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Lukaku

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Last count he has already scored goals.
Secondly, his hold up play has improved by about 100%.
Thirdly, he's 21 so I think we should wait till he's closer to 30 before we write him off.
Fourth, he's not Super Mario.
Fifth, your mar is your dar.
 
indy616 said:
Okay

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.
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I'm saying no position is his best at this moment. His duels won is in the 40% region. Simply put, he is not getting hold of the bloody ball.

Its frustrating, the game has changed since Bob Latchford but we are saying that we need to play in such a way to accomodate Lukaku.

No one made such allowances for Victor Anichebe, however the similarities bewteen the two outside of goalscoring are startling. In fairness to Victor he had the touch of Berbatov compared to Rom.
 
NEC said:
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.
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We paid 28 million pound for the same striker we had on loan last season, why now because we've paid for him rather than loaned him should he magically be a different style of player? Most of his goals last season came from running onto the ball.

He played RW against possibly the worst LB in top tier football in that Arsenal game as a one off, he's already played there more times than he did in the whole of last season.

I'm not saying he's been amazing, the whole team have had a shocker of a start, but to say the only reason he is not playing well is down to himself is harsh when you look at the bigger picture.
 
indy616 said:
Okay

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.
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I think he honestly needs taking out of the firing line at the moment. Whether it is to get his toe better or whatever the problem is - or confidence I don't know. But rightly or wrongly he is on everyones radar.

I don't think its the price tag, he seems to revel in being "an elite" striker. I just think he has far more to learn than he realised. A poor touch can be covered up when you can bully the defenders and score against second rate - tired centre halves. He is now up against smart players who have worked out his weaknesses and minimised his impact.

I really do wish the lad well, because ultimately we have invested heavily in him. To pretend that its just something that will get better as he gets older or when Barkley returns is trying to avoid the truth. The lad has work to do, I will give him 100% suppoort - he just needs to focus.
 

ArtetaMoney said:
We paid 28 million pound for the same striker we had on loan last season, why now because we've paid for him rather than loaned him should he magically be a different style of player? Most of his goals last season came from running onto the ball.

He played RW against possibly the worst LB in top tier football in that Arsenal game as a one off, he's already played there more times than he did in the whole of last season.

I'm not saying he's been amazing, the whole team have had a shocker of a start, but to say the only reason he is not playing well is down to himself is harsh when you look at the bigger picture.
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But if he is having the ball pinged into him and it bounces off him, or his give and go's are not finding our player - who's fault is it?

Its all very well looking for excuses but i'm afraid I see a very disgruntled player "waiting for something to happen" - look at Naismith. The lad makes things happen - he isn't hiding or sulking he's got the bit between the teeth.

I know its like being told that its gonna rain every day on your 2 week holiday and you are looking for a ray of sunshine but at this moment, he has an awful lot of work to put his form right.
 
NEC said:
But if he is having the ball pinged into him and it bounces off him, or his give and go's are not finding our player - who's fault is it?

Its all very well looking for excuses but i'm afraid I see a very disgruntled player "waiting for something to happen" - look at Naismith. The lad makes things happen - he isn't hiding or sulking he's got the bit between the teeth.

I know its like being told that its gonna rain every day on your 2 week holiday and you are looking for a ray of sunshine but at this moment, he has an awful lot of work to put his form right.
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Some of the balls he has had into him have been terrible.

Naismith is a total different player to Lukaku, he is alot more versatile so can play in a few different positions. I don't know why people keep comparing them.

As I've said I agree he's been poor this season but he is getting massively scapegoated and I think some of it is unfair.
 
ArtetaMoney said:
Some of the balls he has had into him have been terrible.

Naismith is a total different player to Lukaku, he is alot more versatile so can play in a few different positions. I don't know why people keep comparing them.

As I've said I agree he's been poor this season but he is getting massively scapegoated and I think some of it is unfair.
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Scapegoated? I think its far from the truth if I'm honest. If his name was Victor Anichebe he would be getting boo'd.

Lets take it back a few months - people had this over hyped opinion of him. More goals than Messi at 21 and all that nonsense, 1 goal in 2 games etc etc. People just were not watching him properly, the same way they don't watch McCarthy properly. As soon as it was mentioned that we may get him fans started getting way ahead of what this lad is actually capable of - he was seen as some sort of "Everton are back in the big time signing". Many fans are too reliant on being the player they want him to be.

He may end up being a very good player but at this moment the defenders of the premier league have his number. It all started at the turn of the year, he was getting marked tighter and not allowed to turn his man.
The defender would force him to do a lay off and as we have all seen his pass copmpletion just ain't good.

For him to become the player many think he is then he really needs to make a defender "worry" about getting too tight to him as a succesful "give and go" would take the defender right out the game. At this moment the defender knows he just needs to put adequate pressure on the lad and the attack will quite often end up with him needing a few touches to get it under and a lay off back to a midfielder or he actually loses it.

The alternative option which is to stand off him is out the question, Rom will have time to control and turn - once he does that he can power past his man and home in on goal. This nis where he can be devastating.

It will take time to get Rom competent. He needs to watch Eto, he takes the ball with minimum of fuss and the defender does not know whether to get tight or stand off. Thats what we need from Rom.

Remember when Big Dunc played the target man role? Defenders actually decided not to jump and challenge as it was better to just try and get the second ball rather than waste their time. When Rom learns to control the ball with ease and accuratly play the give and go - he may well have the luxury of players standing off him a little.
 
Personally, i'll judge him when we have our first choice team back playing. Barkley behind him with Mirallas on the wing instead of Osman.

I'm not kneejerking and saying Stones and Jags are finished and we're doomed because we're shipping goals.

Unfortunately the Everton way is to be impatient and write players off within a minute.
 
cjuk87 said:
Personally, i'll judge him when we have our first choice team back playing. Barkley behind him with Mirallas on the wing instead of Osman.

I'm not kneejerking and saying Stones and Jags are finished and we're doomed because we're shipping goals.

Unfortunately the Everton way is to be impatient and write players off within a minute.
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Mirallas is weeks away from playing again. Stones, months. We may not get back to the perfect full-strength team at all this season. So Lukaku will need to learn to play with what he's given, not live on the hope it'll all click when we get everyone back (which may not happen).
 
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The Cowboy said:
Mirallas is weeks away from playing again. Stones, months. We may not get back to the perfect full-strength team at all this season. So Lukaku will need to learn to play with what he's given, not live on the hope it'll all click when we get everyone back (which may not happen).
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Slightly missing my point, he's not exactly getting the top service from the likes of Osman, so as a result i do believe he's suffering, compared to the fantastic through balls by Barkley.

I don't think it's fair to judge in that way, yes he has to do better, BUT and it's a big but...the players around him have to up their game, the service is non existent at times.

Lukaku likes the ball played through, he runs onto it and buries it.

Instead we're giving him either a ball in the air or a pass with him facing away from goal, he's then got zero support so has to turn, take on 2 defenders and score.

It's maybe time to put Eto'o alongside him and let them support each other
 
cjuk87 said:
Personally, i'll judge him when we have our first choice team back playing. Barkley behind him with Mirallas on the wing instead of Osman.

I'm not kneejerking and saying Stones and Jags are finished and we're doomed because we're shipping goals.

Unfortunately the Everton way is to be impatient and write players off within a minute.
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Osman hasn't played on the wing all season.
 

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