Lucas Leiva- Midfield General

Recent reports have been linking midfielder Lucas Leiva with a move away from Anfield, ant there is a lot of fans who support the idea. I honestly believe if we let Lucas go, we would be making a huge mistake. I will admit that I was no fan of his during his first few seasons, constantly criticizing his every move. Over the last season however, he has matured tremendously into the lynch pin of our midfield, and although he does make the occasional mistake, he is still young and is improving rapidly. Yes, we would love a midfield of playmakers, artists with the football, but lets not forget, even the best team in the world, Barcelona, has the holding midfielder. This player allows the likes of Gerrard and Meirelles, Xavi and Iniesta, to work their magic, without worrying about their defensive duties.

Lucas was brought to Liverpool as an attacking midfielder, possibly Gerrard's successor, but Rafa, in his infinite wisdom, decided he was more suited to being a holding player. After Alonso left, and Aquilani failed to make an impact, Lucas was our only remaining option, and had to learn on his feet. He has done terrifically, and has even become a starter for Brazil. So, give the lad a break. He stayed when Alonso and Mascherano left. He has never once made trouble and is a passionate player. Our other options? Poulson is not worthy to lace Lucas' boots, and Spearing isn't ready yet.

The Raul Revolution

Raul Meireles, by far the best signing by Roy, and has recently become our key man. When Meireles arrived in the summer, it was somewhat a shock signing. Arriving after the departure of Mascherano, the captain of Argentina, there were big boots to fill. Meireles had recently stared at the World Cup for Portugal, and his move from FC Porto was largely unexpected. Meireles immediately came out and claimed that he was not a replacement, but was his own player.

His early form was uninspiring, as he was utilised on the right flank, where he performed reasonably well. He showed glimpses of brilliance during the Hodgson era, especially in the absence of Steven Gerrard, when the central midfield berth was vacated. It is no coincidence, that since the departure of Roy and the return of the King. Kenny has given the team a license to thrill, and he is not afraid to play more than one footballing midfielder. Under Hodgson, the team was very restricted, and I do not mean any disrespect to Roy, as his tactics have been very successful with other clubs.

Under the King, our style of play has changed radically, and Meireles has benefitted greatly. In a more attacking role, Raul has discovered the golden touch! Goals, Goals, Goals! His technique is there for all to see, especially in his strikes against Wigan and Wolves. Meireles is fast becoming a key player for LFC, with his penetrating runs from midfield making him a nightmare for defence. Kenny seems to see his midfield as being Gerrard, Meireles and Lucas, which should strike fear into the hearts of many a defence. With their wide range of passing, attacking prowess and their undoubted determination, our midfield looks set to dominate the possession in most matches, providing opportunities for our new look strike force.

So, to summarise, Meireles is undoubtedly our player of the month, possibly our player of the year, and in my opinion, Roy’s biggest contribution to our great football club.

You’ll Never Walk Alone

Cheerio 'Nando

Firstly, I would like to apologise for my absence this last week, as i have needed time to gather my thoughts. What a deadline day! Torres out, Thomas, Suarez and Carroll in.

I'll start with Torres. I would like to thank Fernando for his time at the club, and for some of the memories his goals have created. I do have a big problem with his departure from the club though, for a number of reasons. To start, Fernando said at the beginning of January that he was happy at the club and wanted to help get us out of our current predicament. Now this moves clearly proves that he was not being honest, which is something Liverpool should never stand for. He has also previously said that we were his only English club, which has also now been proved false. I would also like to point out that, had he requested a move to United or Arsenal, who are title contenders, we would have detested but understood. Instead, he has moved to Chelsea, whose players are past their best and have won their titles. This Chelsea move stinks of money, and that is what annoyed me most. He also never said goodbye to the fans, like nearly all of our ex players have!

£50m is a lot of money though, and overall i think we have spent wisely. Yes, £35m is a lot of money for Carroll, who has only made a handful of premier league appearances, but there is no doubting his quality. Standing at 6ft 3, he is a powerhouse, and can lead our line in a different way to Torres. Suarez will prove to be a good signing in my opinion, and will provide the flair in our new look forward line. Altogether, i think the two will more then replace Torres.

I would finally like to give my congratulations to Liverpool on their fantastic win over Chelsea today. Fernando's debut was destroyed by the Red machine, with our player of the month, Raul Meirelles, getting the goal. 4 wins out of 4, without any goals conceded, a champions league spot his not impossible!

Have Faith!

You'll Never Walk Alone!