Lucas seems to be doing well isn't he?

[New York Red]

I didn't see today's game, but he seems to have gotten good reviews. I thought he was good on Sunday.

 

Is he surprising anyone? I comparison, think about who you could compare him to? How good can he get?

[_00_deathscar]

I thought he was average in the first game, but excellent yesterday.

[floyd the barber]

think its helping that hes actually being given a bit more freedom and given the licence to get forward......previously hes been seen more as defensive player for us....which isnt really where his talents lie..

 

When in brazil he was far more attacking and scored a number of goals playing at that top of a midfield diamond.

[Dule]

hmm be interesting to see how he plays after a good 7-10 games in the first team, to see how he plays when he gets the feeling that he belongs.

[Igors Uncle Dave]

Hi NYR - Lucas is definitely looking better and I commented to a friend towards the end of the game last night. His rash challenges are being curbed, in the main and he is playing the percentage ball more often. He is NOT Alonso but given time, and more games he might well turn out ok for us

[_00_deathscar]

I think that was his best game for us.

[cymrococh]

He's always been able to do this, I think he may actually be one of those players who has suffered from rigidly following Rafa's instructions.

 

At his best he actually reminds me of Rai, who I always wanted us to sign.

[Stevie H]

He's always been able to do this, I think he may actually be one of those players who has suffered from rigidly following Rafa's instructions.

 

At his best he actually reminds me of Rai, who I always wanted us to sign.

brilliant player he was. socrates' brother wasn't he? f*** off gary and phil.

[Hassony]

he is a very good player, we had some really good performances last season as well (newcastle, united, wba, psv ) where he played his part.

 

some will never warm to him because he doesn't have the vision of xabi, the power of gerrard or the energy of Mascherano, I think that's unfair though as he is his own player, and he can do a good job for us.

[Cunny]

just as some of his poorer performances were blown out of all proportion, so is this spell of reasonable form.

I thought he was average in the first half last night and better second half.

Some of his passing is still poor and his off the ball movement at times is none existent.

However, he does seem to be gaining confidence and hopefully a run in the team will see further improvement.

[Hassony]

so how is getting around the pitch if his off the ball movement is non existent?

[Smith]

just as some of his poorer performances were blown out of all proportion, so is this spell of reasonable form.

I thought he was average in the first half last night and better second half.

Some of his passing is still poor and his off the ball movement at times is none existent.

However, he does seem to be gaining confidence and hopefully a run in the team will see further improvement.

 

Agree. I think our play in midfield only started to kick off when Gerrard dropped deep.

[Cunny]

I did say 'at times'.

There were times when Ayala, Carra or Masch were coming out with the ball and he was literally static, not making himself available for a pass at all.

[Mad Scientist]

I thought his movement for the first goal was excellent. I'm not sure he actually meant the return pass to Gerrard, but he pulled Shawcross with him with his run across the edge of the box and opened up the space for Torres.

[kop205]

Agree. I think our play in midfield only started to kick off when Gerrard dropped deep.

 

I think that is nonesense to be honest.

 

I don't know why people can't accept that Lucas has had two (fairly*) good games - in fact, two better games than Gerrard.

 

I'm not saying he is the be all and end all, nor that we won't miss the things that Alonso brought. I do think there are plenty of times in his time here (the most recent being last night) when he has shown that we can play some very good stuff with him in the side, and with him very much involved in that.

 

* I wouldn't describe anyone as truly 'good' at Spurs but he did better than most.

[Falconhoof]

I think that is nonesense to be honest.

 

I don't know why people can't accept that Lucas has had two (fairly*) good games - in fact, two better games than Gerrard.

 

This goes to far IMO. Lucas is fine but comparing him to Gerrard will do him no favours.

Gerrard didn't look fully fit at Spurs. Last night he set up Torres and Kuyt to score.

[matlfc]

I think that is nonesense to be honest.

 

I don't know why people can't accept that Lucas has had two (fairly*) good games - in fact, two better games than Gerrard. I'm not saying he is the be all and end all, nor that we won't miss the things that Alonso brought. I do think there are plenty of times in his time here (the most recent being last night) when he has shown that we can play some very good stuff with him in the side, and with him very much involved in that.

 

* I wouldn't describe anyone as truly 'good' at Spurs but he did better than most.

 

 

That is just wrong.

[Mike]

lucas did well for the most part last night. we did play slightly differently, kuyt gerrard and benayoun were swapping around a lot and it worked well, 2nd half especially after the initial stoke barrage.

johnson was a revelation.

[fred milne]

He is a good player. I think he has more in his locker too.

Edited August 20, 2009 by fred milne

[Snoeker]

He did get into the box nicely, we're going to have a lot more bodies in there to capitalise on gloJo's sumptuous delivery.

[kop205]

This goes to far IMO. Lucas is fine but comparing him to Gerrard will do him no favours.

Gerrard didn't look fully fit at Spurs. Last night he set up Torres and Kuyt to score.

 

I'm not comparing them as such, just responding to the ridiculous assertion that somehow nothing was coming from midfied last night until Gerrard dropped deep which is wrong on so many levels, not least being that Gerrard did his best work last night in the final third.

 

Of course Gerrard is a better player than Lucas and the turn for the Kuyt goal in particular was fantastic and something that very few players in our squad are capable of.

 

For me though Lucas has done his own job just as effectively as Gerrard as has done his over the first couple of games. Whether Gerrard was fully fit or not at Spurs isn't really the issue - he had a pretty poor game and did us no favours that day by dropping so deep and leaving Torres so isolated.

 

Gerrrad was much better last night and clearly there was that end product from open play as well so quite rigthly he gets the plaudits for that, but Lucas for me was queitly very effective.

[schmuckdonald]

Lucas was again one of the better peformers in the team last night, but Gerrard was pulling all the strings.

 

Seems like Gerrard drops a bit deeper, Kuyt pulls in behind Torres with Johnson almost as a right winger and Mascherano covering the vacant space at right back for a fair proportion of last night. Looked very fluid. Nobody had a bad game. But yeah, Lucas seems to be coming on leaps and bounds.

[Falconhoof]

I'm not comparing them as such, just responding to the ridiculous assertion that somehow nothing was coming from midfied last night until Gerrard dropped deep which is wrong on so many levels, not least being that Gerrard did his best work last night in the final third.

 

I think thats in reference to the Spurs game, not last night.

[honourablegeorge]

hmm be interesting to see how he plays after a good 7-10 games in the first team, to see how he plays when he gets the feeling that he belongs.

 

 

That shoudl take him right up to where Aquilani gets fit, then....

Edited August 20, 2009 by honourablegeorge

[Leo No.8]

Think Alonso going might be the making of Lucas.

 

Playing week in week out (which although he has often featured he hasn't done so far) will put his ability to the test and prove whether he has what it takes. He has a good footballing brain and keeps it simple.

 

My question has always been regarding his ability to handle the pace and physicality of English football, but by all accounts he has been working extremely hard on this side of his game and you can't ask for more than that.

 

Thought it was noticeable he was involved right up in the penalty area in the build up to the first goal, which was a position Xabi wouldn't have been in. Like has been said he's not a direct replacement for Alonso, he has to play it in his own way which is what he's done so far, getting around the pitch, keeping us ticking with short passes.

 

Never been a massive fan of Lucas to date, but a clean slate from me for this season with the dynamics having been changed by Alonso's departure and him having the chance to come of age; really encouraged by his early performances. He has a really good attitute, and if he's been putting the time in in the gym to build himself physically then he deserves success.