Recognition: where it is deserved!

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Damien Comolli, Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool Football Club have today secured a massive signing for the present and future, by rewarding Lucas Pezzini Leiva with a new long term contract, which on the same basis as the contracts for Suarez and Carroll, will see him plying the Anfield turf for the foreseeable future.

Credit where it is due! Signed in the summer of 2007 by Rafa Benitez for Stg 5 million, the young Brazilian of Italian descent (he does have an Italian passport) has since flourished and benefitted from having the likes of Xabi Alonso, Xavier Mascherano and a certain Steven Gerrard as lecturers to refine his trade. Rafa, Roy and Kenny all saw promise and passion in the untypically blonde Brazilian, with the latter playing a fundamental role in assuring that player remains a Red, because Lucas, unlike others, wanted to remain a Red. He has not only become a first choice player for Liverpool, he has also became an fundamental part of the new Brazil selecao project which is doing away with the established champions and building its future on the up and coming stars, proof of this is the friendly played against Scotland last weekend.

A mouthful to those that deserve it! I can still remember the articles and comments that crucified Lucas Leiva every time the Reds had a woeful game. He was always the culprit, he was always the scapegoat, and he was called allsorts, shot him down mercilessly. Even recently when I incentivized comments through my articles on EOTK on what the Liverpool squad should look like next season, there were many of you that insisted Lucas Leiva should be sold! Now I never said I was an expert, and I will never claim to be infallible, but for those Liverpool supporters who continue to slag the young Brazilian off I say: get your facts right, for you know nothing about football!

Let’s face it! When you consider that this youngster left Brazil for Liverpool at age 20 (imagine both the ambience and culture change), came to play for one of the best Clubs in the world (which we still are and will remain to be), elbowed his way through the ranks of senior players, grafted game after game, and took in a massive amount of criticism in part from the press but mostly from the fans, this would have broken down the confidence of most….but not of Lucas Leiva.
Now with the player rightly rewarded with a new contract and embraced in the new Liverpool project; with his becoming an established International for the most prestigious national team on the planet….Brazil, and with Comolli and Dalglish both delighted at securing his stay, I really would like to know who will have the nerve or perhaps outright idiocy to come out and say, yet again, that he is not Liverpool material.

Will he have his off-game? Of course he will. Will he make mistakes? Bloody right, who doesn’t! But for those that were and continue to be skeptical about the lad, these should now put their bad vibes to rest, because Lucas Leiva is an important part of the new Henry, Comolli and Dalglish project and he will be gracing the lush turf of Anfield for a few more seasons to come. Anyone in the mood to contradict Kenny Dalglish?

26 Comments

  1. Credit where credit is due, Lucas deserves a new contract. During Hodgson’s reign he was very poor but since Kenny’s return he’s come alive and he definitely earns his place. I’m glad he’s on our team. We just need to get rid of Maxi and get Joe Cole playing our way!

  2. Excellent post Tonio, thoroughly agree! Lucas deserves this new contract. Mentally and physically strong player and one I’m extremely proud of as a Liverpool player.

  3. Spot on. Lucas has been one of your best players for more than just this season. We have Michael Carrick treated exactly the same by our fans – understated, hard working, and a very important part of the team – and yet the uneducated idiots amongst our support crucify him for not being Lionel Messi.

  4. finally done with… the transfer rumors related with the man were really worrying especially after the vast improvement he had shown… surely a wise decision… hope he keeps improving… YNWA

  5. I NEVER COMMENT ON ANY BLOGS,OR WEBSITES NOT EVEN THE ECHO, BUT I FEEL I MUST COMMENT!!

    Lucas has worked really hard and kept his head up when (nearly) everyone was saying he is crap. All his hard work is deservedly paying off now. He is a great player who is only going to get better!

  6. Well said I agree with you totally, Lucas has been great for us this season. I still see people running their mouth about him but most fans know what he brings to the team. For the fans who still complain about him next game watch him and you might find out why he deserves first team inLliverpool and Brazil. We need new players in LFC and when we do Lucas should have more freedom like he does with Brazil, then we should be able to get the best out of him.

  7. im not a Lucas fan, bt im not a hater either. I hope he improves, coz as far as im concerned he is too average and he is not strong enuf. He needs mo tym in the gym. Coz he usually losses physical battles. I hope Kenny and Comoli r ryt.
    Mr Bone, u seem to be saying ‘i told u so’ to the fans who dont lyk Lucas. U also seem to be sayin ‘in ur face!’.
    For my favourite writer, i dont think its cool.

  8. Couldn’t agree more. Ive nearly bin through out of anfield for fronting sum1 booing him about 2 years ago

  9. Yes because Kenny is by no means infallible. Lucas is a decent player but no mover and shaker in the European theatre would give him a start. If we have the same ambitions as the elite we have to sign better

  10. Guys! There might be a few instances where I really would needed to express my dismay at the unfair treatment this player got from a large chunk of fans in and out of Anfield. I felt that the team as a unit did not function well and his name was always the first to pop up with a barrage of criticism.
    On many occasions, his age, his responsability, his culture were never even considered and I am sure that HIS persistence will come back to repay the Club for the faith they showed in him.

  11. Would still see him as a squad player. Would rather have Johnson or a solid defensive minded midfielder instead.

    I like the links we have to Gago, someone like that.

    1. @ Gelich. It may be just an opinion, but we do keep forgetting that the lad plays for Brazil. How many ‘squad’ players does the selecao have? Is there not enough talent in abundance in Brazil to choose from, so why choose him? Also, why spending millions on Gago who is unproven in the PL when we have a lad that has been flourishing season after season?

  12. Always thought Lucas was a top player and he has proved it even more so this season. So consistent in every performance, can’t remember him having a bad game this season? One of the best if not the best player in a red shirt this season.

  13. I’m pleased for Lucas. The lad is hardworking, never complains, gives his all for the team and wants to play for us.

    I can never understand the detractors who say he isn’t good enough for Liverpool when the likes of Rafa, Kenny, Comolli, Steve Clarke, Stevie G, Carra and Menezes rate both him both as a player and a person.

    Lucas has been one of our most consistant players this season and last year was voted as the Young Player of the Year by the FANS! He deserves his new contract and has earned the right to wear the Red of Liverpool.

  14. Tonio as many have said you’re spot on. The only thing I’d add to your article is you didn’t mention how he’s changed his game to fill the role given to him by Refa, roy and Kenny. He was seen as an attacking manager by everyone in Brazil and has on occasion (last year’s Uefa Cup run) shown he still has this in his game when ‘let off the leash’, however he is now seen as a holding midfielder and you’ve never heard him moan once, never seen him sulk on the pitch unlike some. And to answer drakerichards stop talking nonsense Lucas is a regular for Brazil so stop listening to the Nevin’s, Murray’s and all those BBC idiots who had a go yet had to admit post match Brazil’s midfield was better than Scotland’s including the much vaunted Adam.

  15. Don’t agree on Gago, has he looked good for the last two years?
    If we do get a dmf, I would prefer a speedy bulwark NEXT to Lucas, not in place of. Lucas is very smooth distribution wise from the back, safe and efficient. A killer tackler with range next to him would cover his range issue, though in the Brazil system, he seems to be the single defensive midfielder and the ball flows through him from the back. Hardly a squad player considering the breadth of talent in Brazil.

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