a major part of his ability to break up the playmaking of the opposition perhaps the occasional free kick conceded in a dangerous area isn't the highest price to pay.
I seem to recall that Xabi was praised for his professional fouls and his worthwhile yellow cards.

Xabi and Didi were praised for them because they did it when the team really needed it.
Lucas's problem is that he does it out of the blue in dangerous areas.

 

[TheRedCrusade]

A few free kicks here and there...
and that is why we have bought the loris, sakhos , toures

 

[TheRedCrusade]

Xabi and Didi were praised for them because they did it when the team really needed it.
Lucas's problem is that he does it out of the blue in dangerous areas.

he is improving match by match

 

[the count]

Xabi and Didi were praised for them because they did it when the team really needed it.
Lucas's problem is that he does it out of the blue in dangerous areas.

My point being that he doesn't do it out of the blue.
I suspect he is doing it constantly throughput the game, thereby breaking up the opposition's play, without being peanilized

 

[juniormember]

My point being that he doesn't do it out of the blue.
I suspect he is doing it constantly throughput the game, thereby breaking up the opposition's play, without being peanilized

If a player tackles and misses the ball, he ends up tripping/kicking his opponent and thus making the tackle a foul.
That's the case for everyone. That's why players make decisions on whether to jump in, close down space, or keep a specific distance so the opponent can't make a forward run.
You're saying Lucas is incapable of making any of these decisions and only goes for one option every time, every game?
Makes him sound really stupid with zero talent. I think he's got a decent brain in and out of football. So I disagree.

 

[Ryan]

This thread is a fucking farce. Are you people desperate for him to fail?

He's been pretty fucking good in the 3 games I've watched this season. At times in games he's been just about excellent. His stats (tackles, winning the ball back, our win/loss with him playing, etc) are the best in the league and then there's the stuff you don't need a fucking table to tell you.

Why are there no threads on any of that?

Nope. We get this shite.

Fuck off forum.

 

[Fabio]

No one wants him to fail

Sadly years of extreme arguing has led us here

He's shit or amazing

 

[Red Astaire]

No one wants him to fail

Sadly years of extreme arguing has led us here

He's shit or amazing

I know - He's shimazing!

 

[mark1975]

This thread is a fucking farce. Are you people desperate for him to fail?

He's been pretty fucking good in the 3 games I've watched this season. At times in games he's been just about excellent. His stats (tackles, winning the ball back, our win/loss with him playing, etc) are the best in the league and then there's the stuff you don't need a fucking table to tell you.

Why are there no threads on any of that?

Nope. We get this shite.

Fuck off forum.

No threads on what? His stats? Isn't the majority of this thread and the case for him built by stats?

"Are people desperate for him to fail?" - You've got a short memory considering some of the flack you've given players down the years, but as he's one of your favourites etc. Peter Crouch anyone? Daniel Agger?

Like most people have established, he's a good player who can occasionally be brilliant but can also, sometimes, look average and even unnecessary, the faults in his game still linger, the same faults he had 5yrs ago. I don't think that's unfair, but he's good enough to play a part at a top club and be fairly crucial to many games. He's not "amazing" though is he, to be that he'd need to be consistent AND have a bit more in his locker.

 

[Dreambeliever]

This thread is a fucking farce. Are you people desperate for him to fail?

He's been pretty fucking good in the 3 games I've watched this season.

Fuck off forum.

So you ignored the fact he stops dead in the 2nd half of every game this season

 

[mark1975]

So you ignored the fact he stops dead in the 2nd half of every game this season

So do the rest of the team, tbf.

 

[Dreambeliever]

So do the rest of the team, tbf.

Indeed but his point was that Lucas was "pretty fucking good" hardly befits a player who only plays half a match as a dm?

 

[mark1975]

Indeed but his point was that Lucas was "pretty fucking good" hardly befits a player who only plays half a match as a dm?

You're looking too hard there DB, emphasis on the "pretty", as if to concede that he's not "fucking good" but someway short of that. 😉

Which is what we've all said anyway.

 

[doctor_mac]

I know - He's shimazing!

 

[Dreambeliever]

You're looking too hard there DB, emphasis on the "pretty", as if to concede that he's not "fucking good" but someway short of that. 😉

Which is what we've all said anyway.

Considering Ryan's high standards for praise pretty fucking good is amazing to the rest of us. Imagine how good Agger, Crouch or Downing would have had to have been to get such a comment? Ryan has some strange blind spots when it comes to player ability. Lucas is 1, Kuyt was another and I'm sure long after Lucas is gone he'll still be saying how "pretty fucking good" he was 🙂

 

[gkmacca]

You're sounding like some peasant talking abut the lord of the manor.

 

[Modo]

What baffles me about this thread and the Lucas criticism in general, is that some of the people who are criticising him are the same people who were defending Downing.

Saying "Lucas doesn't contribute enough" and then say something like oh "we should give Downing another season" is fucking mind-boggling.

 

[Dreambeliever]

You're sounding like some peasant talking abut the lord of the manor.

Ha he would like to think so. Merely pointing out the stupidity in his post

 

[Dreambeliever]

What baffles me about this thread and the Lucas criticism in general, is that some of the people who are criticising him are the same people who were defending Downing.

Saying "Lucas doesn't contribute enough" and then say something like oh "we should give Downing another season" is fucking mind-boggling.

