Lukaku

[LinekersLegs]

I don't think he was a striker then, Links.

I'm sure I read he was a defender before Jose converted him.

Really, a defender? That is sacrilege!

I don't much like Jose but thank goodness for him then as it would have been such a shame if Drogba hadn't been made a striker.

 

[Khalekan]

I am pretty sure I read that some place.

I will look later when am by a PC instead of this iPhone.

 

[SteRobbo84]

I don't have a problem paying £20m-£25m for Lukaku. He scored plenty of goals in the last two seasons, is young, can improve.

My quandry would be if our budget is say £30m; we need a lot of players.

Can we afford to spend almost all our kitty on one player, however potentially brilliant he is/will be?

 

[PeterMeter]

I don't think he was a striker then, Links.

I'm sure I read he was a defender before Jose converted him.

A defender!? He played as a lone striker at Marseille as well when Chelsea bought him and from his Wiki you could see that while he didn't sign his first professional contract until he was 21 there is no note anywhere about him ever playing anything other than a forward. In 02/03 he scored 17/34 playing up front for Guingamp in a breakthrough season.

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

Because 20 year old strikers that have great link up play and score 15-20 goals a season grow on trees.

Of course not.

But the link-up play is a more important aspect. We could easily have gotten 10-15 more goals from midfielders with a striker who had better hold up play.

Cahill was never prolific upfront for Everton but I remember that spell he had up front playing as the pivot for the midfield, not only was he excellent but so was Arteta, Osman, Donovan, Pienaar. We were generally much better with a striker playing a selfless role than a selfish one.

Even if the stiker is just a natural goalscorer a la Yakubu, he was also laiden with class and would set up goals for everyone around him. I don't see it in Lukaku, but then Yakubu did have 7 years on him. Maybe there is more to come, but that's another debate. £20m for us right now, for what we'd get right now, is too steep.

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

I actually think lukaku would be immense playing off a technically able no. 9. If you had a big strong hold up player who could lay balls off to him or play him through then he'd be devastating.

What he's good at is running on to balls and belting them at goal!

Cahill in his prime would've made that interesting.

 

[Brennan]

Of course not.

But the link-up play is a more important aspect. We could easily have gotten 10-15 more goals from midfielders with a striker who had better hold up play.

Cahill was never prolific upfront for Everton but I remember that spell he had up front playing as the pivot for the midfield, not only was he excellent but so was Arteta, Osman, Donovan, Pienaar. We were generally much better with a striker playing a selfless role than a selfish one.

Even if the stiker is just a natural goalscorer a la Yakubu, he was also laiden with class and would set up goals for everyone around him. I don't see it in Lukaku, but then Yakubu did have 7 years on him. Maybe there is more to come, but that's another debate. £20m for us right now, for what we'd get right now, is too steep.

Name a better option in the same age group.

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

Name a better option in the same age group.

Why does age group matter? I'm trying to point out we can't afford a gamble on potential. It's a shame we don't have the resources to stockpile promising youngsters a la Chelsea, but it's also a fact.

Saido Berahino, posssibly.

 

[Brennan]

Why does age group matter? I'm trying to point out we can't afford a gamble on potential. It's a shame we don't have the resources to stockpile promising youngsters a la Chelsea, but it's also a fact.

Saido Berahino, posssibly.

Because a player of Lukaku's ability aged 21 is a better investment than a player of Lukaku's ability aged 25. Common sense.

I fail to see how buying a player who has for two seasons scored one goal every two games, a superb record for the premier league, is a 'gamble'. It's the opposite of a gamble. A player who scores a lot of goals with the potential to get even better.

 

[Blue Cheese]

Saido Berahino... have i just read that correctly. good comparison like lol

 

[Brennan]

Taking away penalties only four strikers scored more goals than Lukaku in the league this season. Suarez, who cost £26m. Aguero, who cost £38m. Dzeko, who cost £27m, and Sturridge, who cost £12m.

