Romelu Lukaku

[paulbefc]

He gets the service, that's why he's scored that many goals. It doesn't work in a bubble - if the ball doesn't go to him, he can't score a goal, so for goalscoring purposes he obviously gets the service.

What he doesn't do is get involved in general play and link up with other attacking players to bring them into the final third, so the overall team is more effective attacking. You are mistaking service with offensive cohesion as a team. How is a full back supposed to get up the pitch to crossing areas if the striker is not arsed in the slightest in holding play up and giving them time to do it? Why should they gamble and make that run when ol' ping pong shins is probably going to give it away in 2 seconds flat and leave you massive out of position for the counter?

So what happens instead is that we break down in offensive areas over and over again because we've got an attacking focal point who can't get the team up the pitch reliably.

That's why Lukaku is a goalscoring asset, yet a footballing liability. I firmly believe that if we can mug a club of £80m+ and improve the squad, we can start building a team that plays like a top club does, because Lukaku does not allow you, as a team, to play possession, quality football that the really good sides do.

This is all built on giving far too high a weighting to his contribution to our attacking play in terms of importance and an overstatement of the effect his weaknesses have had on it.

It's not a strength of his game, but the supporting forwards (Bolasie, Barkley, Lennon, Deulofeu, Valencia, Mirallas) have all, apart from Mirallas (who's inconsistent at the best of times) had average to terrible seasons, either due to under-performance or injury. While Lukaku has been excelling in (by a country mile) the most important part of his job and winning the golden boot while racking up a good number of assists, they have been performing staggeringly badly generally, considering the quality of finisher they're supplying.

The idea that these players are constantly getting the ball forward to Lukaku in promising positions and then he's losing it constantly is absolutely separate from reality. He didn't have his best game at the weekend and yet the number of times he got his hold-up play spot on greatly outnumbered the instances in which his touch/pass let him down. In fact, the vast majority of the time, our supporting forwards can't even get to the point of having the chance to give him the ball and Lukaku is left up against 2/3 centre backs with little to no movement either side of him to occupy defenders and no space to run into. If the rest of the team can't handle a man-marked player losing possession a handful of times in 90 minutes, they're probably utter toilet.

What's great is at the weekend he ended up creating our two best chances of the match, whipping in two great crosses, both showing up his "suppliers" and demonstrating that he isn't a "footballing liability". Our moves don't break down because Lukaku's first touch isn't great the majority of the time and I think you know that. They break down because although we don't like to say it, our "creative" players aren't actually very good.

 

[nsno-chris]

He gets the service, that's why he's scored that many goals. It doesn't work in a bubble - if the ball doesn't go to him, he can't score a goal, so for goalscoring purposes he obviously gets the service.

What he doesn't do is get involved in general play and link up with other attacking players to bring them into the final third, so the overall team is more effective attacking. You are mistaking service with offensive cohesion as a team. How is a full back supposed to get up the pitch to crossing areas if the striker is not arsed in the slightest in holding play up and giving them time to do it? Why should they gamble and make that run when ol' ping pong shins is probably going to give it away in 2 seconds flat and leave you massive out of position for the counter?

So what happens instead is that we break down in offensive areas over and over again because we've got an attacking focal point who can't get the team up the pitch reliably.

That's why Lukaku is a goalscoring asset, yet a footballing liability. I firmly believe that if we can mug a club of £80m+ and improve the squad, we can start building a team that plays like a top club does, because Lukaku does not allow you, as a team, to play possession, quality football that the really good sides do.

Think it was Keown who said something similar. Basically saying Everton is setup to play through Lukaku and make him the focal point, but when he doesn't play we don't play and said he isn't good enough for a Utd Chelsea due to his holdup play being pretty substandard

 

[paulbefc]

So is lukaku the reason Mirallas and Barkley don't get many goals as lukkau

No mate.

 

[evertony]

The lad needs some coaching. Not all in football. That 'tweet' shows he's one pig-headed player. That's the same player who spews his guts to the papers every time he's on international duty....and now wants the papers not to indulge in transfer gossip.

Wise up Rom lad. Get your head down and work your nuts off for the new season with Everton and then graciously decide if we're good enough for you or if one of the so-called big boys wants to splash a shed load of cash. Really good player, but doesn't have the 'class' that previous Everton greats have had.

 

[evertony]

So is lukaku the reason Mirallas and Barkley don't get many goals as lukkau not good as link up play

Obvs.....because Sulky Mirallas is really Silky Neymar.

 

[Neiler]

Can see him flopping elsewhere to be honest, it's one thing performing in a set up to bring the best out of you, it's another when your one of many.

I actually think he might struggle and get well surly when things don't go his way.

 

[Griffin Chin]

No idea what's gonna happen with Rom. Keep changing my mind whether he's off this summer or not. Perhaps he's not signing a new deal but will stick around another season. That way his fee will drop next summer and may have more interest if he still wants out. As many have said, I cannot see anyone paying the kind of fee that's been spoken about at the moment

 

[TomMcCann]

The u23s have just lifted the trophy there all them players look up to Romelu and he's sat on twitter retweeting Anderlecht reserves winning the league. Not even a congratulations for our lads. Sick to death of The Romelu Lukaku show get him to [Poor language removed].

 

[marsh]

The u23s have just lifted the trophy there all them players look up to Romelu and he's sat on twitter retweeting Anderlecht reserves winning the league. Not even a congratulations for our lads. Sick to death of The Romelu Lukaku show get him to [Poor language removed].

Hahahaha stop crying and picking out things like that

 

[coollino]

Ahahahahah I swear footballers do things to wind up people on forums.

 

[TomMcCann]

Hahahaha stop crying and picking out things like that

I'm not crying mate, I'm just sick of him being half arsed about Everton and I'll be glad to never see him control a ball like a bomb that's all.

 

[marsh]

I'm not crying mate, I'm just sick of him being half arsed about Everton and I'll be glad to never see him control a ball like a bomb that's all.

So half arsed about Everton that hes been here 4 seasons and has scored 24 goals this season in the league..

 

[TomMcCann]

So half arsed about Everton that hes been here 4 seasons and has scored 24 goals this season in the league..

Doing his job? Climb out of his hoop lad he's gone.

 

[paultheblue]

So half arsed about Everton that hes been here 4 seasons and has scored 24 goals this season in the league..

And he never takes a penny in wages ,we should build a statue the man is a saint.

 

[balggy]

Rom knows what he is doing with his tweets. He is apparently a clever lad, he has gotten exactly the reaction he was looking for.