Downing wasn't played week in week out for 6 years. And I'm no Downing fan but I can why some might have wanted to give a chance, when he did play regularly last season his level improved. Lucas has been "not good enough" for 6 years bar the odd game here and there and he's been a regular starter for the most part

 

[Modo]

Downing played regularly in his first season too.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Downing played regularly in his first season too.

Ya but got dropped there after and was a bit part player in his 2nd. Lucas has been a regular for eons and doesn't
Show much if any improvement. You'd think he'd at least learn to not give away the needless free kicks in dangerous areas late in games

 

[Wizardry]

Ya but got dropped there after and was a bit part player in his 2nd. Lucas has been a regular for eons and doesn't
Show much if any improvement. You'd think he'd at least learn to not give away the needless free kicks in dangerous areas late in games

Well, since Lucas arrived we've had Rafa, Roy, Kenny and Brendan as managers.

I suspect everyone here has objections and a low rating of at least one of those 4. I'd be surprised if anyone has a low rating of all 4 of them. Yet they all have one thing in common; Lucas was a mainstay for every big game.

I don't really even remember any of them looking around for a replacement - apart from Roy. Who's also probably the least highly rated of all 4 of them.

The reality is that Lucas isn't big, fast or a goal scoring freak.

But seemingly every stat that can be produced says he's very good to excellent. Every manager we've had has had him as one of the first names on the team sheet.


What are the chances that he's actually a little more than dead average?

 

[Athens]

@Wizardry are you trying to tell us that people who get paid to manage football teams might actually know more about the sport than what we do?

I find that VERY hard to believe.

 

[TSD]

Lucas divides opinion somewhat because his strengths (recycling the ball, one-touch play, reading of the game, pressing) aren't readily obvious in the flow of the match while his weakness (giving away silly fouls in dangerous areas) is both glaring and potentially fatal.

If he could cut that out on a more consistent basis, I'd put him in the top top tier. I fault his fitness on this. I think as he regains full fitness, we'll see the Lucas who was in world-class form before the long-term injury, the one who bossed a Man City midfield, and doing this while PARTNERING CHARLIE FCUKING ADAM.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Well, since Lucas arrived we've had Rafa, Roy, Kenny and Brendan as managers.

I suspect everyone here has objections and a low rating of at least one of those 4. I'd be surprised if anyone has a low rating of all 4 of them. Yet they all have one thing in common; Lucas was a mainstay for every big game.

I don't really even remember any of them looking around for a replacement - apart from Roy. Who's also probably the least highly rated of all 4 of them.

The reality is that Lucas isn't big, fast or a goal scoring freak.

But seemingly every stat that can be produced says he's very good to excellent. Every manager we've had has had him as one of the first names on the team sheet.


What are the chances that he's actually a little more than dead average?

And how successful have those mangers been with Lucas as a main stay? He's a nothing footballer. He's not awful but we need better simple as that. His only quality is a massive liability in terms of the free kicks he gives away game after game.

 

[gkmacca]

Lucas divides opinion somewhat because his strengths (recycling the ball).

Hallo, I am Lucas Leiva, and here are some of the things I have created by recycling the ball:

This my cap. It is warm and very nice, and it will save your brain if you fall off a motorcycle or a lorry.

Here is a necklace. I gave this to my wife for her birthday and she was so happy she cried.

Here is a handbag I gave to my wife's sister for Christmas. She was very happy as well!

Here is mini chair I made for my son. He uses it many times and is really pleased.




I hope all of this will inspire all of you to recycle your balls very soon.



Best wishes,

Your friend,

Lucas!

 

[Pesam]

I don't rate Lucas as anything more than an average footballer BUT would have selected him in most matches over the last few years! This is entirely due to the piss-poor selection of midfielders we've had to choose from....Adam, Downing, Shelvey, Spearing, Henderson (pre-2013 model), Allen (post Xmas/injury dip in form), Assaidi, an injury-hit SG etc, etc.

What most of us who criticise Lucas know is that our points tally is higher when he plays than when he doesn't but this does not alter the fact that many of us would like us to sign a better DM'er and then we would accrue even more points.

Now that our midfield options are looking healthier than anytime since Alonso, Mascher, SG etc we probably could accrue more points without Lucas when Suarez comes back. With Suarez, Coutinho, Sturridge, Moses etc raiding forward it would give us the option of playing SG (or maybe even Henderson) as a defensive midfielder; he's a better passer, tackler, header and reader of the game than Lucas and he'd probably give away fewer free kicks.

 

[Modo]

Gerrard in dm? you're fucking kidding me.
Did you see the Ukraine game?

 

[juniormember]

He pisses on most others with those tackling stats.
Most others piss on him with anything other than those particular stats.

I like him a lot but sometimes wish he offers just that little bit more (and stops giving stupid fouls away).
It's not like he sits in his own half for the entirety of a game. When we're attacking he's 15-20 yards away from the penalty area and I just think if only he could only get a bit more Didi-esque and contribute more to the team we'd all be satisfied with him. I say Didi because he wasn't exactly magnificent going forward (apart from a few pile drivers) but he made some incisive passes and also knew exactly when to slow things down just behind the final third when we should, and when to quicken up the passes. Not asking Lucas to become a Gerrard in attack and Makelele in defence.