Romelu Lukaku

[gr123 167]

11 of his 15 PL goals have come in the second half this season. Says a lot. Perfect back up/impact striker needed for us and on top of that he hopefully will get some starts to. Costa and Lukaku next season. Yes please!

Can't see him being happy with being an impact sub for us - he's pretty much been first choice for West Brom and Everton hasn't he? Would like to see him back for next season though.

[Stats 6,980]

Can't see him being happy with being an impact sub for us - he's pretty much been first choice for West Brom and Everton hasn't he? Would like to see him back for next season though.

He won't be but he will be at a team fighting for all major trophies and he still will get his games. Who knows, if he is lucky might even partner Costa up front. But on our perspective we need reliable strikers and if that means keeping him here then so be it. City have clinical strikers as do Liverpool. We need them now as well.

[Tomo 21,681]

I really think that the Lukaku factor is being massively overplayed.

Their seems to be this general consensus that he's our best forward and if we kept him we would have been champions, personally i don't think either are true.

Eto'o has managed 12 in all comps despite being heavily rotated and barely getting full 90 minutes all season, under the same circumstances i reckon Lukaku would have got around the same tally for us.

If Eto'o and Lukaku both stay to back up our new forward presumably Costa, you will be in for a shock when Jose regularly choses the maturity and experience of Samuel of the bench and when Costa is unavailable.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I really think that the Lukaku factor is being massively overplayed.

Their seems to be this general consensus that he's our best forward and if we kept him we would have been champions, personally i don't think either are true.

Eto'o has managed 12 in all comps despite being heavily rotated and barely getting full 90 minutes all season, under the same circumstances i reckon Lukaku would have got around the same tally for us.

If Eto'o and Lukaku both stay to back up our new forward presumably Costa, you will be in for a shock when Jose regularly choses the maturity and experience of Samuel of the bench and when Costa is unavailable.

He's not YET world-class but you can't deny that he's our best striker right now (he's proven it over the course of the season) and will have perhaps given us the extra 4-5 points needed to win the league. Case in point: The Aston Villa and Crystal Palace away games where Torres was absolutely pathetic.

Our options are:

Fernando "I can't score goals to save my life" Torres

Samuel "I only come to play home games" Eto'o

Demba "slightly above average" Ba.

Sure, they've been rotated, but there is a reason why they've been rotated and that's that none of them are good enough for a title chasing side.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Also, here's some other interesting facts on Lukaku's goal-scoring record.

12/13 - 17 goals in 35 apps for WBA 13/14 - 15 goals in 31 apps for Everton

In fact, Lukaku has out-scored Drogba, our greatest ever striker, in 6 of his 8 seasons at Chelsea with the only exceptions being in 2006/07 and 2009/10! This is a Drogba who joined us at 25, at the best moment of his footballing career, playing for one of the most expensively assembled teams in the world.

Lukaku on the other hand, at age 19(!) in his first full season in English football, scored 17 goals in a horrible West Brom side were he was even played out of position to accommodate Shane Long.

He repeated the feat in an Everton side entirely dependent on him to score goals.

Some (like myself in the past), complain about his first touch, but that's something that comes with age. His first touch, in the first place has a lot to do with how massive he is. Also, back to my Drogba comparison, Didier didn't exactly have the best first touch in his first 2 seasons at Chelsea either. It was something that improved tremendously at Chelsea.

There's no doubt that Romelu is the biggest striking talent in the world right now. If we are to sign Diego Costa (who is 25 as well), then we are going to have to look for ways to become more flexible with our system. I won't mind seeing a 4-4-2 (flat or diamond) against opposition we are expected to beat at Stamford Bridge. A front two of Costa and Romelu sounds insane on paper and with Matic being a midfield lynch-pin, we have the glue to hold it together.

Besides, last time we won the league under Ancelotti, we played a lot of games with a 4-4-2 with Didier and Anelka up front. Safe to say, that season, we broke the premier league goal-scoring record and Drogba, Anelka and Lampard had their best seasons ever in a Chelsea shirt.

