Listening to Tim Vickery on a recent World Football Phone-In question prompted this article. The topic of discussion was David Luiz, and specifically David Luiz’s temperament – is the Chelsea centerback too rash to be relied upon in defense? It’s a topic we’ve discussed here on the Brazil World Cup Blog from time to time. We all know David Luiz’s virtues. He’s an exceptional athlete, he’s tremendously skilled on the ball (especially for a defender), he’s excellent in the air and he’s a talented shooter when the occasion arises. If you want your centerback to bring the ball out of defense quickly and spectacularly, there might not be a better player in football. Lucio might have something to say about that, but it’s possible that David Luiz has taken his place as the world’s most stellar practitioner of the “fuck this shit” run. Luiz’s flaws are equally notable. His positioning can be quite poor – witness in the Mexico game for Brazil, when both he and Marcelo strayed too far forward at inopportune times, leaving the back of the pitch unmanned. Twice Brazil was nearly burned by Mexican counterattacks, saved only by a faltering Chicharito and an off-his-line Jefferson.
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The Situational Player
