Romelu Lukaku

[semiller1313 23]

What the f?

I give Lukaku all support, as I said we could play with him next season, but it will PROBABLY end with similar results as this season. Sure then people (probably you too) will be mad because we play bad and we didnt sign striker and because Lukaku could dissapoint and fans would want him leave...

But if you want to be equal to top teams, you must buy top striker. Real has Higuain, Benzema and Morata (+Cr) and they want one more. Same with United, City, Bayern,...I believe Lukaku will be our main striker in few years, but allmost certainly not next year. He is too young and what will we do if he underperforms? Buy striker in winter? Im not saying we need ten strikers, but 1 that will do the job every game. A more experienced/older one to leave place when Lukaku is truly ready. I dont even say we need Cavani or Falcao, could be Lewandowski, Jovetic, Martunez, Villa, or other cheaper proven strikers that can lead out attack if lukaku struggles.

And about that I want us to buy every single player you must be biased to think so. I never jump on bandwagon like many people here when someone like Isco, Falcao, Rooney scores screamer then we should sign him. If I mention 10 players, sure I would love see them here, I mean you wouldnt? But i would never actualy say that we should buy them. If we need Cb, DM, CM and striker we need them, not because I said so, but because Lamps, terry will retire eventualy, torres is shit, Marin could leave, Luiz is unconsistent (but I never said him or Mikel who are very hated here among people to leave), and team like Chelsea needs top players. If you think that all our youth players will now become big players after knowing history with our youth players is ridiculous. Yes I want them to suceed here, but come on, we dont even have proper board and coach to make them stars. Neither Roman has patience with them.

If saying that we need striker and midfielder/defender are players from whole world, then fuck you too. Dont say something that is not true.

Why are you so convinced he isn't ready? Is it just his age? I agree that it is a risk, we can never know for sure how a player will fit in our team. But don't you think bringing in a new player would also be risky? Who knows how the new player would adjust to a new league, new teammates, new formation, new manager. Also there is the financial risk, with FFP we have to think of money differently; every dollar spent in one area takes away from another. For example, say we are restricted to spending 50 million this season, if we spend 30 million(and wages) on a striker, that leaves us only 20 million to upgrade our midfield and defense. IMO those areas are in bigger need of help. Even if Lukaku is a total failure (doubtful), we still have Ba, who I think is a very solid, proven player. If a new transfer fails, we will still have Ba to fall back on, but we will also be out 30 million, and for that reason, I think bringing in a new player is the bigger risk.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Why are you so convinced he isn't ready? Is it just his age? I agree that it is a risk, we can never know for sure how a player will fit in our team. But don't you think bringing in a new player would also be risky? Who knows how the new player would adjust to a new league, new teammates, new formation, new manager. Also there is the financial risk, with FFP we have to think of money differently; every dollar spent in one area takes away from another. For example, say we are restricted to spending 50 million this season, if we spend 30 million(and wages) on a striker, that leaves us only 20 million to upgrade our midfield and defense. IMO those areas are in bigger need of help. Even if Lukaku is a total failure (doubtful), we still have Ba, who I think is a very solid, proven player. If a new transfer fails, we will still have Ba to fall back on, but we will also be out 30 million, and for that reason, I think bringing in a new player is the bigger risk.

As I said, give Lukaku a chance, but buy experienced striker in case if Romelu wont suceed. And Im sure we will have around 80mio to spend in summer

[The Skipper 20,593]

As I said, give Lukaku a chance, but buy experienced striker in case if Romelu wont suceed.

Is Ba not experienced enough?

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Is Ba not experienced enough?

Oh well then just stay with Lukaku, Ba and Torres and see how good/bad season will go...we can always buy over the price in winter if necessary.

I might be wrong, Lukaku could be big star next year and we would save lot of money, we shall see...I think that who will be our coach next year to be most important.

[The only place to be 11,313]

What the f?

I give Lukaku all support, as I said we could play with him next season, but it will PROBABLY end with similar results as this season. Sure then people (probably you too) will be mad because we play bad and we didnt sign striker and because Lukaku could dissapoint and fans would want him leave...

