Player Watch Player Watch - Lucas Moura

[DannyNZ]

Only contribution at moment is bit of running around and winning a couple of freekicks. Attacks and passing movements are generally ending when they get to Moura, I just don’t think we can play Moura and Son successfully in this formation as both are so average When it comes to retaining the ball and passing movements. Little wonder our best chances were through and to, Emerson and Reggi as our front three aren’t combining or performing.

 

[Aphex]

I'm gonna laugh my arse off when Lucas becomes a key part of our title winning team. Man's more than decent. Watch what a real coach does with him.

No team is winning a title with Lucas as RWF. To win a title you need your attacker to score and create. Lucas does neither

 

[barry]

No team is winning a title with Lucas as RWF. To win a title you need your attacker to score and create. Lucas does neither

We're obviously watching different players. We've been devoid of creativity for a while so Lucas takes it upon himself to inject a spark in our attack. He often fails and on one hand gets vilified for it, while on the other people bemoan a lack of creativity. Lucas ain't the best finisher but he ain't bad, and his passing and vision are decent. I think with Conte's style opening up more options he could be more than adequate.
I also think you're too fixated on this rwf position. Lucas has pace, can dribble, and can spot a pass. He could be a damn good AM.
Inter's goals mainly came through Lukaku, and Chelsea's through the angry Brazilian lad (forget his name). Who would you sign that is a guaranteed huge upgrade on Lucas.

 

[Aphex]

We're obviously watching different players. We've been devoid of creativity for a while so Lucas takes it upon himself to inject a spark in our attack. He often fails and on one hand gets vilified for it, while on the other people bemoan a lack of creativity. Lucas ain't the best finisher but he ain't bad, and his passing and vision are decent. I think with Conte's style opening up more options he could be more than adequate.
I also think you're too fixated on this rwf position. Lucas has pace, can dribble, and can spot a pass. He could be a damn good AM.
Inter's goals mainly came through Lukaku, and Chelsea's through the angry Brazilian lad (forget his name). Who would you sign that is a guaranteed huge upgrade on Lucas.

Lucas can pick a pass? lol he's an awful passer, he loses possession constantly and his head down dribbles often result in absolutely nothing but losing the ball. He's nowhere near the level we need, he won't be long in this team under Conte. Not a shadow of a doubt that Conte will be looking to upgrade on him.

His lack of creativity is a big problem, and his goal and assist output is so low it says it all.

I really not sure what you are seeing in Lucas tbh. Yeah he works hard and that's it, not good enough.

 

[wiggo24]

I still think that his issues are going to be difficult to coach out of him, and I still think he shouldn't be starting for us going forward if we want any chance at top 4.

He fundamentally lacks the footballing IQ to be a top winger. He's got quick feet and his shooting is decent but his movement isn't clever enough to get in positions to score, when he's on the ball he spends most of the time running down blind alleys or misplacing simple passes, and off the ball he is a good front-foot presser but doesn't track his men and leaves holes in the system.

He's a player who can look exceptional against weaker opposition who give him space (which is why he often stands out in ECL/Carabao cup games etc) but if you took the aesthetics out of the equation and signed another RW who made mature decisions and had intelligent movement, I'm fairly certain that our front three would show real improvement and create a lot more chances.

Might be harsh but over the last two or three years he's started a LOT of games and as far I can tell he's a frustrating and inefficient as ever. Would look to upgrade on him asap if we continue with the 3-4-3 shape.

 

[Montalbano]

He's not got the crossing ability to be a RWB under Conte. Assuming we do revert to Conte's 3-5-2, Lucas' best bet is probably going to be being used as a rotation option for Son up front (which I actually think is where you get the best out of Lucas).

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

We're obviously watching different players. We've been devoid of creativity for a while so Lucas takes it upon himself to inject a spark in our attack. He often fails and on one hand gets vilified for it, while on the other people bemoan a lack of creativity. Lucas ain't the best finisher but he ain't bad, and his passing and vision are decent. I think with Conte's style opening up more options he could be more than adequate.
I also think you're too fixated on this rwf position. Lucas has pace, can dribble, and can spot a pass. He could be a damn good AM.
Inter's goals mainly came through Lukaku, and Chelsea's through the angry Brazilian lad (forget his name). Who would you sign that is a guaranteed huge upgrade on Lucas.

