Romelu Lukaku

[Tubey]

Think rationally.

He had a stinker last night
His form dipped last season to co-incide with senior players downing tools under the management of the worst boss in Everton's history relatively speaking.
He was our top scorer for 30 years.
He scores 20 goals + a season guarenteed.
We don't want a return to the 'Oh at least he works hard days' of Andy Johnson or James Beattie.

Basically we should be doing all we can to convince him to stay. Martinez ruined so many players (Stones, Barkley and Mirallas aren't getting a look in over in France as a result) and he got frustrated. We won't get any better than him no chance, definitely a case of better the devil you know.

How did Martinez "ruin" Lukaku?

Completely disagree with you - we can get a much, much better footballer than Lukaku. We won't get a better goalscorer.

I'd personally prefer the footballer. You can get goals from all over the team by being a better footballing team from back to front. As it stands now, if Lukaku doesn't perform (which is often the case), we don't score - and that's because everything falls apart in the final third when he's non-existent.

 

[Ashtonian]

That's what people consistently miss about Lukaku - his goals hide the fact he is regularly a liability due to his lack of technique and work rate. Is one goal every two games worth playing with essentially 10 men most weeks?

See mate i agree with the other stuff but this is a little wide of the mark. the striker is meant to score goals and win games, that is what lukaku does. So yes, he may not be the total team player who covers loads of ground and holds the ball up and whatever but he scores, 25 last season alone, over 60 is it in 3 seasons? Plus a 1 in 2 average for a 22 year old was fantastic, think at one point last season his scoring record at the same age was better than messi's and he broke through at a similar time.

I am personally in the train o thought that if you can create chances and youir striker can score match winning goals for you then it makes no difference how good he is at being a 'team player'. Van nistelroy was a terrible team player, same as berbatov, same as ibrahimovic. What they all do is score goals and win games, that is all that matters from a striker, there is another 9 players on the pitch to compensate for any groundwork or defensive cover.

the minute you want a hardworking striker who, as you said 'scores less contributes more' you get naismiths/kones/longs/lamberts who are not the sign of a top side.

 

[Ashtonian]

We couldn't replace an in-form Lukaku. He's a world-class finisher when he's on his game.

Second part of last season aside, he's scored goals even when he's been in a slump.

But something has changed in the last six months or so. He's not been the player he can be.

I'm not sure what's best now. £60 million, probably, but I can't see anyone paying that.

perhaps the only thing that changed was the manager?

I don't think many people really grasp just how much martinez lost the dressing room. the players wouldn't play for him, so is it beyond the realms of possibility that lukaku kinda 'downed tools' (like every one else in the team lets not forget) and decided at that point he wasn't playing for us anymore? Which would have a detrimental effect on his performances from thereon.

Now if you sold him based on this attitude alone then fair enough, but point is, no-one looked good in the last 3 months, no-one played for the manager in that time, so if the team aren't playing well, then they cannot even play to roms strengths

 

[Nymzee]

I think we're more likely to lose Stones than Rom. Partner him with someone a bit cute like Milik who looks like he can score and create & we'd shred teams next season.

 

[Ashtonian]

As it stands now, if Lukaku doesn't perform (which is often the case), we don't score - and that's because everything falls apart in the final third when he's non-existent.

Is that again not down to the manager? And his poor tactics? Pretty much the majoirty of the final few months we were hitting 30-40 yard long balls to rom and he had no-one near him to do anything with it.

I don't think you can essentially discredit lukaku as a striker whilst forgetting the influence that martinez had on the team as a whole. He dropped form because of the manager, not in spite of him.

 

[Khalekan]

Well tbf. ...in this case roms crazy papa is correct. ...wilmots and martinez havent done great favours to his son.

What about Jose?

Did Roger absolve him from any criticism for deciding his son wasn't all that

 

[Khalekan]

Anyone remember Joe Harper?

I remember him well

 

[Khalekan]

Yeah - look - there isn't a font for irony. That was my subtle point - that his dad would be pushing for a transfer between international sides. Now you've made my joke unfunny by me having to explain it. It was hilarious before. Now it's ruined.

I got the irony, chris......don't worry about that

 

[Zatara]

See mate i agree with the other stuff but this is a little wide of the mark. the striker is meant to score goals and win games, that is what lukaku does. So yes, he may not be the total team player who covers loads of ground and holds the ball up and whatever but he scores, 25 last season alone, over 60 is it in 3 seasons? Plus a 1 in 2 average for a 22 year old was fantastic, think at one point last season his scoring record at the same age was better than messi's and he broke through at a similar time.

