🇧🇪 Romelu Lukaku

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

You can see Mounts importance considering Rodri had a field day against us. Mount always presses the holding midfielder. 
 

 

[robsblubot 3,595]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Think the abysmal performance of our midfielders and the lack of open space to properly transition the ball mixed in with Tuchel’s poor tactics to counter Ciry’s press was the main reason but to each their own mate. 

They were overwhelmed because of the way city plays, by constantly outnumbering our players in all areas of the pitch.

50 minutes ago, ZAPHOD2319 said:

It is hard to have it both ways. Lukaku didn’t get involved in the build up much because he and Werner were isolated from our midfield from most of the game. His role is to finish, which he does really well. We had our midfield and wingbacks so far back most of the game, we hardly ever got into attacking positions. I don't know how people are pointing fingers at Lukaku when we rarely got the ball into situations for him to effect the game. The problem was the 3-5-2 got pinned back almost the entire game. I love Giroud, I have no doubt if Giroud was in today, it would have looked exactly the same. 

Hate to break it to you, but then we are not contenders. City (and Guardiola) secret sauce is exactly that every player is constantly involved in the build up. Or a more fair way to say it, they have more players involved in the buildup than other sides. Even their goalie was handpicked because he can pick a pass. And that's why we were able to match them last CL, because we also did that. If now we have a immobile striker who needs the ball at his feel, well, then we are fucked.

Besides, those unacceptably poor first touches have little to do with how the team played and more to do with, well Lukaku's lack of skill. Lukauku's first touch is very popular on twitter right now, and I have to say deservedly so.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,818]

Pep is not our manager. He has his style of play, but it is not the only style of play. Our problem today was the way the formation was set up and the ultra conservative approach. It was easy to see the plan was to absorb City and knick a goal to win. That works until it doesn't. It didn’t work today. It has not been our game plan most of this year. Tuchel had it wrong, it happens.

[laura90 556]

3 hours ago, Mário César said:

"everything he can offer except his goals?"

i repeat

except his goals

just goals, right? eheh

what is the purper of football? score goals, right?

When he doesn't score his lack of skill and poor first touch are the object of ridicule. His antics on the pitch. His behavior on the pitch and of the pitch. If he, God forbids,  gets into not scoring series, it gets into his head and he becomes very awful persona. On and of the pitch. Unlike other misfiring strikers we have seen.

[robsblubot 3,595]

40 minutes ago, laura90 said:

When he doesn't score his lack of skill and poor first touch are the object of ridicule. His antics on the pitch. His behavior on the pitch and of the pitch. If he, God forbids,  gets into not scoring series, it gets into his head and he becomes very awful persona. On and of the pitch. Unlike other misfiring strikers we have seen.

yeah he did not work hard enough, which was really disappointing to me at least. And I'm just waiting to see what he will do when subbed off -- throw a tantrum?

Although it seems the only way he gets off the pitch is on a stretcher.

@ZAPHOD2319 I hope you are right, I truly do. Just don't see us beating them in the PL, sorry to say. Think we lost what made us difficult for them. One could say that the players who sit for lukaku are better than him... better footballers. I certainly think Kai is.

 

[Blue Armour 4,439]

12 hours ago, killer1257 said:

He needs passes. If he gets chances, he will score goals. But our team is not famous for creating chances, especially with Kovacic, Jorgi, Kante and Werner. All of them are not creative. Almost every Manchester City player is more creative than our midfield and attackers. Even Cancelo is.. 

This.

When Lukaku came, I already made peace with the fact that he is not Didier Drogba. His hold-up play and inventiveness is not up to par.

But that doesn't mean he's useless in big games. I would still bet on him scoring given a decent half chance at any point in the game. His ability in front of goal is unquestionable.

It just means that the team around him has to do all the work, and set him up.

Today we couldn't. Kovacic and Kante could barely break out of our half with the ball, and very few long balls were played over the top to either Werner or Lukaku. Same happened at Anfield after we went down to 10 men.

[Blues11 213]

Very harsh to be hypercritical of Lukaku with the formation and lineup we had today. Obviously he could have done better holding the ball up but we basically had two attacking players...
 

They way we line up, I doubt our offense will ever be very good. The 3-4-2-1 suits our team the best but when we go down a goal or two, Tuchel needs to mix things up and give us a better chance. Whenever we take the lead first, we are the best team in the world at holding it.

Still think Lukaku will come good and play better but he also needs some help. We basically run three holding midfielders and none are good in the final 3rd. 

[Tomo 21,751]

20 hours ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Don't think he was the issue today.

The set up neglected literally everyone's ability to transition considering City's press, which led to some horrid show performances. Hindsight is a bitch but the fact Tuchel continued on with this until City scored is ever so worrying. 

The must not lose bug that ate Mourinho and Conte alive may have landed on Tuchel...

