Romelu Lukaku

[ParNolio7 285]

And last season when he made a transfer request?

Yes, I know this is key in the whole Lukaku saga.

But I just don't believe it actually went the way it was put in the media by Mourinho.

I know I said this multiple times before, but I just can't believe that a world class manager like Mourinho would allow a player to go out on loan if he had any significant plans with him. If he did, Mourinho would be absolutely incompetent, and that can't be true.

So I think Mourinho was honest to Lukaku, told him that he wouldn't get a lot of opportunities and Lukaku put in the loan request. Then Mourinho said to the media that Lukaku dediced not to fight for a spot in the team and preferred a loan. It's actually not even lying, but just twisting the words in a manner that makes Mourinho looks good (cause he was willing to give the boy a chance) and Lukaku bad (he didn't want to take the chance). But no way in hell I believe Mourinho's version. Except from a winner and a brilliant coach he's also been a big manipulator throughout his career, so I won't give him the benefit of the doubt.

That's my theory, that's why I still stand by Lukaku. Or at least have respect for him. Benefit of the doubt.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Yes, I know this is key in the whole Lukaku saga.

But I just don't believe it actually went the way it was put in the media by Mourinho.

I know I said this multiple times before, but I just can't believe that a world class manager like Mourinho would allow a player to go out on loan if he had any significant plans with him. If he did, Mourinho would be absolutely incompetent, and that can't be true.

So I think Mourinho was honest to Lukaku, told him that he wouldn't get a lot of opportunities and Lukaku put in the loan request. Then Mourinho said to the media that Lukaku dediced not to fight for a spot in the team and preferred a loan. It's actually not even lying, but just twisting the words in a manner that makes Mourinho looks good (cause he was willing to give the boy a chance) and Lukaku bad (he didn't want to take the chance). But no way in hell I believe Mourinho's version. Except from a winner and a brilliant coach he's also been a big manipulator throughout his career, so I won't give him the benefit of the doubt.

That's my theory, that's why I still stand by Lukaku. Or at least have respect for him. Benefit of the doubt.

Except Mourinho DID use Lukaku. In 3 of the first 4 matches he got gametime.

Azpilicueta on the other hand didn't get any significant minutes until September. That's because he has an exemplary attitude and Lukaku doesn't.

You can believe your version of events but I know for a fact it's false.

[ParNolio7 285]

And you know Mourinho is lying?

No, but we should at least be allowed to question his words from time to time. Mourinho has a bad reputation for this so it's not without reason. If you're going to blindly believe every single word Mou says you will end up getting cheated a lot.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Now Mourinho is lying and is twisting the words and the situation - even though people have their own eyes and thoughts and were pretty much saying exactly what Mourinho was saying for weeks before he came out and said it; and Lukaku has done nothing wrong at all apparently. Incredible what Lukaku apologists will say to protect their little, angelic boy, really is.

[polleforever 16]

Who speaks the truth? Manager or player? We don't know.

Most of the times the truth is somewhere in the middle.

All of this doesn't really matter anymore I think.

He's gone, he's happy, and we are happy... let's all be happy

Let's focus on the present and the ones who are still here... Torres for example

[ParNolio7 285]

Azpilicueta on the other hand didn't get any significant minutes until September. That's because he has an exemplary attitude and Lukaku doesn't.

Yes, I know by now Azpi is God and Lukaku is Satan, but it's not all black & white. It turned out good for Azpi. He took his chance, showed great spirit, and so on, deserves every credit he gets. But you don't know (none of us does) if the circumstances where the same: you do not know if Mou said the same things to him as to Lukaku, you don't know if Azpi actually had any teams interested to sign him on loan. Just maybe Azpi didn't have another choice but to sit at Chelsea's bench until maybe one day he'd get a chance. Striker like Romelu who scored 15 goals in the previous season at WBA was Always going to have a lot of teams pulling for him. Different situation.

