Lukaku

[Dithering Dougie]

We were at home and we should have gone for it.

If we had of opened up more and they'd taken advantage of the space we'd have been beaten, at least with a draw our fragile confidence is still on the up and we can go into the Chelsea game feeling confident of getting a result.

He played it right, the only thing missing was not bringing Barkley on 10 minutes earlier.

 

[mrb85]

Lukaku being labelled as 'lazy' is an absolute myth. The lads not lazy at all.
Plus, he's not a winger. I understand the tactics on Saturday but if we put him central with two wingers either side of him on Saturday we would of won.

You're right, he's not lazy. i just wish though that when he closes down a player he went the extra yard and put in a challenge. Too often he stops a few yards short of actually putting a challenge in. So he's pressing, but he's not pressing, if you know I mean.

On Saturday I can't agree with you about playing two wide men. All we needed were for the two ahead of the defensive midfield three to have played behind Lukaku but do it better than Naismith and Mirallas did. In retrospect it was a great shame that Naismith made it back on to the pitch for the second half. Barkley might have been able to turn the game, or at least give us more moments of excitement.

 

[Toffeelover]

Needs to play in the centre with some support after all he is supposed to be there to score goals and you can't do that if you are out on the wing.

Okay other aspects of his game need some finesse but that would come with confidence.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Lukaku can't play with his back to goal, that's why we need a playmaker who can set him up.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

I thought he played both Lukaku and Mirallas too wide at the weekend. I didn't understand why he was looking to stretch their back 3 when we had no runners from midfield. We were getting into decent crossing positions with often nobody to hit.

For me he'd have been better served getting the pair of them to take up positions between the outer CB's and the central one. This would have forced them to contract and left space out wide for our fullbacks to exploit and then had bodies to hit in the box.

Lukaku's first touch is sometimes awful, but it's when he's got his back to goal when it's at it's most noticeable, as when he's facing the right way he can often make up for his gash touch with his pace and power, back to goal it bounces off him.

 

[ijjysmith]

Lukaku can't play with his back to goal, that's why we need a playmaker who can set him up.

I thought he played both Lukaku and Mirallas too wide at the weekend. I didn't understand why he was looking to stretch their back 3 when we had no runners from midfield. We were getting into decent crossing positions with often nobody to hit.

For me he'd have been better served getting the pair of them to take up positions between the outer CB's and the central one. This would have forced them to contract and left space out wide for our fullbacks to exploit and then had bodies to hit in the box.

Lukaku's first touch is sometimes awful, but it's when he's got his back to goal when it's at it's most noticeable, as when he's facing the right way he can often make up for his gash touch with his pace and power, back to goal it bounces off him.

Both very accurate posts here i'd say.

He is a bit poor when he's facing away from goal, but dare I say slowly getting better.

He is only 21 and can definitely learn this and get better at it.

Totally agree though, get it in front of him. He'll slot AOTS.

 

[Seamus Colemole]

Both very accurate posts here i'd say.

He is a bit poor when he's facing away from goal, but dare I say slowly getting better.

He is only 21 and can definitely learn this and get better at it.

.

He's also played over 200 competitive first team games at a decent level including 100 in the Premier League.

If he can't control a ball now half the time what the hell was he like when he first started? Or has he not actually improved any significant amount and never will?

In terms of years he might be 21 but in terms of experience he's more like a 23/24 year old. In 200 games he still hasn't learnt how to time a jump for a header most of the time.

He's an anonymoly really. An incredible scoring record, but pretty average at everything else.

 

[LinekersLegs]

He's also played over 200 competitive first team games at a decent level including 100 in the Premier League.

If he can't control a ball now half the time what the hell was he like when he first started? Or has he not actually improved any significant amount and never will?

In terms of years he might be 21 but in terms of experience he's more like a 23/24 year old. In 200 games he still hasn't learnt how to time a jump for a header most of the time.

He's an anonymoly really. An incredible scoring record, but pretty average at everything else.

