Lukaku

[Brownie]

So how bad must he have been at 16 before he had 5 years of playing football at a high level and being coached by top class coaches at that high level?

Either he was probably one of the worst players ever at that part of the game and has improved a lot since, or he has barely improved at all.

If a 21 year old made his first team debut at that age and then was still making really basic mistakes at 26 people wouldn't make excuses for him.

If he was having games where he didn't play well, inconstistencies over season like all young players i'd understand.

But people love to say how he's scored more goals at this age than pretty much every other top striker yet never compare his awful control and atempts at passing on a regular basis to those same players, i don't remember Sergio Agureo or Alan Shearer being unable to do the basics on a regular basis at 21 or after 5 years of first team football.

In fact name another 21 year old striker who actually plays through balls for opposition strikers because his control is so bad?

As always, Lukaku is an anonomoly for his age in that he excels in scoring goals but is pretty god damn awful at most other, basic parts of the game. Most 21 year olds will be more in the middle.

Luis Suarez's touch isn't much better than Lukaku's and he's arguably the best striker in the world.

 

[marty mcfly]

The only way we as a club will see the full benefit of a player like Lukaku is by changing the way we play. Playing up top by himself isn't the problem; its how we as a team approach the final third to go at teams. He has his back to goal more often than not; he simply isn't that type of player.

Lukaku hasn't progressed as a player in my opinion for over a year now, its worrying but its not all down to just him, its the way we play. Its no surprise that he flourished in europe when the tactics were changed. Even still that doesn't excuse his lack of movement.

It's not the fact he can't play back to goal. He's not great at it but that's not the biggest problem. He's living off scraps.

Look at Benteke. Before Lambert got the sack I thought that knee injury had done him. He looked awful in every game I saw. Now he has 10 in his last 11 or something stupid like that. That rate is in Messi territory.

We look like Aston Villa before Lambert got the boot. Until either things improve or Martinez gets the boot I'm going to leave judgment against any of our players.

 

[blue4eva77]

It's not the fact he can't play back to goal. He's not great at it but that's not the biggest problem. He's living off scraps.

Look at Benteke. Before Lambert got the sack I thought that knee injury had done him. He looked awful in every game I saw. Now he has 10 in his last 11 or something stupid like that. That rate is in Messi territory.

We look like Aston Villa before Lambert got the boot. Until either things improve or Martinez gets the boot I'm going to leave judgment against any of our players.

I'm not talking about his goal ratio.

It's his overall play. His control, the fact he is static and has zero anticipation.

 

[blue_aussie05]

yeah people need to remember he's 21 coming off no rest for a couple of years because of that world cup. the whole league has been poor quality wise because of the WC - he's also been playing a large majority of games nowhere near fit because out only other striker is kone. we have to get another one in the summer - it's a massive must - naismith isn't a striker imo.

every time rom had a shot yesterday he seemed to be bending down and stroking his foot.

The bit in bold. Yes he's 21, but at that age he should have bags of energy. He's not 31, FFS!!

 

[toffeejack]

The bit in bold. Yes he's 21, but at that age he should have bags of energy. He's not 31, FFS!!

i wouldn't know because i've only played footy at a very low level, but at 21 playing two years non step domestically, internationally and in europe on thursday nights is bound to take it's toll regardless of age i'd imagine. especially training however many days a week they do.

would love to do his job like .

 

[bluelord49]

If he turned up wouldn,t be bad ..like...
But that could be said of a few others this season.........
Thankfully the despair we have had to put up with will end in two weeks...

 

[The Equaliser]

When he looks arsed he is great. It's just that half the time he looks like he isn't.

Or maybe that is because he doesn't like/is confused about what he is being asked to do - i.e. he is not being used properly.

This one will run and run. But this season he has often looked like a player who is regretting having made a £28m mistake.

 

[RFUS]

The bit in bold. Yes he's 21, but at that age he should have bags of energy. He's not 31, FFS!!

Have you seen the size of him?

 

[KevMirallas]

His hold up play was actually good in this one. It was everything else that stunk to high heaven. It was the anti-Lukaku performance.

 

[evertonian thistle]

He says he wants to be the best in the world, to be that sort of player you have to constantly learn , be ready to
sacrifice things, be hungry, fight for every ball, battle and scrap and be on the move all the time, Lukaku is static, never
moving about, pulling the opposition out of place, ball control is very poor, can't jump, quick to sulk and there is more
life in a nit nurses comb, don't think he will be a success at Everton, Mourino got it right in my opinion, but would love to be wrong, we'll see.

Lukaku takes an eternity to bring the ball under control, and this wont improve with age. Mourino is a wise man. In the fans zone before the game, Pat Van Den Hauwe was asked what he thought of the present Everton team? He shrugged his shoulders and replied I've no idea, I live in south Africa.And I wonder what the members of that very pro-active 85 Everton team that were at the Sunderland match yesterday were thinking?

 

[Elong]

The bit in bold. Yes he's 21, but at that age he should have bags of energy. He's not 31, FFS!!

Wow, that lazy card played AGAIN.

Sick this.

 

[Khalekan]

If he turned up wouldn,t be bad ..like...
But that could be said of a few others this season.........
Thankfully the despair we have had to put up with will end in two weeks...

Never in my life have I so looked forward to the end of a season as I am doing now.

 

[ThebanksoftheBramleyMoore]

he's a goal scorer who's not scoring goals, in the premier league He has scored 7 goals from open play this season and 1 of them was offside. 7 open play goals from 33 while offering virtually nothing upfront. rarely wins headers, His touch is terrible, can't pass and creates nothing for anyone around him.

It was Like watching a different player in the Europa league and FA cup which is a positive and keeps me hopeful but He's been playing consistently in the prem for three years and has shown little signs of improvement. His goal tally has reduced with each season he has played, 17,15, and only 9 with two games to go. You can't take for granted that he will improve with age it doesn't always happen.

 

[Khalekan]

My hero Joe Royle got massive stick on the terraces when he was introduced in to the first team, He proved the doubters wrong - lets see how Lukarku pans out he would score loads playing for the team with a midfield that was faster and creative his 9 goals in the prem have saved us from relegation imo!

Big Joe was about twenty when he scored 22 goals or something league goals as he fired us to Title glory in 1969/70.

He took the pennos and he sure as heck looked a lot more convincing than Rom when doing so.

Joe ŵas mobile and had a splendid touch.

Joe was great in the air and not only did he score plenty of headed goals he got many assists with cushioned headers down for the likes of Jimmy Husband.

And this all at age 20 or 21.

Joe had been on the scene from 1966 which is four or five years before we won the league....the same time as has more Le less elapsed since Rom made his international debut.

Joe's progress in his five years was "pheenomenal".

Rom has stalled this season.

IMO Romelu Lukaku is not a patch on what Joe Royle was, aged 21.

Here's the thing, though.

Joe never really got any better after 1970.

Mainly due to his back problems.

But also I think because these big, precocious teenage types don't always kick on when they get older.

Norman Whiteside was another tank of a teenager who never really fulfilled his potential IMO.

It is not impossible that this is as good as it gets for Rom.

 

[blue_aussie05]

Wow, that lazy card played AGAIN.

Sick this.

Why is it lazy of me to point out that he's 21, and therefore capable of playing footy without being overly tired??!!