Lukaku

[OBITG]

He's not doing as great because he's never played centrally, but he's not played centrally with good reason. If you look at the United game Naismith was played in the middle channel to cover Blind and did an excellent job of stiffling him and stopping him doing his usual passing. Lukaku's defensive work isn't good enough to trust him with that role, so he gets shunted out wide in the hope that he'll overwhelm the much smaller, younger leftback which he didn't at all.

Putting Lukaku centrally sacrifices Naismith's role and I'm guessing Martinez has rightly decided that's not a sacrifice worth making.

 

[Carlito]

It does worry me that the best he's ever looked was during his spell as an impact sub at West Brom.

I still think Barkley could be the answer to this problem, though.

 

[Toffee-nerd]

Despite whether you think we overpaid for him, he's ours. We need to have a bit of patience with him and remember he's only young and still learning his game.

I'm not making excuses for him, he has been poor so far this season, but thats what you get with young players.

It could be the pressure of the big money move has got to him, maybe he's not fully fit or confident. He's in the right place with Martinez and the lads we have in our squad and he'll get back into form.

Having our creative players in and around him will make a big difference so the sooner we get the likes of Barkley, Coleman and Mirallas back the sooner he will be banging goals in again.

 

[BBleck]

He'll come good, I'm not worried.

 

[LinekersLegs]

It does worry me that the best he's ever looked was during his spell as an impact sub at West Brom.

I still think Barkley could be the answer to this problem, though.

Personally thought he looked his very best at Goodison against Arsenal - he was in a great run of form then, he'd just come back from his injury and scored 5 goals in 7 matches. He was also very good when he first joined us and he's even been clinical when he's not playing particularly well like the Goodison derby.

Most strikers go through scoring gluts and droughts especially young ones and I think he is still learning how to manage his energy levels. For example how much should he tire himself out tracking back in search of the ball if he's not getting service which is a difficult question for even experienced strikers - Rooney has had that issue for England a lot.

Think Eto'o will be able to help him a lot with how to manage himself during a game.

 

[Big Fat Sam]

He's one of the best young strikers in world football and he's ours. If he can fulfil his potential then he can easy go on to be better than Drogba, plus he's not a moaning cheating bitch like Didier was.

 

[indy616]

How many games has he played on the wing this season in comparison to this time last season? A lot more I'd wager. He's not a winger let's be fair, I would rather play him centrally or not at all and play a WINGER in a WINGERS position or a striker in a strikers.

 

[NEC]

He's not playing as a winger though. Martinez is giving him the option of picking the ball out wide right so he cut in on his left foot.

The problem isn't his position, it's the fact that he fails to get the ball under and face his man off. Every time it goes to him he plays it back when he doesn't miscontrol it.

The drogba comparisons are lazy. Drogba could jump and head the thing. He could also control it and use his strength well.

I guess the next part is we need to wait a few years for Romelu to learn after all Didier never started football till he was 27 or something...

 

[Carlito]

Personally thought he looked his very best at Goodison against Arsenal - he was in a great run of form then, he'd just come back from his injury and scored 5 goals in 7 matches. He was also very good when he first joined us and he's even been clinical when he's not playing particularly well like the Goodison derby.

Most strikers go through scoring gluts and droughts especially young ones and I think he is still learning how to manage his energy levels. For example how much should he tire himself out tracking back in search of the ball if he's not getting service which is a difficult question for even experienced strikers - Rooney has had that issue for England a lot.

Think Eto'o will be able to help him a lot with how to manage himself during a game.

I'm not saying he hasn't looked good at all for Everton, because there have been some excellent purple patches, but even when he's on he still looks like someone who doesn't have a full 90 minutes in him.

I hope Martinez is strong enough to ignore the price tag and take him out of the firing line when he's struggling. Right now I'd much rather see Eto'o start and Lukaku come off the bench to run in behind tired defences.

People like yourself make a lot of fair points with regards to his age and potential development, but his woeful first touch is going to be difficult to improve, and that's bad news for any team which only ever plays with a lone striker.

 

[ArtetaMoney]

He's been played on the wing too many times already this season, he hasn't played a game with Barkley behind him yet, our most creative players Coleman, Mirallas, Pienaar and Barkley have all been injured. Of course he isn't going to play as well.

He's not like Suarez, Messi or Ronaldo (Unfortunately). He's not the type of player that will create loads of goals for himself.

He's a centre forward who loves running onto a ball in the box. We've hardly done that this season because of the players above being missing and the fact the team have played poorly so far.

I've been disappointed with how the team have performed so, but it's the team as a whole, the only player who has played well is Stones and he hasn't been without fault. Once the team start playing like we know they can, he'll start scoring more goals.

 

[indy616]

He's not playing as a winger though. Martinez is giving him the option of picking the ball out wide right so he cut in on his left foot.

The problem isn't his position, it's the fact that he fails to get the ball under and face his man off. Every time it goes to him he plays it back when he doesn't miscontrol it.

The drogba comparisons are lazy. Drogba could jump and head the thing. He could also control it and use his strength well.

I guess the next part is we need to wait a few years for Romelu to learn after all Didier never started football till he was 27 or something...

Playing out wide sounds like a winger too me? The majority of his goals have come from him playing down the centre.

 

[NEC]

He's been played on the wing too many times already this season, he hasn't played a game with Barkley behind him yet, our most creative players Coleman, Mirallas, Pienaar and Barkley have all been injured. Of course he isn't going to play as well.

He's not like Suarez, Messi or Ronaldo (Unfortunately). He's not the type of player that will create loads of goals for himself.

He's a centre forward who loves running onto a ball in the box. We've hardly done that this season because of the players above being missing and the fact the team have played poorly so far.

I've been disappointed with how the team have performed so, but it's the team as a whole, the only player who has played well is Stones and he hasn't been without fault. Once the team start playing like we know they can, he'll start scoring more goals.

To justify his poor form the description of how he likes to be played is like some type of Mickey Quinn "put it in front of him and he will finish".

I don't think we paid £28m for a striker to be limited in how he can be played.

Lets be honest, he played the wide attacker role against Arsenal last season and no one complained as he did well against a poor defender. Now it is apparent that the reason he can't play that role is that he struggles to face up his man (defenders stay tight to him when the ball is played at him and get a foot in with his poor control).

Ultimately the reason for his poor performances is Rom himself. He has demonstrated his shortfalls within 2 teams - our team and the Belgian national team. Defenders know how to play him and until he gets better at controlling and protecting the ball then i'm afraid he is no use nor ornament in a lone striker role.

It is for this reason that he wanted Fellaini to be played as a second striker in the WC - to control the ball and create space.

I take no satisfaction in being right about the lad as it is not good watching someone struggle so much. If anything RM has big questions to answer.

 

[NEC]

Playing out wide sounds like a winger too me? The majority of his goals have come from him playing down the centre.

Suarez played out wide with Sturridge in the middle - he wasn't played as a winger. Neymar plays wide left for Barca - he's not played as a winger.

Lukaku is not played as a winger.

 

[indy616]

Okay

Suarez played out wide with Sturridge in the middle - he wasn't played as a winger. Neymar plays wide left for Barca - he's not played as a winger.

Lukaku is not played as a winger.

okay he's played out wide then or as an inside forward. It's still not his best position or are you saying it is? I rate Naismith highly but if it comes Down to him or lukaku leading our line then I'd choose lukaku! Ideally with Naismith in behind him but playing him out wide, even if it is so he can cut in, just isn't working.

 

[jinkyali]

He will score two v Villa