I am personally in the train o thought that if you can create chances and youir striker can score match winning goals for you then it makes no difference how good he is at being a 'team player'. Van nistelroy was a terrible team player, same as berbatov, same as ibrahimovic. What they all do is score goals and win games, that is all that matters from a striker, there is another 9 players on the pitch to compensate for any groundwork or defensive cover.

the minute you want a hardworking striker who, as you said 'scores less contributes more' you get naismiths/kones/longs/lamberts who are not the sign of a top side.

Berbatov and ibrahimovic not team players?

Disagree with that especially in ibra's case.

 

[Ashtonian]

Berbatov and ibrahimovic not team players?

Disagree with that especially in ibra's case.

To be honest i havnt watched that much of him to have a strong opinion away from that tbh.

Point is though ibra turns up and scores, he doesn't have to hold the ball up to let the entire team into the game, he doesn't have to cover half a pitch chasing everything down, he just plays to score, and the PSG/milan/inter side just look to create for him.

Same principle for rom, i don't expect him to be running all round the pitch, i expect him to score when given the chance. He can sit on the endge of the box for 90 minutes for all i care as long as he scores when it matters.

 

[Nymzee]

Ash you have far too many opinions for someone that doesn't seem to watch a whole lot of football haha.

Ibra is a one-man army but he's a brilliant team player too. He can't do it all on his own. Lukaku is neither at the minute.

 

[ford_uk]

He could also be one of those players that needs another strike partner and good service into him, I'm not his biggest fan due to the constant bad mouthing & the general attitude that we're just a stepping stone to bigger things.

Another stinker of a major tournament / big games, COULD be the wakeup call that him and his camp need that he might not be quite the finished article that he / they think he is....

 

[AndyC]

He could also be one of those players that needs another strike partner and good service into him, I'm not his biggest fan due to the constant bad mouthing & the general attitude that we're just a stepping stone to bigger things.

Another stinker of a major tournament / big games, COULD be the wakeup call that him and his camp need that he might not be quite the finished article that he / they think he is....

Agree.

He's not a lone striker and certainly not a back-to-goal lone striker.

He's best when the balls is played ahead of him so he can run onto it at pace and then bully the defender in front of him.

And he's better when he's got someone either alongside him (Kone early part of last season ticked that box for a while) or just behind and to the side as Ross and Mirallas have played.

Yes, he appears lazy at times and yes, he needs to work on his first touch, but given the right kind of service like he got in the first half of last season from Ross and Gerard, and Rom can be as good as any striker in the Premiership.

And yes, he needs to shut his trap... and I partially blame the club for not giving/providing the players with some instruction/training on how to handle media questions. The papers and likes of Sky are primarily dirt diggers and all too often, footballer fall into the traps they set.

 

[chrismpw]

Agree.

He's not a lone striker and certainly not a back-to-goal lone striker.

He's best when the balls is played ahead of him so he can run onto it at pace and then bully the defender in front of him.

And he's better when he's got someone either alongside him (Kone early part of last season ticked that box for a while) or just behind and to the side as Ross and Mirallas have played.

Yes, he appears lazy at times and yes, he needs to work on his first touch, but given the right kind of service like he got in the first half of last season from Ross and Gerard, and Rom can be as good as any striker in the Premiership.

And yes, he needs to shut his trap... and I partially blame the club for not giving/providing the players with some instruction/training on how to handle media questions. The papers and likes of Sky are primarily dirt diggers and all too often, footballer fall into the traps they set.

This.

 

[Bluebonic]

Anyone who fits the system of the manager. It's pointless me suggesting alternatives as I'm not the manager.

If it were me, I'd attempt to build a side around Lukaku, as he's that good of a goalscorer that it's probably worthwhile to do so. Yet in reality if you look around the Premier League you will see successful sides who have someone with workrate and desire leading the line - Vardy, Kane, Aguero - who all contribute to the attacking phase of play in a more overall fashion. Even continental sides have it - Suarez, Morata etc. So if I were to play Lukaku, I'd play him in a front two every time.

A lone striker needs more than goals in the modern game. If it was 1985, Lukaku would be the best striker in the world. It's not though, it's 2016.

Absolutely bang on! Not play upfront on his own! He always looked twice the player when Kone was on with him!