Source: Liverpool_Echo
Liverpool FC's Lucas used to taking the long way round
Lucas used to taking the long way round[LNB]IN the season of the beach ball and the big chill, it was perhaps to be expected there would be one more idiosyncrasy for Liverpool to negotiate before the end.[LNB]So with UEFA decreeing tomorrow night's Europa League semi-finals go ahead - regardless of the havoc Mount Eyjafjallajokull continues to wreak - we now have the ultimate road trip: Liverpool to Madrid by any possible means.[LNB]Had Rafa Benitez been able to stick to the routine he has favoured in previous rounds, the Reds would have convened at Melwood this morning, trained and had lunch before jetting to the Spanish capital to put the finishing touches to their preparations.[LNB]Instead, the squad awoke bright and early in Paris to catch a shuttle train to Bordeaux before completing the remainder of their 24-hour journey by plane; it has, without doubt, been a totally unique experience for the vast majority of this squad.[LNB]Not, however, for Lucas. While some recoiled at the idea of having to take in a spot of inter-railing, the Brazilian midfielder simply took it all in his stride, not allowing himself to be ruffled by this unexpected break from the norm.[LNB]'When I was younger, I lived in Porto Alegré when I played for Gremio,' he explained.[LNB]'My home town, Dourados, was 1300km from Porto Alegré and I used to go back by coach there quite a lot on holiday.[LNB]'The problem when you don't live in Rio or Sao Paulo is that you have to keep making connections, so it takes a long time to get elsewhere. Maybe not 20 hours, but a long time. You just have to try to enjoy the trip.
