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**Paul Marin** · February 19, 2011, 04:41 PM

All mi can do is laugh. Anybody wid one half-blin' eye coulda tell you that he would have been a bench warmer at Barca. He can't fit into their style, nor will he be able to fit into manu**'s or even the new Liverpool under dalglish either. He's better off looking for work at Wolves.

**Peter R** · February 19, 2011, 05:28 PM

Better to be a big fish in a small pond... I know, I live in T&T (and from my observation (I'm no kind of fish)) this is true on many levels.

At least the deal to sell him was not a losing proposition for Liverpool ( I think). Seems his value has eroded too.

**Paul Marin** · February 19, 2011, 05:37 PM

Originally posted by Peter R View Post

Better to be a big fish in a small pond... I know, I live in T&T (and from my observation (I'm no kind of fish)) this is true on many levels.

At least the deal to sell him was not a losing proposition for Liverpool ( I think). Seems his value has eroded too.

He would not have fit into Kenny's system as well as he did into Rafa's which was heavily weighted on a strict defensive set up. Kenny's style is to play with more fluidity and it requires a different kind of player than Masch; Lucas (I can kick myself for saying this) actually is a better option than Masch for Kenny's setup.

**Lazie** · February 19, 2011, 06:12 PM

Why would vany midfielder want to go to Barca? Who dem gonna start ahead of? All Cesc better cool because him not starting ahead of a fit Xavi.

**Jangle** · February 19, 2011, 06:15 PM

Originally posted by Paul Marin View Post

He would not have fit into Kenny's system as well as he did into Rafa's which was heavily weighted on a strict defensive set up. Kenny's style is to play with more fluidity and it requires a different kind of player than Masch; Lucas (I can kick myself for saying this) actually is a better option than Masch for Kenny's setup.

Mek sure yuh kick yuhself inna yuh mout....you have been wrong about things many times. Lucas is unuh best player. I said this to you from last year.

**Sir X** · February 19, 2011, 06:41 PM

The weather...lol

**Paul Marin** · February 20, 2011, 12:27 AM

Originally posted by Jangle View Post

Mek sure yuh kick yuhself inna yuh mout....you have been wrong about things many times. Lucas is unuh best player. I said this to you from last year.

Are you for real!!!!???? Damn...yu brain a shrink!!!!

**Sir X** · February 20, 2011, 12:48 AM

Paul ,Jangle is right , he is , this boy can cut a pass from his defensive position to open up any team, take him out and we are in trouble.

Rafa is a genius, when he said people dont know how good he is ,he was mocked, look at lucas now and he will get better as his confidence grows , maschi is going to look like a joke in two years Lucas will be worth 30 million pounds , memba mi say suh.

Liverpool are blessed with him.

**Sir X** · February 20, 2011, 01:07 AM

Lucas Leiva: From Purslow’s list to key Liverpool FC player
by Ben Thornley, DPW West
Feb 11 2011
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SEVEN months ago his name featured prominently on Christian Purslow's cull list. Now it's among the first on Kenny Dalglish's team sheet.

The likes of Martin Kelly and Raul Meireles may have dominated the headlines as Dalglish has resuscitated Liverpool's season, but no other player is thriving under the Scot quite like Lucas Leiva.

If the bungling Roy Hodgson did one thing right in his disastrous six months in charge it was to ignore Purslow – who failed to grasp the difference between the remit of manager and managing director – when he sought to usher Lucas through the exit along with Rafa Benitez and a host of his signings.

The 24-year-old rewarded Hodgson with a series of fine displays, yet the return of Dalglish has inspired him to reach new heights.

Lucas is revelling in the Reds legend’s pass-and-move philosophy. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, given that it is as much the way of Brazil as it is Liverpool.

If Momo Sissoko was once described as the Reds’ “battery” by Benitez, then the former Gremio star is their pendulum, his rhythmic distribution dictating the tempo of Liverpool’s play – something he did to great effect in the 1-0 defeat of Chelsea.

Just as important, however, is his movement – the Brazilian always making himself available for a pass – relentless pressing and defensive grit.

If an indicator of his performance at Stamford Bridge was needed, then Lucas’ Opta Index stats provide it.

Against Carlo Ancelotti’s men, he completed 89% of attempted passes, 82% in Chelsea’s half.

They are figures impressive enough before you consider the calibre of midfield opposition and the high intensity of the game.

