Yep. Martinez did make it all about Lukaku, and while he did have his best scoring patch of the season, it didn't translate into results.
He isn't a Suarez type, who will drag a team to victory every week if you build around him.
I half agree with this. I don't think Martinez did make it all about Lukaku but I think in many ways Lukaku lacks the maturity to know what suits him best.
When you listened to Peter Reid talk about Lukaku it was clear he got how to get the best out of him. Direct quick balls played up to him, crosses into the box and a balls tossed in behind for him to chase. Nothing too technical or complicated.
With Martinez we tried to use Lukaku almost as a link man, coming short, laying it off. This was the worst facet of Lukaku's game and really highlighted his poor first touch. Kone or even Mirallas would have been perfect for this role and I think it was bizarre Martinez chased Lukaku if this was how he would play him. Too often Lukaku was left twiddling his thumbs up front not getting much service.
However this is the rub for me far too often Lukaku didn't get himself into key areas when the ball was wide. Often he'd be on the edge of the box or be looking for an intricate through ball to be laid on a plate for him. I don't think he particularly liked the idea of scoring messy goals. If it was me in charge he'd be told to play between the width of the penalty box. I can think of games last season at home, Swansea & Newcastle where if he'd have focussed on doing that he could have had 3-4 tap ins in those games. In later home games, notable Arsenal at home Deulofeu had the ball in wide areas and Lukaku was holding back giving him nothing to hit.
Lukaku's game is basically about power and that he is remarkably quick for someone of his size and is a pretty decent finisher (but probably not as clinical as he thinks, by no means clinical enough just to wait for guilt edge chances to be made for him in and around the box). The one he had cleared off the line against United summed him up perfectly. A straight long ball Lukaku turned into a one on one chance through his sheer physicality though he nearly messed it up with a poor touch. In one moment you saw everything about Lukaku!
It's a shame Unsworth and Royle didn't get hold of him for 10 games. If he was told to be physical and get into the 6 yard box between the sticks he'd score a hatful more goals especially if we got more energy out of our midfielders players to get around him. Trying to use him as a link man was never going to work. There was a compromise between Martinez & Lukaku in 2015 as we made lots of chances for him to convert. When those dried up he looked very ordinary again as neither he nor we played to his strengths.
He will never look particularly graceful but if used properly I am convinced he would be very effective.
