[Archived] Lucas Neill

[leon]

I think he does a good job at RB, but it frustrates me how many misplaced passes seem to eminate from him.

[roversWASmylife]

I'm not sure on Neill, he's too in-consistant.

He is solid in the tackle but if he comes against a winger with pace he does tend to struggle.

His distribution of the ball is very poor, he gave the ball away a few times at United on Saturday and has done for a long time.

If Souness offers decent money for him, let him go.

[tchocky]

No point selling him unless we get a better replacement, and although Eddie can't think of one I'm sure our scouting network and all the profit hungry agents around the world would be able to find one. But he has played some part in us only letting in 7 goals in the last 17 league games (isnt that right?), so credit to him for that. Still think he's average and positional sense is still lacking.

[thenodrog]

I think he does a good job at RB, but it frustrates me how many misplaced passes seem to eminate from him.

Difficult to play a good pass when Thommo in front is playing too narrow and Dickov marked by 2 6ft+ centre halves is the only outlet. I've no doubt that choosing to play his way out of trouble by playing intricate one - two's with Todd and Flitty is probably on Sparky's 'most banned' list!

Edited April 6, 2005 by thenodrog

[Eddie]

No point selling him unless we get a better replacement, and although Eddie can't think of one I'm sure our scouting network and all the profit hungry agents around the world would be able to find one. But he has played some part in us only letting in 7 goals in the last 17 league games (isnt that right?), so credit to him for that. Still think he's average and positional sense is still lacking.

No one else on here has come up with a cheap player, guaranteed to come and to be a success. Why take a gamble when the guy you have has years left and is doing very well?

[DanLad]

It was only a rumour but I heard that Souness told Neill that he was surplus to requirements at the start of the season completely out of the blue. Lucas had just had a house built/bought a house for a substantial amount of money and was aghast. That's what I put some ropey early season form down to and, if it's true, surely Lucas won't go near Souness with a barge pole...

[RoyRover]

Steven Carr!!! Are you mad.

What, the same Steven Carr who is one of the best right backs in the Premiership? Lucas Neill, like a lot of our players seems to have had a new lease of life under Hughes and he has been a solid figure in our back line. I'd hope that the board would reject any offers from Newcastle or any other clubs for Lucas, because he has improved hughley and is getting back to what he was when we first signed him. Although, another right back to provide cover for him would be welcome.

[benhben]

If our defence has conceeded 12 goals in 20 odd games, as someone posted not long ago, why disturb that defensive line?

[Brownie]

I think he does a good job at RB, but it frustrates me how many misplaced passes seem to eminate from him.

Difficult to play a good pass when Thommo in front is playing too narrow and Dickov marked by 2 6ft+ centre halves is the only outlet. I've no doubt that choosing to play his way out of trouble by playing intricate one - two's with Todd and Flitty is probably on Sparky's 'most banned' list!

My vote for post of the year.

I've been trying to get this point over for years with Lucas.

It was the man himself who first pointed it out to me.

He said the centre halves usually give him the ball, if Thompson is playing he is very rarely an outlet so he usually has to either find a forward's feet or play the ball into the corners for someone to chase.

No Alan Shearer Mike Newell or Chris Sutton to win a header for our full backs.

[Ossydave]

I think he does a good job at RB, but it frustrates me how many misplaced passes seem to eminate from him.

Difficult to play a good pass when Thommo in front is playing too narrow and Dickov marked by 2 6ft+ centre halves is the only outlet. I've no doubt that choosing to play his way out of trouble by playing intricate one - two's with Todd and Flitty is probably on Sparky's 'most banned' list!

My vote for post of the year.

I've been trying to get this point over for years with Lucas.

It was the man himself who first pointed it out to me.

He said the centre halves usually give him the ball, if Thompson is playing he is very rarely an outlet so he usually has to either find a forward's feet or play the ball into the corners for someone to chase.

No Alan Shearer Mike Newell or Chris Sutton to win a header for our full backs.

You've got a crush on him because you cleaned his fish tank

[stuwilky]

He doesnt play it to the corners, he plays it to the opposition, or out for a throw in!!

[Brownie]

I think he does a good job at RB, but it frustrates me how many misplaced passes seem to eminate from him.

Difficult to play a good pass when Thommo in front is playing too narrow and Dickov marked by 2 6ft+ centre halves is the only outlet. I've no doubt that choosing to play his way out of trouble by playing intricate one - two's with Todd and Flitty is probably on Sparky's 'most banned' list!

My vote for post of the year.

I've been trying to get this point over for years with Lucas.

It was the man himself who first pointed it out to me.

He said the centre halves usually give him the ball, if Thompson is playing he is very rarely an outlet so he usually has to either find a forward's feet or play the ball into the corners for someone to chase.

No Alan Shearer Mike Newell or Chris Sutton to win a header for our full backs.

You've got a crush on him because you cleaned his fish tank

He gave it back to us actually.

