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Romelu Lukaku

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Prevenger17 said:
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
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As I've said above, the point that we're 3 points behind where we were last season was a pretty poor one when you look at our form up to this point. Even if we sign a good replacement in January and Sam continues to scrape points consistently, we'll do well to get anywhere near the points total, let alone the performances we put in in the second half of last season.

It also fails to note both Allardyce's firefighting as well as Rooney's contribution. He's on course for 20 goals this season, almost all from midfield and is the kind of player a striker like Lukaku would work well with. On what planet would we not be far better off than we are now with Lukaku in front of him, guaranteeing a further 20-odd goals?

What's the next level for us? Second and the knockout stages of the CL?
 
paulbefc said:
As I've said above, the point that we're 3 points behind where we were last season was a pretty poor one when you look at our form up to this point. Even if we sign a good replacement in January and Sam continues to scrape points consistently, we'll do well to get anywhere near the points total, let alone the performances we put in in the second half of last season.

It also fails to note both Allardyce's firefighting as well as Rooney's contribution. He's on course for 20 goals this season, almost all from midfield and is the kind of player a striker like Lukaku would work well with. On what planet would we not be far better off than we are now with Lukaku in front of him, guaranteeing a further 20-odd goals?

What's the next level for us? Second and the knockout stages of the CL?
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The bold bit is where you're wrong. It wouldn't be a "further" 20 goals - it'd be replacing them, because Lukaku is cancerous to a co-ordinated attack. His game demands people supply him, not the other way around, pretty much ever.

He would have made little difference. We're talking 3 to 6 points at the very max at this point, and perhaps 10-12 points over the course of a season. Again, that's being extremely generous to him too.

As Prev says, if we had replaced him in any way shape or form then we would have been much better off as a team. As it stands, we're still effectively matching last years performance with Lukaku in the squad despite having a rookie striker playing 90 minutes of every game. That's how little positive impact Lukaku had on the side overall. He was goals, nothing else, and that has by and large continued at United.
 
Tubey said:
The bold bit is where you're wrong. It wouldn't be a "further" 20 goals - it'd be replacing them, because Lukaku is cancerous to a co-ordinated attack. His game demands people supply him, not the other way around, pretty much ever.

He would have made little difference. We're talking 3 to 6 points at the very max at this point, and perhaps 10-12 points over the course of a season.

As Prev says, if we had replaced him in any way shape or form then we would have been much better off as a team. As it stands, we're still effectively matching last years performance with Lukaku in the squad despite having a rookie striker playing 90 minutes of every game. That's how little positive impact Lukaku had on the side overall. He was goals, nothing else, and that has by and large continued at United.
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Incredible.

Ok, explain United's being 4 places higher in the league than last season and through to the knockout stages of the CL despite not being in the CL last season and playing with, in your own words, a far superior striker in Ibrahimovic whose game supposedly has the opposite effect on team play to the "cancer" you've described.
 
Tubey said:
The bold bit is where you're wrong. It wouldn't be a "further" 20 goals - it'd be replacing them, because Lukaku is cancerous to a co-ordinated attack. His game demands people supply him, not the other way around, pretty much ever.

He would have made little difference. We're talking 3 to 6 points at the very max at this point, and perhaps 10-12 points over the course of a season. Again, that's being extremely generous to him too.

As Prev says, if we had replaced him in any way shape or form then we would have been much better off as a team. As it stands, we're still effectively matching last years performance with Lukaku in the squad despite having a rookie striker playing 90 minutes of every game. That's how little positive impact Lukaku had on the side overall. He was goals, nothing else, and that has by and large continued at United.
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Mush you just described one of your top goalscorers you’ve ever seen as a cancer to attacks! How intense are you internet boy? Throw some more paragraphs about!
 

paulbefc said:
Incredible.

Ok, explain United's being 4 places higher in the league than last season and through to the knockout stages of the CL despite not being in the CL last season and playing with, in your own words, a far superior striker in Ibrahimovic whose game supposedly has the opposite effect on team play to the "cancer" you've described.
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They're only four points better off at this stage of the season than last. The same points tally last season would have them 4th now.

Incidentally, last season from this point they went 14 games unbeaten without Lukaku - indeed, they went unbeaten from 29 October until 30 April in the league - let's see if that plays out this time. Here's a spoiler; it won't happen, unless Ibrahimovic plays and is back to his best.

They've benefited from improved performances from several key players but overall I actually think they are considerably weaker, look much more fragile and that 2nd place they hold now is a result of much weaker rivals (the collapse of Spurs recently, Arsenal flagging badly etc.) and the league dominated by City, pushing everyone behind them closer together. The poor end league position last year was due to drawing too many - they've fixed that somewhat at the cost of losing a few more instead. They conceded 29 goals all year last season and lost five times; they've already lost three and conceded 16 this season. There's little difference, except last season they won a European competition lest we forget.

So my view is that it's a castle built on sand right now. I'd be very surprised if they finished 2nd at this point, but they should manage a top four finish at this point, simply because of the defensive fragility of Liverpool and the lacklustre look of Arsenal.

What United needed was that clever striker to turn draws into wins - instead, they've brought a player in who potentially turns games they should be winning into draws and gives them no chance in the bigger games of nicking the draws (and occasional wins) they got last year because he simply doesn't turn up. Lukaku is now not even flat track bullying the likes of Burnley, which is even worse than I expected of him - it's like he's totally lost his game.

