Back on topic. Let's look at the situation here shall we? The situation of Lucas Leiva. Now i don't really give a F**k that he won the Bola de Ouro, that means nothing to me. That was in the past, the same past that people keep bringing up whenever i mention that person ( you know, the one that begins with an A and ends with an O). What is of importance is what Lucas can bring to the team now. He is under massive pressure at the moment, the pressure of replacing A#*+@o.
Now whether people like it or not these are the facts, Gerrard and Torres are having to drop deeper and deeper to get into the game and are not linking as high up the pitch as they were last season. The chances of Torres/Gerrard doing major damage from 20-25 yards out are significantly greater than 30-35 yards out. The reason they are having to drop deeper looking for the ball is that they are not getting the passes threaded through to them like they were last season. Fact. Now i am not bashing Lucas here, but he is a man now, not a boy. Players either thrive under pressure or they wilt, unfortunately this can't be instilled into a player, you've either got it (Gerrard) or you haven't (Babel).
Defensively this season he has been very good and his attitude cannot be faulted, but he has to up his offensive game. Either that or drop Gerrard back into the middle, after all he is the best central midfielder in the world. At least until Aquilani is fit. I just feel Lucas has been thrown in at the deep end, and he's struggling to tread water.
Logged