[DJames 729]

Whilst you can spin it regarding what the youth may think or look towards, it's also a lesson to them to knuckle down and do your talking on the pitch and at any given moment be prepared to fight for what your aspire to be.

They could....but seriously which youth player got much a serious chance recently. You could probably argue Courtois but who else. Yeah Ake got some games but most are on perpetual loans without much of a shot at breaking into the first team. One can argue that is because of their skill set. Sturridge had enough but still wasn't given a fair run and the same will be said of Lukaku. Did they have the drive to fight? Probably not enough and it's probably because their chances seemed bleak to them so they moved on to where they would got chances.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Sturridge had enough but still wasn't given a fair run and the same will be said of Lukaku.

It really isn't the same. Sturridge definitely wasn't given a fair run, especially considering he was definitely the striker behind Torres for 6 months and barely got any game time even though Torres was flopping. Same can't be said about Romelu... Romelu ran away without even trying to fight. Sturridge tried his best but was held back by the ridiculous Torres situation.

[ParNolio7 285]

Now Mourinho is lying and is twisting the words and the situation - even though people have their own eyes and thoughts and were pretty much saying exactly what Mourinho was saying for weeks before he came out and said it; and Lukaku has done nothing wrong at all apparently. Incredible what Lukaku apologists will say to protect their little, angelic boy, really is.

Yeah, cause Mourinho never does that kind of thing right?

Too bad it's not Robben, would like to've seen your defence then.

Of course people were talking like that about Lukaku before Mou "confirmed it" (as you call it), his reputation was already dead last year when "he wasn't willing to fight for a spot and put in a loan request" (again according to Mourinho).

Never forget that your vision on any player (Lukaku or other) is entirely formed by what has appeared in the media. And media for a fact (you guys like to use this word "fact") are not trustworthy.

So since I was not there in the dressing room or whereever Romelu and Mourinho had there supposed talks, I am giving Big Rom benefit of the doubt.

Because as I said a teenager who fights his way into EPL cannot have a loser attitude imo. Just doesn't make sense.

[DJames 729]

It really isn't the same. Sturridge definitely wasn't given a fair run, especially considering he was definitely the striker behind Torres for 6 months and barely got any game time even though Torres was flopping. Same can't be said about Romelu... Romelu ran away without even trying to fight. Sturridge tried his best but was held back by the ridiculous Torres situation.

Why fight for something that's not going to happen? Sturridge fought against Torres who isn't considered by many to be a good striker anymore. What would Lukaku do against the likes of Costa, Drogba and Torres! Of course he would "run away" to a place where he is almost guaranteed to be picked.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Yeah, cause Mourinho never does that kind of thing right?

Too bad it's not Robben, would like to've seen your defence then.

Of course people were talking like that about Lukaku before Mou "confirmed it" (as you call it), his reputation was already dead last year when "he wasn't willing to fight for a spot and put in a loan request" (again according to Mourinho).

Never forget that your vision on any player (Lukaku or other) is entirely formed by what has appeared in the media. And media for a fact (you guys like to use this word "fact") are not trustworthy.

So since I was not there in the dressing room or whereever Romelu and Mourinho had there supposed talks, I am giving Big Rom benefit of the doubt.

Because as I said a teenager who fights his way into EPL cannot have a loser attitude imo. Just doesn't make sense.

I'm not even mad about Romelu asking for a loan, if you go back to this thread you'll see I actually supported his request, I saw why he wanted to go out on loan, so whatever you're saying in that regards is null and void. It's all the other stuff that he's been saying and doing in the build up to this season.

If Robben did the same thing I'd be saying the same thing. Actually, I blasted Robben for wanting to leave CFC when he was here to begin with. I call it how I see it, regardless of nationality. Interesting to see that your defence on Lukaku is based on the fact that he's Belgian though. Means you wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt if he wasn't right?

