Romelu Lukaku

[PhilM]

Over on Red Cafe, they have a Lukaku vs. Morata thread since before each club got their respective signing and the change in opinion is amusing!

As one fan pointed out, Morata has played less minutes in a team lower in position yet has equivalent stats - oh, and for less money as well.

 

[arch stanton]

No I can assure you what’s silly is you pretending you didn’t like your best striker in eons mush. End of chat.

if you take the cold stats that is the conclusion you come to. However as we watched him week in week out, we saw those goals that gave you the stats, but, as mentioned, they often weren't match-winning goals, and rarely against the top teams where we were struggling and wanted our big players to step up and produce the goods. Compare him to someone who we hold in high regard, Duncan Ferguson, whose goal return stats are crap, always injured and letting us down with dumb discipline issues. Duncan turned up for the big games though, he rose to that challenge. In those times, our teams were grim too but he gave us a little bit of pride in those games. Lukaku did none of that, he went missing, he didn't raise his game, even though it was his chance to flash his knickers at these clubs he wanted to play for.
All that said, I wish he still played for us as we don't have a goal threat but my man u liking friends are all commenting that he is far from the perfect player and is quite frustrating and they don't think he's worth the wedge they spent on him.

 

[paulbefc]

Perhaps three points difference. Statistically we've only scored four fewer goals this season at the same point as the last, and three fewer points. I'd rather have the £90m than what he offers.

We've missed Barkley and Coleman far more in my view, as they helped the transition in midfield as well as providing defensive quality and width respectively.

There's no doubt we've missed Coleman from both a defensive and attacking perspective, but once we've been able to play Rooney in a suppoting forward role, we haven't missed Barkley at all. Rooney is technically better, an infinitely better finisher, far more creative and by a country mile more intelligent.

What we have missed, from an attacking perspective, is a striker who actually scores goals who could thrive on the service Rooney and to an extent, Sigurdsson provide. Lukaku was crying out for a supporting forward of Rooney's quality throughout his time here and had we somehow managed to keep him would have enjoyed a far higher standard of service than he did in previous seasons. It's a shame, but there you go.

The idea that had we had Lukaku up front in this side we'd only be 3 points better off is, obviously, ridiculous. The difference in quality of service and extra supply of goals we've enjoyed, mostly from Rooney as an upgrade on last season's supporting forwards, has carried us this far. Had we had a quality striker up front like Lukaku, we'd be far, far better off.

 

[Tubey]

There's no doubt we've missed Coleman from both a defensive and attacking perspective, but once we've been able to play Rooney in a suppoting forward role, we haven't missed Barkley at all. Rooney is technically better, an infinitely better finisher, far more creative and by a country mile more intelligent.

What we have missed, from an attacking perspective, is a striker who actually scores goals who could thrive on the service Rooney and to an extent, Sigurdsson provide. Lukaku was crying out for a supporting forward of Rooney's quality throughout his time here and had we somehow managed to keep him would have enjoyed a far higher standard of service than he did in previous seasons. It's a shame, but there you go.

The idea that had we had Lukaku up front in this side we'd only be 3 points better off is, obviously, ridiculous. The difference in quality of service and extra supply of goals we've enjoyed, mostly from Rooney as an upgrade on last season's supporting forwards, has carried us this far. Had we had a quality striker up front like Lukaku, we'd be far, far better off.

Yet we were literally only three points and four goals better off last season, despite having a better, more cohesive side that season with fewer injuries to key personnel. The idea that we somehow have a better side now flies in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

Lukaku scored goals here so he got service. What he didn't do is provide in return for those around him. That's why he's a limited footballer.

As for "we haven't missed Barkley at all"... honestly don't know how to respond to that; I can only assume you're taking the piss.

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

Perhaps three points difference. Statistically we've only scored four fewer goals this season at the same point as the last, and three fewer points. I'd rather have the £90m than what he offers.

We've missed Barkley and Coleman far more in my view, as they helped the transition in midfield as well as providing defensive quality and width respectively.

if you take the cold stats that is the conclusion you come to. However as we watched him week in week out, we saw those goals that gave you the stats, but, as mentioned, they often weren't match-winning goals, and rarely against the top teams where we were struggling and wanted our big players to step up and produce the goods. Compare him to someone who we hold in high regard, Duncan Ferguson, whose goal return stats are crap, always injured and letting us down with dumb discipline issues. Duncan turned up for the big games though, he rose to that challenge. In those times, our teams were grim too but he gave us a little bit of pride in those games. Lukaku did none of that, he went missing, he didn't raise his game, even though it was his chance to flash his knickers at these clubs he wanted to play for.
All that said, I wish he still played for us as we don't have a goal threat but my man u liking friends are all commenting that he is far from the perfect player and is quite frustrating and they don't think he's worth the wedge they spent on him.

