Lukaku. Yes or no

[Tubey]

This argument, again, is one I don’t understand. You might be right. But Tosun has shown himself to be ineffective and a liability at the level Lukaku excelled at.

Lukaku will excel as a goalscorer at every level he plays at.

That doesn't mean he excels as a footballer.

That's the point - pretty much the only point - I ever make about him. He's a liability to a team, except for goals. That liability is less when you drop down the leagues in quality, which is why he failed at United and is now doing alright at Inter.

 

[DanEFC92]

I’ll take ‘incredibly powerful, explosive and can finish everything in a nano-second’ over ‘awareness of space’, thanks.

I was in awe of Tosun's awareness of space. And his first touch and technique. Cor.

 

[Azzurri]

Lukaku will excel as a goalscorer at every level he plays at.

That doesn't mean he excels as a footballer.

That's the point - pretty much the only point - I ever make about him. He's a liability to a team, except for goals. That liability is less when you drop down the leagues in quality, which is why he failed at United and is now doing alright at Inter.

It does, though, it really does.

 

[Tubey]

It does, though, it really does.

That's where we disagree.

I'd have Firmino in my team every single time ahead of Lukaku, as he excels more for the team and enables their play. Replace Firmino with Lukaku in their title* winning team and they don't win it.

That's my view.

 

[Kurt.]

That's where we disagree.

I'd have Firmino in my team every single time ahead of Lukaku, as he excels more for the team and enables their play. Replace Firmino with Lukaku in their title* winning team and they don't win it.

That's my view.

Now I know you’re taking the pi55 lol

 

[Azzurri]

Even in the modern game, aside from at maybe one or two teams, a striker’s game is about scoring goals. Everything else is secondary. You can argue that Firmino helps his team more than Lukaku if you want. You may be right as he fits their system with Salah and Mane running off him. But he’s been found wanting this season and contributed very little. There’s no telling how that title winning team would have done with Lukaku instead. Given how many points ahead they finished I’d suggest they’d have been fine.

Saying “without his goals he’s a liability” is like talking about Manuel Neuer and saying “without his saves he’s a liability”.

Sure, if you take away the most important aspect of football and focus on ‘awareness of space’ then Cenk Tosun (on loan in Turkey after scoring 10 goals in 54 English games) is better than Lukaku (scored 16 goals in 21 games this season after an £80m move).

 

[Tubey]

Now I know you’re taking the pi55 lol

For me that's not even a remotely controversial statement. It's not even close.

 

[Tubey]

Even in the modern game, aside from at maybe one or two teams, a striker’s game is about scoring goals. Everything else is secondary. You can argue that Firmino helps his team more than Lukaku if you want. You may be right as he fits their system with Salah and Mane running off him. But he’s been found wanting this season and contributed very little. There’s no telling how that title winning team would have done with Lukaku instead. Given how many points ahead they finished I’d suggest they’d have been fine.

Saying “without his goals he’s a liability” is like talking about Manuel Neuer and saying “without his saves he’s a liability”.

Sure, if you take away the most important aspect of football and focus on ‘awareness of space’ then Cenk Tosun (on loan in Turkey after scoring 10 goals in 54 English games) is better than Lukaku (scored 16 goals in 21 games this season after an £80m move).

Fundamental misunderstanding of how football these days works, and is an archaic "Roy of the Rovers" mindset to me.

But whatever, each to their own. My point with Lukaku has been proven over and over again.

 

[Baines' left foot]

Oh I was without a doubt wrong on Tosun being a good player for Everton. He obviously wasn't.

Lukaku was without question the better striker for Everton than Tosun was.

But I do still believe Tosun is the overall better footballer. I understand how that opinion will be strange, hence trying to explain it clearly, but it comes down to me believing Tosun has more to his overall game than Lukaku does, even though Lukaku is a galaxy ahead of Tosun in specific areas.

Like Calvert-Lewin will never consistently outscore Lukaku, but he's 10x the actual footballer.

I would probably agree that Tosun has a more rounded skill set, but even his best attributes aren’t as good as Lukaku’s in, my opinion

 

[Country Mac]

Drogba one of my favourite strikers ever, adore DCL, Kante should have been given the best player in the world gong for two straight years etc. etc. etc. etc.

You may want to retract that comment, idiot.

You have form for it. You've had a warning for racism against Turks on here before.

 

[Tubey]

You have form for it. You've had a warning for racism against Turks on here before.

That was retracted as a mistake.

If you want to call me a racist, do so - then tell me where I can meet you to correct your mistake.

 

[DanEFC92]

I would probably agree that Tosun has a more rounded skill set, but even his best attributes aren’t as good as Lukaku’s in, my opinion

He's more rounded in the sense that he's utter bobbins at everything.

 

[Tubey]

I would probably agree that Tosun has a more rounded skill set, but even his best attributes aren’t as good as Lukaku’s in, my opinion

Which would be a valid view - not mine, but I can see how that opinion can come about. I personally think Lukaku is every bit as 'bad' as Tosun is in many aspects of his game, but so incredibly good at others that it basically disguises his flaws to a large degree, particularly when playing at a lower level.

Tosun, for example, will look fantastic in Turkey. Same as Kean looking fantastic at PSG. It's all about levels.

At higher levels (Champions League, England), Lukaku has consistently been found out.

 

[Azzurri]

Fundamental misunderstanding of how football these days works, and is an archaic "Roy of the Rovers" mindset to me.

But whatever, each to their own. My point with Lukaku has been proven over and over again.

Trust me, I understand football.

I think maybe football manager, discussion pieces and highlights on YouTube have given you a slightly different view on the game.

Your point that aside from goals he doesn’t contribute enough to play for a top, top team maybe yes. I would agree. But that he’s a better “footballer” than Cenk Tosun? Please come off it.

 

[Azzurri]

Yeah. More rounded in the sense that rather than being good at some and bad at others, he’s actually crap at everything.