Raphinha or Pedro Neto when he is fit again. Both huge upgrades over Lucas, way younger and much higher ceilings too.

 

[dtxspurs]

He's not got the crossing ability to be a RWB under Conte. Assuming we do revert to Conte's 3-5-2, Lucas' best bet is probably going to be being used as a rotation option for Son up front (which I actually think is where you get the best out of Lucas).

That's where he was at his best in his time at Spurs. He was still pretty inconsistent but he got 10 goals in the prem playing next to Kane in that 18/19 season.

 

[soflapaul]

Moura makes plenty of mistakes but you ultimately judge him not by the number of mistakes he makes but the number of positive outcomes. He gets into spots that no other player on out team gets too, he stretches the defense as good as anyone we have and has the occasional amazing dribble which ultimately ends up with him losing the ball or drawing a foul often in forward positions. If we can increase the quality of our set pieces, then his value becomes greater.

He shouldn't be taking on players in the first third and in many cases the middle third unless it is a build up of play for the reasons already mentioned. Proof number 1 was the second goal against Man U if memory serves correctly. It is also questionable how many of his bad mental habits can be coached out. With that said, as a coach, i would always want one Lucas Moura on my team. There are so many ways you can use him to create uncertainty in an opposing defense.

 

[cjbyid]

Just cause we all love & still miss Mousa

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

You could see the formation and tactical changes taking place in this game already and I'm not sure it really suited Lucas. When the wing backs got forward and we had the flat 5 across the front he seemed to always be the "extra man" but not in a good way. I can definitely see us moving to the 352 and think it'll suit us better as the 3 forwards condensed in the attack always made one of the forwards feel redundant. I don't see Lucas stepping in for Kane or Son in the front 2, maybe as the right wing back and to be fair he'd probably get quite a few opportunities from that role. Emerson is playing well though so Lucas is really likely a squad player at best once we settle.

 

[spursfan77]

Moura makes plenty of mistakes but you ultimately judge him not by the number of mistakes he makes but the number of positive outcomes. He gets into spots that no other player on out team gets too, he stretches the defense as good as anyone we have and has the occasional amazing dribble which ultimately ends up with him losing the ball or drawing a foul often in forward positions. If we can increase the quality of our set pieces, then his value becomes greater.

He shouldn't be taking on players in the first third and in many cases the middle third unless it is a build up of play for the reasons already mentioned. Proof number 1 was the second goal against Man U if memory serves correctly. It is also questionable how many of his bad mental habits can be coached out. With that said, as a coach, i would always want one Lucas Moura on my team. There are so many ways you can use him to create uncertainty in an opposing defense.

I agree with this and because of it I really think he shouldn’t be any more than a sub for us. Trouble is, our attacking options are so poor the manager has to play him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in the summer when I reckon we could still get a decent fee for him.

 

[djhotspur]

I agree, I dont think Moura is ever going to be good enough for us to start and is definitely not worth us giving up midfield control and creativity to get him on the pitch in a front 3. I would much rather Ndombele, who does similar thingto Moura in terms of dribbling and injection of urgency onto them ball but can also pick a pass etc much more than Moura. I just find him so frustrating and I think his movement is part of our problem as Kane Moura and Ndombele (when he plays at 10) all like to drop into that pocket of space and we end up so narrow. Moura often loses the ball and his out put is no where near good enough for what we want to achieve.

 

[soflapaul]

You could see the formation and tactical changes taking place in this game already and I'm not sure it really suited Lucas. When the wing backs got forward and we had the flat 5 across the front he seemed to always be the "extra man" but not in a good way. I can definitely see us moving to the 352 and think it'll suit us better as the 3 forwards condensed in the attack always made one of the forwards feel redundant. I don't see Lucas stepping in for Kane or Son in the front 2, maybe as the right wing back and to be fair he'd probably get quite a few opportunities from that role. Emerson is playing well though so Lucas is really likely a squad player at best once we settle.

in a 3-5-2, Harry and Sonny will start most games but they will need a rest. Lucas would probably work well in that role especially against a team with ponderous backs.

 

[Khilari]

in a 3-5-2, Harry and Sonny will start most games but they will need a rest. Lucas would probably work well in that role especially against a team with ponderous backs.

Agree with most of what has been written here about his limitations. What he is absolutely incredible at is winning headers. I cannot believe how many he wins.