With Morata instead, that's a side that has the defensive pedigree to be looking to challenge City; they don't have the guile and consistency at the other end to do so. They backed the wrong horse.
 
Blue Pride of Brum said:
Mush you just described one of your top goalscorers you’ve ever seen as a cancer to attacks! How intense are you internet boy? Throw some more paragraphs about!
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He doesn't improve those around him. He's a modern glorified version of a poacher - you have to give him the service to score and then he'll score. Fine. But unfortunately, modern football means a player like that is easily nullified at the top level, and that means there's a ceiling on what you can achieve with him leading your line.

Or, in short, I understand that an "attacker" means more than "goalscorer". Liverpool, as much as it pains me to say it, do not have the same natural goalscorer, but in Firmino, Coutinho and Salah they have an outstanding overall attack who will score a myriad of ways and terrify opponents from all angles - thankfully they have a piss poor defence.

But United with Lukaku? You're hoping he turns up or at least does what he does best and nudge one in after being Anonymu Lukaku for 89 minutes, but if he doesn't you're hoping the pace of Lingard or the quality of Rashford can link with quality like Pogba and effectively win the game with 10 men.

You simply can't compete at the highest levels with that.
 
Tubey said:
He doesn't improve those around him. He's a modern glorified version of a poacher - you have to give him the service to score and then he'll score. Fine. But unfortunately, modern football means a player like that is easily nullified at the top level, and that means there's a ceiling on what you can achieve with him leading your line.

Or, in short, I understand that an "attacker" means more than "goalscorer". Liverpool, as much as it pains me to say it, do not have the same natural goalscorer, but in Firmino, Coutinho and Salah they have an outstanding overall attack who will score a myriad of ways and terrify opponents from all angles - thankfully they have a piss poor defence.

But United with Lukaku? You're hoping he turns up or at least does what he does best and nudge one in after being Anonymu Lukaku for 89 minutes, but if he doesn't you're hoping the pace of Lingard or the quality of Rashford can link with quality like Pogba and effectively win the game with 10 men.

You simply can't compete at the highest levels with that.
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Ahaha mush you wrongun! Such football intellect! More and more paragraphs please!
 
Tubey said:
They're only four points better off at this stage of the season than last. The same points tally last season would have them 4th now.

Incidentally, last season from this point they went 14 games unbeaten without Lukaku - indeed, they went unbeaten from 29 October until 30 April in the league - let's see if that plays out this time. Here's a spoiler; it won't happen, unless Ibrahimovic plays and is back to his best.

They've benefited from improved performances from several key players but overall I actually think they are considerably weaker, look much more fragile and that 2nd place they hold now is a result of much weaker rivals (the collapse of Spurs recently, Arsenal flagging badly etc.) and the league dominated by City, pushing everyone behind them closer together. The poor end league position last year was due to drawing too many - they've fixed that somewhat at the cost of losing a few more instead. They conceded 29 goals all year last season and lost five times; they've already lost three and conceded 16 this season. There's little difference, except last season they won a European competition lest we forget.

So my view is that it's a castle built on sand right now. I'd be very surprised if they finished 2nd at this point, but they should manage a top four finish at this point, simply because of the defensive fragility of Liverpool and the lacklustre look of Arsenal.

What United needed was that clever striker to turn draws into wins - instead, they've brought a player in who potentially turns games they should be winning into draws and gives them no chance in the bigger games of nicking the draws (and occasional wins) they got last year because he simply doesn't turn up. Lukaku is now not even flat track bullying the likes of Burnley, which is even worse than I expected of him - it's like he's totally lost his game.

With Morata instead, that's a side that has the defensive pedigree to be looking to challenge City; they don't have the guile and consistency at the other end to do so. They backed the wrong horse.
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Again with the leaving out important information. That unbeaten run sounds ace until you consider they drew at home to Hull, Bournemouth, West Brom, ourselves, Liverpool and Swansea from this point onwards before eventually losing.

So they're four points better off than they were with Ibrahimovic, despite currently being in a bit of a rut, presumably with an upturn to come and despite being in the CL, for the signing of 2 first XI players in Matic and Lukaku.

Seems pretty simple to me, currently. Lukaku has been anything but a "cancer".
 
Blue Pride of Brum said:
Ahaha mush you wrongun! Such football intellect! More and more paragraphs please!
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paulbefc said:
Again with the leaving out important information. That unbeaten run sounds ace until you consider they drew at home to Hull, Bournemouth, West Brom, ourselves, Liverpool and Swansea from this point onwards before eventually losing.

So they're four points better off than they were with Ibrahimovic, despite currently being in a bit of a rut, presumably with an upturn to come and despite being in the CL, for the signing of 2 first XI players in Matic and Lukaku.

Seems pretty simple to me, currently. Lukaku has been anything but a "cancer".
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Pack it in mushes, we accept your surrender
 

Blue Pride of Brum said:
It’s something me and fellow Zulus have used since day dot mush. Not sure where it’s from to be honest.
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Fair enough. My very good mates a Zulu. We went to Brighton v Bristol city in Cardiff for play off final years ago in Brighton end with our mates. It was so hot he took his shirt off and he's got BCFC tattooed on his back. Needless to say we got some funny looks. Always look out for your results. Good luck mate
 

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