But if you want to be equal to top teams, you must buy top striker. Real has Higuain, Benzema and Morata (+Cr) and they want one more.

How many goals has Benzema scored this season? How many goals has Higuain scored this season?

Isn't the answer to both 'Less than Ba and Lukaku have each scored'?

Same with United, City, Bayern,...I believe Lukaku will be our main striker in few years, but allmost certainly not next year. He is too young

Too young to do what? He's not too young to drink and he's not too young to drive (not at the same time please). Now he is too young to teach someone how to drive and he might struggle to get a loan at his age, but I doubt he needs one. The funny thing about the Premier League is that there isn't an age restriction to get in. He isn't some child who fits in football between homework and Pokemon.

He's a man.

Football is his job.

and what will we do if he underperforms?

Support him.

Buy striker in winter? Im not saying we need ten strikers, but 1 that will do the job every game.

What is that job? Scoring goals in the Premier League? Fine, name some....

A more experienced/older one to leave place when Lukaku is truly ready. I dont even say we need Cavani or Falcao, could be Lewandowski, Jovetic, Martunez, Villa, or other cheaper proven strikers that can lead out attack if lukaku struggles.

Oh, I see you haven't.

And about that I want us to buy every single player you must be biased to think so. I never jump on bandwagon like many people here when someone like Isco, Falcao, Rooney scores screamer then we should sign him. If I mention 10 players, sure I would love see them here, I mean you wouldnt?

10 players? Fuck no. Squad cohesion and financial responsibility play a part in my thinking.

But i would never actualy say that we should buy them. If we need Cb, DM, CM and striker we need them, not because I said so, but because Lamps, terry will retire eventualy, torres is shit, Marin could leave, Luiz is unconsistent (but I never said him or Mikel who are very hated here among people to leave), and team like Chelsea needs top players. If you think that all our youth players will now become big players after knowing history with our youth players is ridiculous. Yes I want them to suceed here, but come on, we dont even have proper board and coach to make them stars. Neither Roman has patience with them.

If saying that we need striker and midfielder/defender are players from whole world, then fuck you too. Dont say something that is not true.

The point is that we are changing the way we handle youth and they will get more of a chance. You act like it's 2004 and we can go buy anyone we want - that ship has sailed. We're doing things differently because we have to do things differently.

The good thing is we're doing pretty well. We have players like Lukaku and De Bruyne ready to come in so we don't have to spend £30 million on a player. That to me is far more exciting than seeing some 'star' come to us as an established player. I want us to make stars, not buy them.

[Mufassir08 2,400]

The good thing is we're doing pretty well. We have players like Lukaku and De Bruyne ready to come in so we don't have to spend £30 million on a player. That to me is far more exciting than seeing some 'star' come to us as an established player. I want us to make stars, not buy them.

Not to forget the like's of chalobah,josh and piazon as well.

[Stingray 9,441]

BlueLyon, on 17 Mar 2013 - 01:37, said:

and what will we do if he underperforms?

Support him.

I want us to make stars, not buy them.

On the first item I agree. We need to support a young players. Also, this is exactly why I am in such doubt ..... Lukaku is good, very good, but i fear some inconsistency as well - as is the case in most if not all young players. Oscar and Hazard have it as well.

I believe young players should be allowed to be inconsistent at times. This is part of the learning process. If he was the number 1 striker there would be a lot of implicit pressure when he goes through the inevitable bad period. Since I love my fellow belgian , i would hate to see him burned out by this .... The only way we can pull this off is i we have manager with a clear vision that is gonna protect him when the team or Lukaku is underperforming. Someone with genuine managerial courage. Ba could fill the inconsistency gap .... But actually I don't rate Ba that high. Sorry :-)

So, all in all It is a choice, it is the definition of policy .... I do hope we chose this policy- so nicely put forth in your second statement:

I want us to make stars, not buy them!

Now let's grow balls big enough to go for a long term plan, guys!

[BlueLyon 9,359]

How many goals has Benzema scored this season? How many goals has Higuain scored this season?

Isn't the answer to both 'Less than Ba and Lukaku have each scored'?

