I’ve no doubt if you dropped Luiz into any top team around Europe tomorrow he’s be starting champions leagues games for them. I actually think he would do well at Citeh, I was watching Fernandinho the other week and as good a player as he is, I think Luiz is slightly better at looking forward but is certainly not as strong defensively. The pace of the game here is what sometimes catches him out but that will come - and hes
What Luiz has for 22 years old, is a brilliant football brain. The Arsenal away game when it was tight, he cleared one off the line if I remember correctly. He reads the play well, if we didn’t have Luiz for the run in during lockdown 1, we’d have got relegated because he was playing every game at an 8 or 9 rating.
I do think he’s not influencing the game as much as he was then, and it’s a bit of a roller coaster. Like all the midfield, if it’s fast and frantic, that doesn’t suit his game.
The biggest tactical change we need to make is moving SJM forward against the weaker teams. Leave that space in front of the back 4 for Luiz to play in, but move SJM 5-10 yards forward so that he is a 5th option to pass forwards rather than sideways.
I didn’t like seeing SJM sat alongside him for the West Brom match, that was a negative tactic either from the manager or just SJM’s confidence to sit deeper.
Some people have mentioned moving Luiz forward, but I don’t yet see a player who is suited to that combat in the middle, also it would take away from his strengths at recycling the ball efficiently and moving it from wing to wing.
You also don’t need a Roy Keane type tackler in defensive midfield these days as you can’t tackle, you need athletic players who can get a foot in as a player is moving with the ball or one who can read the pass to cut it out.