By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:59:28 +0000

Thanks Robert – all good points. As you said, Lucas also set up Kuyt for the one on one chance that he skewed wide in the first half. I’m not sure we’ve yet seen the best of his ‘box to box’ style which Tim Vickery and others have noted but his tactical discipline is undoubtedly really important.

By: Robert Black

Robert Black — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:52:01 +0000

Great analysis Matt. I agree with your points, but would also add that Lucas’ forward runs add a lot to the team as well. The obvious example is the one-two with Kuyt to set up Ngog for the second goal, but all game he was making good runs forward. One (again a one-tow with Kuyt) led to him having a shot from the edge of the box. Another won a freekick on the side of Man U’s box. Several times he got into good positions and the pass to him was cut out.
It is noticeable that he doesn’t go forward when the ball is in the middle third, but once it gets into the final third he always gets up to support the attack, and does so with intelligent runs. I think it’s this aspect to his game that makes him more effective than Alonso. As you mentioned in a different analysis, Mascherano has been taking responsibility for being the playmaker, and he has shown a great ability to spray the ball out to the wings. This means that we don’t really miss Alonso’s passing, and the fact that Lucas and Mascherano are both good pressers and tacklers means we are stronger than when we had one good presser and tackler and one static, poor presser who had one aspect to his game that was of a very high standard, but was poor in most other aspects.
For Ngog’s goal, Alonso would probably have made the initial pass to Kuyt that Lucas did, but he wouldn’t have the ran the length of the pitch to receive the ball back and set up Ngog.

Comments on: Lucas Leiva against Manchester United

By: Matthew

By: Robert Black