Too young to do what? He's not too young to drink and he's not too young to drive (not at the same time please). Now he is too young to teach someone how to drive and he might struggle to get a loan at his age, but I doubt he needs one. The funny thing about the Premier League is that there isn't an age restriction to get in. He isn't some child who fits in football between homework and Pokemon.

He's a man.

Football is his job.

Support him.

What is that job? Scoring goals in the Premier League? Fine, name some....

Oh, I see you haven't.

10 players? Fuck no. Squad cohesion and financial responsibility play a part in my thinking.

The point is that we are changing the way we handle youth and they will get more of a chance. You act like it's 2004 and we can go buy anyone we want - that ship has sailed. We're doing things differently because we have to do things differently.

The good thing is we're doing pretty well. We have players like Lukaku and De Bruyne ready to come in so we don't have to spend £30 million on a player. That to me is far more exciting than seeing some 'star' come to us as an established player. I want us to make stars, not buy them.

Every team produces some youth players who eventualy becomes star, but not at the same time. You do realise that there would be massive pressure on Lukaku and other youngsters (Chalobah, Ake,...) if they would have to carry this team while in time of development?

Check next year team according to your plan: only Cech, Terry, Cole, Mikel and Luiz are experienced players. Maybe Mata too, but he is still bit inconsistent. That is only half of team. Now Oscar, Kdb, Lukaku, Hazard and Azpi would need to take massive pressure too. Tell me about a team that produced/bought so many young players and established them as stars in one year? You cant have half team so young, other way we face arsenal destiny.

You have 9/10 regular experienced starters and 2 young players who get regular chances and become big players eventualy.

Not that I wouldnt support such plan to get as many young players in team, but it is a bit impossible. Even teams like Barca are looking elsewhere to keep them competitive. Along all their talents. And they have much better youth coaching then us...

But us I said, lets see what will happen next season. If you will be right and the youth plan will suceed, I will be happy, if they wont, I will support them, make sure you will to even if we will play like shit.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Every team produces some youth players who eventualy becomes star, but not at the same time. You do realise that there would be massive pressure on Lukaku and other youngsters (Chalobah, Ake,...) if they would have to carry this team while in time of development?

Tell me one day in the next decade when Lukaku playing for Chelsea doesn't come with pressure to succeed? He's a Chelsea fan who cried when he came to the stadium for the first time, and he's clearly something of a perfectionist - there is not a crowd in the world who could put the pressure on him that he will put on himself, and yet he seems to have lived up to some of those lofty expectations at West Brom.

He has amazing tangible skills, but he also has the intangibles that very few pros seem to have. You have to sometimes ignore the stats (which are actually pretty impressive) and trust a guy's heart.

Check next year team according to your plan: only Cech, Terry, Cole, Mikel and Luiz are experienced players. Maybe Mata too, but he is still bit inconsistent. That is only half of team. Now Oscar, Kdb, Lukaku, Hazard and Azpi would need to take massive pressure too. Tell me about a team that produced/bought so many young players and established them as stars in one year? You cant have half team so young, other way we face arsenal destiny.

Man United 1995-96. And can we please stop with this Arsenal comparison. Arsenal didn't get where they are by taking a chance on youngsters, they got where they are by selling their best players in their prime and buying crap replacements. We aren't doing that.

Cahill is experienced. Ivanovic is experienced. Hazard is experienced. Lukaku has 20 international caps (almost) playing in a team which carries a whole nation's hopes and expectations. Azpi wasn't experienced but has turned into arguably one of most dependable players this season. Luiz is actually quite experienced despite what people might think.

You know who isn't experienced in the Premier League? Falcao. Cavani. Lewandowski.

I'm not going to throw the 'wet night in Stoke around', but these guys probably don't even know who Stoke are, what the stadium's like and what the pitch is like to run on.

You have 9/10 regular experienced starters and 2 young players who get regular chances and become big players eventualy.

Not that I wouldnt support such plan to get as many young players in team, but it is a bit impossible. Even teams like Barca are looking elsewhere to keep them competitive. Along all their talents. And they have much better youth coaching then us...