[The Skipper 20,593]

Why fight for something that's not going to happen? Sturridge fought against Torres who isn't considered by many to be a good striker anymore. What would Lukaku do against the likes of Costa, Drogba and Torres! Of course he would "run away" to a place where he is almost guaranteed to be picked.

That's not true, because Lukaku played in the 3 out of 4 matches that he was here for before he went out on loan. So, if we're basing it on that, which is far more relevant than basing it on the Torres/Sturridge situation; because as I said, that was different - RDM didn't have the power that Jose had and the board obviously forced RDM to play Torres at all costs - something that Mourinho wasn't required to do; you can see that he actually had a decent chance (much better than Sturridge did anyway) to break through here last season and play a significant role.

That's why I say you can't compare the Sturridge and Lukaku situation and use that as a pointer that Lukaku wouldn't have got game time here under Mourinho; because based out of the small sample we did get to witness - he actually did.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

It is still unreal we have sold him for 28 millions. Someone pinch me please.

[Special Juan 27,092]

Someone pinch me please.

That's what we are all hoping of Torres

[DJames 729]

That's not true, because Lukaku played in the 3 out of 4 matches that he was here for before he went out on loan. So, if we're basing it on that, which is far more relevant than basing it on the Torres/Sturridge situation; because as I said, that was different - RDM didn't have the power that Jose had and the board obviously forced RDM to play Torres at all costs - something that Mourinho wasn't required to do; you can see that he actually had a decent chance (much better than Sturridge did anyway) to break through here last season and play a significant role.

That's why I say you can't compare the Sturridge and Lukaku situation and use that as a pointer that Lukaku wouldn't have got game time here under Mourinho; because based out of the small sample we did get to witness - he actually did.

Yes he did get games last season but the striker situation was different by miles. And that still wasn't in his favor much. Chelsea never had much faith in Lukaka even then, understandably he's young and still needs refining. So again it comes back down the fact that he wasn't guaranteed much of a chance here. To narrow it down to his will to fight is a bit demeaning to Lukaku imo

[Korea 734]

On the everton forum

So obviously I'm as made up as the rest of you that we've managed to bring him back on a permanent deal (especially just after securing Barkley's future at the club), and now that he's officially an Everton Player, I think it's worth discussing whether he truly has the attributes to lead the line.

Don't get me wrong, there is no denying whatsoever that he is an immense talent, my only question is whether we actually get the most out of him by playing him the furthest up the pitch.

The times when he went missing last season, based on my observation, were times when he was forced to mostly play with his back to goal, as he struggled to get good shots off after shooting, and his touch would often let him down in these situations.

Contrastingly, he was absolutely deadly when he was able to run onto the end of a through-balls, or when he got the ball deeper and was able to dribble at defenders, or when the ball was played between him and the goal from the goal line.

Don't these attributes make him seem more like a number 10 a player suited to play in the hole just behind a centre-forward, than an out-and-out target man striker?

Based on the above, I think two things could happen, either:

1.) He's young and has yet to develop the aspects of his game that would make him a deadly target man, and over time his ability to buy space to shoot when his back is to goal will improve, meaning his future at the club is as a number 9. centre forward.

2.) We use a formation that allows us to play him and Barkley directly behind a target man striker (Naismith or Kone?) who can knocked down headers or lay off passes for Barkley and Lukaku to run onto

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Wow, I leave 3 days and we've gone and sold Lukaku

Watching Mourinho's pc after the fact tells a lot, he was disjointed and didn't look happy, he rarely looked up either. But he also deflected when asked if Mourinho was disappointed.

From this I think things got very heated with Mourinho & Lukaku/his agent/his father. It seems as if Lukaku tried to hold the club to ransom and Mourinho called the bluff. As I said before, someone's led Lukaku to overestimate himself and if that's only led him to go to Everton..... It says a lot about how other perceive him.

[yipo 56]

everton going to profit from him 3 or 4 years later by selling him to big club with big offer