Didn't go with the decor in his new house !

[americanrover]

id take neil if we got a reduced price for bellmay. im convinced with everybody looking at our defensive record we can get somebody.

Edited April 6, 2005 by americanrover

[RevidgeBlue]

My vote for post of the year.

I've been trying to get this point over for years with Lucas.

It was the man himself who first pointed it out to me.

He said the centre halves usually give him the ball, if Thompson is playing he is very rarely an outlet so he usually has to either find a forward's feet or play the ball into the corners for someone to chase.

Play the ball into the corners, pull the other one it usually ends up in row 16.

Athletic certainly and quite effective bombing forward. That apart he seems incapable of passing the ball to a blue and white shirt. More importantly he has no defensive positional sense at all and has played abysmally for a season and a half.

Anything over £2m and we should snap the buyers hand off.

(Or if you're reading this Graeme, you're quite right he is the best right back in the league and should be worth at least £6m more of Newcastle's dosh.)

[tsnuf]

From the games I've seen, I'd be pleased if we kept Neill. When he goes forward he isn't one of those full backs that hugs the line to try and get a cross in, he likes to cut in, and is quite good at it too. He seems to have a good understanding with Emerton, and gets quite a few good blocks in. I'll agree that he seems to struggle with pacy wingers though...

I vote for just getting him some competition.

[jobo380]

Newcastle you can have him!

[Yorkshire Blue]

That's the kind of attitude that saw us give Andy Cole away for nothing leaving us with no strikers. So we give Neill to Newcastle. That will help us how? He's a decent right back.

[Blue blood]

Have to say his distribution is one of the things that most irritates me. Still it's not as bad as Tommo's currently. I'd not really considered the options to pass to, but it seems a logical argument. With a target man and a more intelligent footballer in front of him it would be interesting to see whether his distribution was like. I suspect it might still be poor but who knows.

I reckon if we'd have said get rid of Grey and keep Neill at the start of the season people on the MB would have been dead against it. Interesting that that's now the case and we're very solid defensively.

If Neill was that bad as people say he is the team would have suffered. This is the Premiership - you can't carry players. If it ain't broke don't fix it. We should have learnt that at least from Souness.

[Montfort]

I am surprised at all this critism of Neil. I would not have thought that replacing him was anywhere near one of our priorities. As lots of people have said he is part of a very stingy defense. I would have thought he was one of the first names on the team sheet- he always seems to play.

Of much more concern is the left back position. Whilst both Nissa and Mateo are sound defensively - and I think Nissa looks good at centre back - we get very little from them going forward. Mateo in particular has a signature rather aimless punt as his main offensive weapon which never produces any pressure down the left side.

[den]

Maybe Gresko can fill the left back spot? I know he was poor earlier in the season, but the whole defence was awful then.

Previous to this season he has shown great qualities.

[DanLad]

Maybe Gresko can fill the left back spot? I know he was poor earlier in the season, but the whole defence was awful then.

Previous to this season he has shown great qualities.

The only time that Gresko looked good was when he was playing behind Duff. He looked vulnerable otherwise and he is also now coming back from a long term injury.

When he played more recently (relatively) he seemed slow and more obessed with pulling shirts and wrestling people than winning the ball.

That was under a different regime a Ewood, though, and maybe Hughes and his staff will be able to get the best out of Gresko?

[American]

Or maybe the fact he would have a winger in front of him again would help...

[steven]

I watched an Aussie football show last night (Total Football) which had Neill and Cahill as guests. They're over here at the moment playing Paraguay on Saturday and Bahrain on Wednesday.

Neill was asked about his feelings after the world cup and he said he wasn't very happy to be coming back to Blackburn after the world cup. We've heard this before from him, and he's hardly the biggest ambassador for Blackburn.

He was also asked about his on/off transfer to Liverpool and he said that it was out of his hands on deadline day whether Rovers accepted the offer. He said it was a big complement that had been paid by Rovers rejecting the bid, but it was a bitr frustrating when he could have played for such an iconic club as Liverpool!

Regarding his future, he said that all he can do is knuckle down and put in performances at Rovers and for Australia and hope that opportunities like that come again.

Having read the story in LET from Friedel about Neill being pursuaded to stay if we go well in the UEFA cup, its a nice sentiment, but from what the man himself said last night, I'd be very surprised if it happened.

If I was Hughes I'd be looking now for a replacement. I'm sure he is!

[OhmiBRFC]

what a w*nker

[Flopsy]

yeah, how dare he honour his contract but be looking for some alternate place of work once his contract ends. How dare he how dare he.

If Lucas carries on playing as he is, and then leaves at the end of his contract, I would say thanks Lucas, good luck for the future.

People need to realise that they do it all the time in the real world so footballers doing it isnt actually that much of a crime.

However if he refused to play, or threatened to score own goals, Hang him upside down by the toes and let Abbey have his way with him for a bit. That'll teach him