That would be the Barca team we be in the NextGen? One result doesn't prove everything but our youth setup is good and we need to start recognising that. Barca go out and but Sanchez and he's hardly set the world alight whilst Tello comes in and does a good job. In fact most of Barca's better signings are players that they let go in the first place as kids. They aren't infallible despite what the media might say.

But us I said, lets see what will happen next season. If you will be right and the youth plan will suceed, I will be happy, if they wont, I will support them, make sure you will to even if we will play like shit.

[Mundaka 243]

Tell me about a team that produced/bought so many young players and established them as stars in one year?

2 years, and Dortmund is an example.

[Santiago. 1,500]

Tell me one day in the next decade when Lukaku playing for Chelsea doesn't come with pressure to succeed? He's a Chelsea fan who cried when he came to the stadium for the first time, and he's clearly something of a perfectionist - there is not a crowd in the world who could put the pressure on him that he will put on himself, and yet he seems to have lived up to some of those lofty expectations at West Brom.

He has amazing tangible skills, but he also has the intangibles that very few pros seem to have. You have to sometimes ignore the stats (which are actually pretty impressive) and trust a guy's heart.

Man United 1995-96. And can we please stop with this Arsenal comparison. Arsenal didn't get where they are by taking a chance on youngsters, they got where they are by selling their best players in their prime and buying crap replacements. We aren't doing that.

Cahill is experienced. Ivanovic is experienced. Hazard is experienced. Lukaku has 20 international caps (almost) playing in a team which carries a whole nation's hopes and expectations. Azpi wasn't experienced but has turned into arguably one of most dependable players this season. Luiz is actually quite experienced despite what people might think.

You know who isn't experienced in the Premier League? Falcao. Cavani. Lewandowski.

I'm not going to throw the 'wet night in Stoke around', but these guys probably don't even know who Stoke are, what the stadium's like and what the pitch is like to run on.

That would be the Barca team we be in the NextGen? One result doesn't prove everything but our youth setup is good and we need to start recognising that. Barca go out and but Sanchez and he's hardly set the world alight whilst Tello comes in and does a good job. In fact most of Barca's better signings are players that they let go in the first place as kids. They aren't infallible despite what the media might say.

Spot on

[Korea 734]

2 years, and Dortmund is an example.

Gotze and who....

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Gotze and who....

Gundogon,pisczek,bender,lewandowski,hummels,schmelzer,sahin were all unknown and have developed and progressed under klopp and you can even make a case of players like subotic,reus,kuba because when they joined they were relatively small name's and not as good as they are today.

[Mundaka 243]

Gotze and who....

Dude really? When they won the Bundesliga these players played in their A-team for max 2 years:

Bender,lewandowski, perisic, gundogan, piszcek, gotze...

And this year reus...

[Mundaka 243]

Gundogon,pisczek,bender,lewandowski,hummels,schmelzer,sahin were all unknown and have developed and progressed under klopp and you can even make a case of players like subotic,reus,kuba because when they joined they were relatively small name's and not as good as they are today.

hummels is already playing his matches for 4 years but yeh... heck even tottenham is a good example

with sighurdson, vertonghen, dembele (who instantly replace modric),...

[Korea 734]

hummels is already playing his matches for 4 years but yeh... heck even tottenham is a good example

with sighurdson, vertonghen, dembele (who instantly replace modric),...

I would not really consider Dembele and Vertoghen "young."

Also, I thought you guys meant produce.....

[The Skipper 20,593]

I would not really consider Dembele and Vertoghen "young."

Also, I thought you guys meant produce.....

Of course they didn't. Did we "produce" Hazard, Mata or Oscar? No.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Warm evening in Madrid. Chelsea plays round of 16 with Real. Lukaku starts as centre forward. Most important game of the year for Cfc. Is he ready to handle the pressure?

NO. He is not.

Chelsea loses in the end, going out of competition. Decent striker's performance, but unexperienced side could not cope with Ronaldo & co.

But...he would gain important experience and in few years grow into a brillant forward.

---

One million question:

Is Roman ready to wait and trust Lukaku despite no international trophies for few years?

Are YOU ready to wait and trust our youth?

This is the ultimate question if we want this NEW plan with youngsters and attractive football to realy work. Should ask Roman himself, but I lost his phone number, so...