A lot has been made of Lucas’ performances of late. After reaching some incredible highs with Liverpool, the Brazilian had to build himself back up for Brendan Rodgers first season after a serious injury, which saw him out for months. Many fans have been quick to jump on Lucas’ case this season. But with so many fans disappointed with his displays, it’s partly down to the high standards set by the midfielder from his previous seasons.
With change of manager, came change of tactics, and formation. And with Rodgers philosophy built around the midfield, it would be easy to spot why players like Adam didn’t suit his thoughts. Liverpools preferred formation this season has been a 4-2-3-1. With Lucas acting as holding midfielder in a double pivot with Gerrard. We also used the double pivot under Benitez when we had Alonso and Mascherano used as the ‘2’.
This season, Lucas problem hasn’t been his distribution. In actual fact his passing has only been 2nd to Steven Gerrard. He can quite quickly play balls from deep out to the wingers or the over lapping full backs. Something all deep lying midfielders should do, but Lucas has done it brilliantly. Lucas plays a similar role to Carrick. Although I think Carrick is a far superior player, they both posses similar qualities.
I’ve analysed Lucas’ performances of late. It’s clear to me, and to others is, Lucas closes down to much. He quickly runs up to the opposition midfielder who has the ball. Pressuring him, he plays a simple pass and away they go. There’s a gap in front of the back four, where any of there attackers can roam into untouched with the ball. In other words. Lucas is out of position.
I initially thought it was something quite simple. Tell Lucas to refrain himself to pressing. Let Rodgers have a ‘wee’ word with him to tell him to just sit and not get pulled put of position. Lucas is a clever footballer, he has the brains. Not every footballer has the right footballing head(Skrtel), but Lucas does. He’ll be able to adapt to any critiques Rodgers makes to his game.
Now, from my analysing I found the problem that has led to Lucas getting dragged out of position. You may not like it, but here it is. Steven Gerrard. He doesn’t have the legs. In a 4-2-3-1, the central players roles are.
1. Deep lying play maker(Lucas)
2. The shuttler(Steven Gerrard)
3. The ’10′(Luis Suarez)
Lucas has the difficult, but simple job of playing as the holding midfielder, in other words, the Makélélé role. He must sit just in front of the defence. Take the ball out the defence and quickly commence attacks, preferably down the flanks.
The shuttler. Gerrard. Because Lucas has to refrain himself to press and try to win the ball from high up the pitch, it’s the shuttlers job to do the donkey work. He has to be fit. Press up high, win the ball back, be a quick passer. He has to have the legs to quickly burst out of the midfield to support attacks. Does Gerrard really have the fitness levels.
If you watch closely. It’s always Lucas who has to apply the pressure on the midfield meaning he gets caught out of position, and Gerrard’s doing neither job. So Gerrard’s caught in Limbo, and were not getting the best out of Gerrard.
How do we stop the rot. Well, while throwing up different options in my it hit me. Jordan Henderson. He’s by far the fittest player on the pitch, he loves to press on the opposition, not allowing them have any time on the ball, and he often makes a break from midfield. What a prefect combination. Lucas and Henderson acting as a double pivot in midfield. Lucas as the destroyer and the go to man for defenders(someone to pass to short) and Henderson, someone to do the donkey work, something I’m sure he’s more than happy to do,to help the cause.
I’m not for one second saying we should drop Gerrard. Because he’s the heart and sole of this team. What I am suggesting is that we push him higher up the pitch. Playing Gerrard as a ’10’. Out of the 3 midfield position in a ‘Rodgers’ team, playing as the ’10’ is the least demanding position physically. Which suits Gerrard. In all seriousness, lets not romanticise this, Gerrard not getting any younger.
Back when Rafa was the manager he was asked if Gerrard would drop back deeper when he was older. A sensible question, considering the same has happened to Scholes. Rafa response was not of that though. He felt that as time went on, we’d see Stevie moving further up the pitch, in complete support for the front man.
Can Gerrard play Lucas’ role, I here you ask. He could, but he’d do a woeful job. It’s like when Scholes plays for United. He sits deep, same positioning as Carrick, he distributes the ball excellently, but he doesn’t do the defensive work like Carrick does. Any United fan would tell you, that they concede more goals whiles Scholes is playing instead of Carrick. And even more so, they’ll tell you that the 2 of them can’t play together. They both sit deep. Scholes has to act as the shuttler. As he doesn’t have the legs for it, he can’t act as the shuttler in the double pivot.
I read an article recently by Steve Hoare of the Bib Theorists, on how we play a very deep back four. This topic, in some ways coincides with the topic of the double pivot. I won’t go into the details of how and why we play a deep line, but what I will say is that I think playing Gerrard and Lucas together as the double pivot is making us play that deep line.
At first I just thought, again, it was something simple. Let Rodgers have a word. ‘Push up a wee bit lads’. Then I questioned was it Carragher’s presences, was he afraid that the ball would go over his head, and he wouldn’t be able to get back and cover. Maybe. But all in all I think it’s down to Gerrard and his positioning.
If you have your midfield 3, and you want there to be 3 lines of midfielder players. Lucas the deepest. Gerrard in front of his(going back and forth). Then the furthest player up. Because Gerrard can’t be going back and forth, he spends most of his game doing one or the other. Either in the same line of Lucas or the same line as Suarez. In my opinion, he spends 80% of his game in Lucas’ line. This means we have two players playing deep, which can only mean the defence have to drop a bit deeper.
Ill finish on high. Pictures this midfield and attack.
———Lucas——-Henderson————
–Coutinho——-Gerrard———-Suarez–
——————Sturridge—————–
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