He, alongside Bergwijn could be reasonable alternatives to Son (maybe Kane) should we suffer injuries or fatigue unless/until we sign an upgrade.

 

[ultimateloner]

Im a fan of Lucas. His stand-out attribute for me is that he performs well in adversity; he is brave and is willing to take on tasks beyond his role (e.g number 10) when the team is in trouble. Abit similar to Lamela.

However we can't pretend that he isn't part of the problem to our lack of creativity. We aren't getting shots on target and not creating in the final third. You can't be absovle of blame when the statistic is so damning and the tend had lasted for so long (to the point that it has cost Nuno's job).

Stylistically he excels in counter-attacking situations, when he is given space to make good runs, but what if the opposition defends deep? He isn't someone who recycles possession well. He isn't a consistent shooter. He sometimes beats his marker but not consisntently.

I think with the transition to 352, where the fullback gives him more option (or at least less attention from defenders) he may excel, but as others have said, this doesn't play to the strengh of his game. For me, the obvious beneficiay to such a change should be Dele; as he is the closest we have to a classic no.10. But is that Dele still around? who knwos.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

Im a fan of Lucas. His stand-out attribute for me is that he performs well in adversity; he is brave and is willing to take on tasks beyond his role (e.g number 10) when the team is in trouble. Abit similar to Lamela.

However we can't pretend that he isn't part of the problem to our lack of creativity. We aren't getting shots on target and not creating in the final third. You can't be absovle of blame when the statistic is so damning and the tend had lasted for so long (to the point that it has cost Nuno's job).

Stylistically he excels in counter-attacking situations, when he is given space to make good runs, but what if the opposition defends deep? He isn't someone who recycles possession well. He isn't a consistent shooter. He sometimes beats his marker but not consisntently.

I think with the transition to 352, where the fullback gives him more option (or at least less attention from defenders) he may excel, but as others have said, this doesn't play to the strengh of his game. For me, the obvious beneficiay to such a change should be Dele; as he is the closest we have to a classic no.10. But is that Dele still around? who knwos.

Username checks out.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Created multiple goalscoring opportunities for the team today, but not a single post in his player thread (until this one). I'm confident there will be lots of posts the next time he doesn't excel.

Created the chances from which Kane and Son hit the woodwork, then assisted our first goals, then won the free-kick that led to the second goal. A very productive day for someone who lacks end product, only runs into dead ends and can't pick out a pass.

 

[Strikeb4ck]

Created multiple goalscoring opportunities for the team today, but not a single post in his player thread (until this one). I'm confident there will be lots of posts the next time he doesn't excel.

Created the chances from which Kane and Son hit the woodwork, then assisted our first goals, then won the free-kick that led to the second goal. A very productive day for someone who lacks end product, only runs into dead ends and can't pick out a pass.

I like Lucas and think he has a unique skillset within this squad, but I think you are being very selective with the outtakes of that match. He lost possession 25 times today. He improved and was a catalyst for some of the better attacking moves in the 2nd half. I think it was a mixed bag performance, like most of the team his 1H was dreadful and the 2H was much improved.

 

[wiggo24]

Created multiple goalscoring opportunities for the team today, but not a single post in his player thread (until this one). I'm confident there will be lots of posts the next time he doesn't excel.

Created the chances from which Kane and Son hit the woodwork, then assisted our first goals, then won the free-kick that led to the second goal. A very productive day for someone who lacks end product, only runs into dead ends and can't pick out a pass.

Lucas has to be one of the most confusing/frustrating players out there. Every week someone says he played well and most of the time I just don't see it at all.

Everything you said about his positive actions is completely true...and yet I still think he had another poor game. The amount of times the ball just bounced off him was unacceptable, especially given the importance of holding up those pinged vertical passes which are crucial in Conte's system. I also thought his pressing was less effective than it usually is, and he made the wrong decisions on a couple of key counters in the first half especially.

Still think he's the ultimate Match of the Day player. Occassionally pops up with a good assist or cracking dribble but in general mainly serves to massively limit the team's overall effectiveness by regularly losing the ball, not holding the shape (going forward or defensively) and making the wrong decisions at crucial moments.

Aware this is potentially harsh but it's frustrating as he clearly has talent with the ball at his feet but I think his footballing intelligence (or lack thereof) really limits his game.