It’s been a similar story in each of his outings under Dalglish, although his pass completion rate for the entire campaign – 84% – is of an equally high calibre.

Indeed, the consensus at Anfield is that Lucas has been Liverpool’s most consistent outfield player of the last 12 to 18 months.

No statistic can accurately measure his greatest quality, however – his character, demonstrated best when overcoming the Anfield boo boys and the criticism of the press during his early days at Liverpool while he was adapting to a new country, league and position.

Indeed, many unkind words about the midfielder were typed by these hands and for that this observer is both embarrassed and apologetic.

Perhaps there are still weaknesses in Lucas' game – the occasional lapse in concentration and shortage of goals.

But for too long have people focused on what he is not rather than what he is, with the likeable Brazilian unfairly judged by the standards of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, two players arguably the finest in their position in European football.

However, anyone who has seen the footage of Lucas' career in Brazil – when he became the youngest ever winner of the Bola de Ouro – will suspect there is still more to come from the £6m signing.

Just as anyone who remembers Dalglish’s first spell in charge at Anfield knows this sequence of four successive victories is merely a taste of the future under King Kenny.

A future Lucas will undoubtedly play a key role in.

FOLLOW me on Twitter @benjthorn_DPOS

**Jangle** · February 20, 2011, 02:55 PM

RUN!!!! THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!!!! RUN!!!!! Xuberant publicly acknowledging my footballing genius!!! That's what happens after getting slapped around like a boitch in Fantasy League.

**Paul Marin** · February 20, 2011, 04:57 PM

Originally posted by Jangle View Post

RUN!!!! THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!!!! RUN!!!!! Xuberant publicly acknowledging my footballing genius!!! That's what happens after getting slapped around like a boitch in Fantasy League.

Now you should know you're crazy

**Paul Marin** · February 20, 2011, 05:25 PM

Originally posted by X View Post

Paul ,Jangle is right , he is , this boy can cut a pass from his defensive position to open up any team, take him out and we are in trouble.

Rafa is a genius, when he said people dont know how good he is ,he was mocked, look at lucas now and he will get better as his confidence grows , maschi is going to look like a joke in two years Lucas will be worth 30 million pounds , memba mi say suh.

Liverpool are blessed with him.

Sorry X - he is still not able to "open up a team" as you represent. That's just not true. What he is good at is running into space and making himself available for the ball, relieving pressure on this team mates. Most of his passes are lateral, backward or barely forward. He's not particularly skillful, fast or tough and is easily knocked off the ball. Hopefully, he will continue to improve and be worth the exorbitant sum you predict. If he is ever worth 20M, I will fly to Liverpool and sit outside Kenny's office until he sells him.

**Paul Marin** · February 20, 2011, 07:00 PM

Originally posted by Lazie View Post

Why would vany midfielder want to go to Barca? Who dem gonna start ahead of? All Cesc better cool because him not starting ahead of a fit Xavi.

Exactly right Lazie. The problem is that these players have agents who I am sure give them an inflated sense of their overall value. In all these transactions, the agents are the ones that truly come out ahead.

**Paul Marin** · February 20, 2011, 07:14 PM

Here is a good example of the agent's mentality from this interview with Antonio Sanz, Fernando Torres's agent:
http://asia.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2009-2010/qa-torres's-agent_sto2648367/story.shtml

Here are some telling quotes:

Question from Aceno: When and why did Torres decide to leave Liverpool?
Antonio Sanz: The decision was made last week after Chelsea made their offer. He thought a lot about it, and decided he wanted to step up a level.

Perfect example of his thoughts being transfered onto the player.

=============

Question from Maryjoe: When Fernando left Atletico, it seemed that he made the final decision after the famous match against Barca at the Calderon. Was there also a particular time that he decided to leave Liverpool?
Antonio Sanz: I think that the Calderon was the straw that broke the camel's back. He had long suspected that his time at Atletico was over. This time has been different. Anyway, Liverpool have doubled the money they spent on Fernando in 42 months.

Interesting. Still don't know if there was a "particular time" when Torres decided to leave, but "anyway, Liverpool have doubled the money"...great.

=============

And finally...

Question from eduardo: Did you think at any point during the negotiations that the transfer was not going to happen?
Antonio Sanz: Yes. There were critical moments, like Sunday afternoon, when I feared that it wouldn't happen.

Exactly!! Not that Torres feared it wouldn't happen. Nothing like a 5M agency fee to keep one focused.

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