Yet we were literally only three points and four goals better off last season, despite having a better, more cohesive side that season with fewer injuries to key personnel. The idea that we somehow have a better side now flies in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

Lukaku scored goals here so he got service. What he didn't do is provide in return for those around him. That's why he's a limited footballer.

As for "we haven't missed Barkley at all"... honestly don't know how to respond to that; I can only assume you're taking the piss.

Ahaha. You daft pair of dogs. Throw some more paragraphs around it doesn’t make you intellectual or right!

 

[Tubey]

Ahaha. You daft pair of dogs. Throw some more paragraphs around it doesn’t make you intellectual or right!

Nah, being right makes me right tbh.

 

[paulbefc]

Yet we were literally only three points and four goals better off last season, despite having a better, more cohesive side that season with fewer injuries to key personnel. The idea that we somehow have a better side now flies in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

Lukaku scored goals here so he got service. What he didn't do is provide in return for those around him. That's why he's a limited footballer.

As for "we haven't missed Barkley at all"... honestly don't know how to respond to that; I can only assume you're taking the piss.

I clearly never said we have a better side now. My entire point was that we'd have been infinitely better off with last season's striker. This is the Lukaku thread, we were talking about whether or not we'd have been better off this season with him here. I have pointed out that we certainly would have been as the service this season has been comfortably better than last to our striker since we stopped playing Rooney as a nine and played him deeper.

The most disappointing group of players in our squad last season were the supporting forwards. Had we had, say, Sigurdsson, Rooney and Barkley behind Lukaku this or last season, we'd have been miles better off and so would he. We're only three points worse off this season due to the efforts of Rooney and a quite brilliant firefighting job by Sam Allardyce at the expense of quality of football and probably also short-to-medium term ambition. Also, you've neglected to mention we went on a 9 match unbeaten run from this point last season, losing only 2 of the next 17 games, away at Liverpool and Spurs, winning 11, including beating City 4-0.

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

Nah, being right makes me right tbh.

Nah mush you just look a wet wipe. A salty one like on your bedroom floor.

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

I clearly never said we have a better side now. My entire point was that we'd have been infinitely better off with last season's striker. This is the Lukaku thread, we were talking about whether or not we'd have been better off this season with him here. I have pointed out that we certainly would have been as the service this season has been comfortably better than last to our striker since we stopped playing Rooney as a nine and played him deeper.

The most disappointing group of players in our squad last season were the supporting forwards. Had we had, say, Sigurdsson, Rooney and Barkley behind Lukaku this or last season, we'd have been miles better off and so would he. We're only three points worse off this season due to the efforts of Rooney and a quite brilliant firefighting job by Sam Allardyce at the expense of quality of football and probably also short-to-medium term ambition. Also, you've neglected to mention we went on a 9 match unbeaten run from this point last season, losing only 2 of the next 17 games, away at Liverpool and Spurs, winning 11, including beating City 4-0.

Hallelujah for good sensible Everton fellas like you mush. You have a problem with some Football hipsters on here! The educated maggots sound just like Liverpudlians.

 

[paulbefc]

Hallelujah for good sensible Everton fellas like you mush. You have a problem with some Football hipsters on here! The educated maggots sound just like Liverpudlians.

I can assure you this thread is not representative of the wider Evertonian fanbase mush.

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

I can assure you this thread is not representative of the wider Evertonian fanbase mush.

Thanks mush for the reassurance. All the Everton lads I know are not like this either. Some of your online crew are mental though! They are exactly like Liverpudlians!

 

[arch stanton]

Ahaha. You daft pair of dogs. Throw some more paragraphs around it doesn’t make you intellectual or right!

Just like saying mush all the time doesn' stop you from being a weapons grade tit

 

[Blue Pride of Brum]

Just like saying mush all the time doesn' stop you from being a weapons grade tit

If that’s the case you need to think of a catchphrase too then mush. Now give me some more of them paragraphs you football intellect! Show me how much you’re not missing Ross Barkley mush!

 

[Prevenger17]

I can only conclude fom your previously posted opinions and tone of this post that you're suggesting here that we in fact don't miss Lukaku greatly.

We don't imo. We should have signed an actual replacement for him and we failed in that regard, as highlighted by our line being led by one of our U23s and a guy who was considered so bad our blockhead former manager took his locker away to drive him out. But even with that massive hole in our team, we're doing about the same as last season. 90 million was good business for him.

People say DCL and Niasse won't bring us to the next level, which is true, but Lukaku was never going to do that either. He never had an impact when we really needed him and his goal stats mask fundamental weaknesses in his ability which haven't changed from the ones we talked about 4 years ago

 

[Prevenger17]

Thanks mush for the reassurance. All the Everton lads I know are not like this either. Some of your online crew are mental though! They are exactly like Liverpudlians!

He'd be half decent for your lads mush