 

[Khalekan]

A defender!? He played as a lone striker at Marseille as well when Chelsea bought him and from his Wiki you could see that while he didn't sign his first professional contract until he was 21 there is no note anywhere about him ever playing anything other than a forward. In 02/03 he scored 17/34 playing up front for Guingamp in a breakthrough season.

Are you sure about that?

 

[RFUS]

Why does age group matter? I'm trying to point out we can't afford a gamble on potential. It's a shame we don't have the resources to stockpile promising youngsters a la Chelsea, but it's also a fact.

Saido Berahino, posssibly.

Berahino is a great example... of why you're being rather odd. He's regarded as a top prospect, and yet, is only about 3 months younger than Lukaku. Lukaku has scored 3x as many Prem goals in the past season, and is twice the player and twice the prospect.

The thing about Lukaku is that even if he was 27, he'd cost at least £15m+. He is one of the top scorers in arguably the hardest league for strikers there is. But he's 21. And only just 21.

However I know you're thinking from an Evertonian POV, and yeah, we're poor. The emptiness of our pockets is matched only by the emptiness of Kenwrong's black heart. But we have to spend at some point. As we've seen in the past 10 years or so, it's nigh on impossible to get a top striker for a small fee. Even the ones people love to go on about like Benteke, Michu etc -- what have they done this season? Plus, the amount we've spent on gash strikers in the past 10 years must total what? £30-40m? It's like buying a crap microwave every six months for £40 -- in the long run it might cost you more than going out and buying a quality one for £150.

For me, it's a no brainer. If there's any chance of us signing him, we must throw every penny we have. He won't go down in value, short of a hideous injury, and so it's more like a deposit if anything. I've watched Everton have ace defenders and ace midfielders for years, and we've done nothing at all, because all that good play is useless when you've got a crocked Saha, Beattie or Jelavic at the end of it.

 

[UpperLeftBlue]

Berahino is a great example... of why you're being rather odd. He's regarded as a top prospect, and yet, is only about 3 months younger than Lukaku. Lukaku has scored 3x as many Prem goals in the past season, and is twice the player and twice the prospect.

The thing about Lukaku is that even if he was 27, he'd cost at least £15m+. He is one of the top scorers in arguably the hardest league for strikers there is. But he's 21. And only just 21.

However I know you're thinking from an Evertonian POV, and yeah, we're poor. The emptiness of our pockets is matched only by the emptiness of Kenwrong's black heart. But we have to spend at some point. As we've seen in the past 10 years or so, it's nigh on impossible to get a top striker for a small fee. Even the ones people love to go on about like Benteke, Michu etc -- what have they done this season? Plus, the amount we've spent on gash strikers in the past 10 years must total what? £30-40m? It's like buying a crap microwave every six months for £40 -- in the long run it might cost you more than going out and buying a quality one for £150.

For me, it's a no brainer. If there's any chance of us signing him, we must throw every penny we have. He won't go down in value, short of a hideous injury, and so it's more like a deposit if anything. I've watched Everton have ace defenders and ace midfielders for years, and we've done nothing at all, because all that good play is useless when you've got a crocked Saha, Beattie or Jelavic at the end of it.

This all day. We can put off investment in ALL other areas for another season, or find loan signings to carry over til 2015, but if Lukaku can be bought, then we must do everything to get his signature. He is already one of the best strikers in the league and with the other young players in our squad: McCarthy, Barkley, Stones, we would have the spine of what could be the best team us younger Evertonians have ever seen. Sign him up Bobby!

 

[Jags..class]

Taking away penalties only four strikers scored more goals than Lukaku in the league this season. Suarez, who cost £26m. Aguero, who cost £38m. Dzeko, who cost £27m, and Sturridge, who cost £12m.

But that was then now we have Fellaini who went for 27 million, Shaw for 27 million, prices are going up