Think he has improved his hold up play during the course of his Everton career, whether he will continue that it is hard to tell but there is more chance of that than Howard getting better at crosses.

Rom also seems much better when he returns to the squad, either because he has been out through injury or just rested. Perhaps tiredness, mental or physical, plays a part? Now Kone is back fit perhaps we should use him a little bit more, especially as on limited viewing he seems pretty decent on holdup play.

 

[ijjysmith]

He's also played over 200 competitive first team games at a decent level including 100 in the Premier League.

If he can't control a ball now half the time what the hell was he like when he first started? Or has he not actually improved any significant amount and never will?

In terms of years he might be 21 but in terms of experience he's more like a 23/24 year old. In 200 games he still hasn't learnt how to time a jump for a header most of the time.

He's an anonymoly really. An incredible scoring record, but pretty average at everything else.

Goals is goals.

Have you never learned to get better at something even though you did lots of it?

Like guitar maybe?

 

[davids]

You're right, he's not lazy. i just wish though that when he closes down a player he went the extra yard and put in a challenge. Too often he stops a few yards short of actually putting a challenge in. So he's pressing, but he's not pressing, if you know I mean.

Lots of players do this, Barkley is a master of it,why bother wasting the energy?

 

[blue61]

If we had of opened up more and they'd taken advantage of the space we'd have been beaten, at least with a draw our fragile confidence is still on the up and we can go into the Chelsea game feeling confident of getting a result.

He played it right, the only thing missing was not bringing Barkley on 10 minutes earlier.

Agree with this, although I thought he could have brought Barkley on at the same time as Lennon.

 

[bilyaletdinov_]

the lukaku conundrum really, really doesn't seem too difficult to solve - we literally need to play him centrally, with two wingers either side and a playmaker behind him. i can't understand how this is lost on Martinez. We're lucky Rom has such a strong character that he doesn't mind being stuck on the wing or playing with no service, we're also lucky that he's a wonderful player and will still manage to get 20+ goals this season!

 

[Osamabindiesel]

Lukaku looked frustrated more than anything. With the way we were playing, he had little chance to hold the ball up or retain possession. If we play this formation, we need someone who can drive up the field and draw defenders. We are isolating Lukaku which won't be effective unless we get some decent crosses in. We have struggled out wide this season for whatever reason (hard to believe that with the wealth of talent we have at fullback).

 

[Seamus Colemole]

Goals is goals.

Have you never learned to get better at something even though you did lots of it?

Like guitar maybe?

It's like i'm 21 years old but played guitar in a band for 5 years.

I can play an awesome solo to make Eddie Van Halen jealous but still can't muster a simple D major chord.

Sure, Lukaku might actually keep working on the poor parts of his game and improve them to a decent level. But the fact he hasn't managed to do so yet after 5 years of competetive football at a high level suggets there's a pretty good chance he never will.

As for the fact he scores plenty of goals, what would you (or anyone else) prefer : (for example)

Lukaku scores 20 goals next season but continues his poor hold up play, the rest of the team only score 20 between them and we finish 10th, or :

Lukaku scores 20 goals but improves his hold up play and helps the rest of the team score 40 goals and we finish 4th?

Thats why he overall play is an issue and me and others look beyond simply his goal tally, the better he does at other parts of the game as well as goalscoring the more we'll score as a team, thus get more points.

EDIT : and yes, the manager should also play to his strengths to help the team as well, it's far from all Lukaku's fault.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

My dad, brother & brother-in-law take the piss on a regular basis because I rate him. Admittedly he can be difficult to defend sometimes, but then I genuinely see his good points that they don't. Personally I think it's 50/50 with him at the moment - we struggle to play to his strengths most of the time, but even when we do he has a tendency to fluff his lines over the simplest of things. If he wants to become one of the best strikers around he needs to take more responsibility and start bullying opponents more. He was a lot more formidable 18 months ago and he seems to be losing his "aura" of formidability this season. He needs to get it back soon before it disappears completely - defenders need to start sh*itting themselves again whenever he's near.