@robsblubothas largely covered a lot of my response but the way i see it is we had a perfect set up for big games last season and Rom's presence has compromised it somewhat. What makes City so hard to play against is they have everyone heavily involved in the build up and the off the ball work and what made us so strong against them last season is we matched that. 

However that said I wouldn't be surprised if he flat track bullys us into a title race but I don't think there's a chance of us retaining the UCL or even giving it a big shot if he plays every minute in the run. Everything i feared would happen by resigning Rom was on display yesterday and not only that Havertz is looking half the player he was at the back end of last season playing false 9 (which suited him and this squad down to the ground especially vs opponents like City).

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

3 minutes ago, Tomo said:

@robsblubothas largely covered a lot of my response but the way i see it is we had a perfect set up for big games last season and Rom's presence has compromised it somewhat. What makes City so hard to play against is they have everyone heavily involved in the build up and the off the ball work and what made us so strong against them last season is we matched that. 

However that said I wouldn't be surprised if he flat track bullys us into a title race but I don't think there's a chance of us retaining the UCL or even giving it a big shot if he plays every minute in the run. Everything i feared would happen by resigning Rom was on display yesterday and not only that Havertz is looking half the player he was at the back end of last season playing false 9 (which suited him and this squad down to the ground especially vs opponents like City).

Not that I disagree with your point, (albeit we need a larger sample size to truly see if Lukaku can’t be effective for us in these kind of games) but I don’t think this was evident yesterday. The midfield and Tuchel were the primary issue. Havertz mind you is also a notorious slow starter. 

Edited September 26, 2021 by MoroccanBlue

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Couldn’t watch the game in full live  bc of a rescheduled flight but watched it in relive and what disappoints me the most apart from the ultra defensive set up and poor individual performances is how TT played for a draw but could not get it. We were never gonna dominate city and with that lineup it would have been difficult to beat them on the break as well so we effectively wanted a draw from the outset. Defending is what we are supposed to be good at but City kept taking us apart. Usually when TT wants a draw he gets one.  Taking a 1-0 loss vs the best team  in the world per se is Not the Problem . But the way we did was woeful. I really hope the coach and the team learn a lot from this . We dont win or lose the league based on this game But it showed we still are 2nd favs at best by same distance. 
 

also Lukaku himself is not the problem but the way he and Timo were utilised 

both are average technically so having them play together for the first time from the start esp as the only two attackers was very optimistic. They are limited in ways which make it hard flr them to function together without extensive practice . Also they are not exactly known for creating chances without a player to link midfield and attack like Kai or Puli so what did TT expect ? We looked and played like Burnley. Really not acceptable now to approach the next big game in a similar fashion 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

My biggest criticism of Tuchel so far is him having 9 months of management and he still can't suss out which attacking players compliment one another. 

[Tomo 21,751]

1 hour ago, MoroccanBlue said:

My biggest criticism of Tuchel so far is him having 9 months of management and he still can't suss out which attacking players compliment one another. 

I think he did at the back end of last season, aside from the finishing issues Havertz, Mount and Werner was working really well. 

[Tomo 21,751]

That was the main reason I was against signing him, I just knew he would be untouchable. 

Does Tuchel genuinely believe he should be or is he wary of Rom's history when he's told to fight for his place? I'm not sure which would be worse.

That said he'll score us a truckload vs the lesser sides so should play them but against the big teams he should be supersub until his performances warrant more.

[Warning_Hazard 156]

Another stinker.

To be fair, We need much more creativity in the middle, We we awful against juve tonight.

 

[Tomo 21,751]

1 minute ago, Warning_Hazard said:

Another stinker.

To be fair, We need much more creativity in the middle, We we awful against juve tonight.

 

Our biggest 'creator' last season was our pressing, Rom is awful on that aspect.

[blues.bridge 343]

i knew Him and i was  always against him. 
we play much more worse than last year, with  havertz like false nine we were much better!
IMO we would have needed more a player like Chiesa or Sane, keeping havertz as striker.

[Tomo 21,751]

2 minutes ago, Mana said:

Villa is literally the only game so far that Lukaku scored more than 1 goal. So until that changes, I wouldn't even call him a flat track bully either. 

But yes, you're right that now he is untouchable. And that is worrying because he can have a run of piss poor performances and still play. Who else do we have though? Havertz, Werner, Kovacic, Mount...all these men can't score for the love of toffees themselves!

In the context of big games Kai, Werner and Mount is a proven trio. All heavily involved in the build up and offer elite level pressing.

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

1 minute ago, Tomo said:

In the context of big games Kai, Werner and Mount is a proven trio. All heavily involved in the build up and offer elite level pressing.

Hindsight is 20/20 but at the moment its looking like we should of spent 100 million on Chiesa. 

Chiesa/Havertz/Mount would've worked like a fiddle. 

[Warning_Hazard 156]

Or mbappe/haaland

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

2 minutes ago, Warning_Hazard said:

Or mbappe/haaland

Mbappe perhaps buts its becoming more and more evident this system requires interchangeable attackers to succeed. Haaland isn't it.