[Tomo 21,681]

He's not YET world-class but you can't deny that he's our best striker right now (he's proven it over the course of the season) and will have perhaps given us the extra 4-5 points needed to win the league. Case in point: The Aston Villa and Crystal Palace away games where Torres was absolutely pathetic.

Our options are:

Fernando "I can't score goals to save my life" Torres

Samuel "I only come to play home games" Eto'o

Demba "slightly above average" Ba.

Sure, they've been rotated, but there is a reason why they've been rotated and that's that none of them are good enough for a title chasing side.

I think Eto'o would be fine as a squad option next year, his experience alone would be invaluable not to mention he is a big game player, the other 2 however can't leave soon enough.

Regarding the 2 games i agree with Villa as they were leaving stupid amount of space, Palace played with such a low block he would have found it tough. That said he would have buried the chance Torres got in that game.

[Mong630 7]

I'm sure lukaku has no problems with starting as second or third striker next season. As long as Mou gives him the feeling he will get a fair chance.

This season he didn't want to take the risk of playing 15minutes every 2 games or only in league cup just because its the world cup this summer and he didnt want to lose his spot in the national team.

You can say the same thing about courtois and de bruyne actually.

[Yeboii 1,844]

Getting Lukaku back and buying Dzeko/Costa wouldn't be that expensive really, and it would be a striker combination that many teams would envy.

[iseah100 5,612]

Does it matter that Lukaku wouldn't want to be anything other than the first option? He's 20 and on Chelsea's payroll. Does Dzeko or Jovetic like not being first or second option? Doubt it. We should keep him though, buy Costa and Dzeko or Bony or somebody. No striker can play every game, except maybe Messi? So we need 3 or 4 strikers. Oh and keep Eto'o

[Shakez 755]

Happy Bday Romelu!

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Romelu Lukaku offered to Atletico Madrid as part of exchange deal to bring Diego Costa to Chelsea this summerRomelu Lukaku has been offered to Atletico Madrid as part of Chelsea’s attempts to seal a deal for Diego Costa. But it is understood the Belgian will have to overcome his reservations about moving to Spain because of the risk of racist abuse and the soft punishment Villarreal received when a fan threw a banana at Daniel Alves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2626946/Romelu-Lukaku-offered-Atletico-Madrid-exchange-deal-bring-Diego-Costa-Chelsea.html

DM roll on once again

[didierforever 7,349]

happy bday KRAKEN.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

Romelu Lukaku offered to Atletico Madrid as part of exchange deal to bring Diego Costa to Chelsea this summer

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2626946/Romelu-Lukaku-offered-Atletico-Madrid-exchange-deal-bring-Diego-Costa-Chelsea.html

Dailyfail so I doubt it (even more so that he has that 32mill buyout clause), and especially seeing as SSN haven't mentioned it.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Also, here's some other interesting facts on Lukaku's goal-scoring record.02

02

12/13 - 17 goals in 35 apps for WBA 13/14 - 15 goals in 31 apps for Everton

02

In fact, Lukaku has out-scored Drogba, our greatest ever striker, in 6 of his 8 seasons at Chelsea with the only exceptions being in 2006/07 and 2009/10! This is a Drogba who joined us at 25, at the best moment of his footballing career, playing for one of the most expensively assembled teams in the world.

02

Lukaku on the other hand, at age 19(!) in his first full season in English football, scored 17 goals in a horrible West Brom side were he was even played out of position to accommodate Shane Long.

02

He repeated the feat in an Everton side entirely dependent on him to score goals.

02

Some (like myself in the past), complain about his first touch, but that's something that comes with age. His first touch, in the first place has a lot to do with how massive he is. Also, back to my Drogba comparison, Didier didn't exactly have the best first touch in his first 2 seasons at Chelsea either. It was something that improved tremendously at Chelsea.

02

There's no doubt that Romelu is the biggest striking talent in the world right now. If we are to sign Diego Costa (who is 25 as well), then we are going to have to look for ways to become more flexible with our system. I won't mind seeing a 4-4-2 (flat or diamond) against opposition we are expected to beat at Stamford Bridge. A front two of Costa and Romelu sounds insane on paper and with Matic being a midfield lynch-pin, we have the glue to hold it together.

02

Besides, last time we won the league under Ancelotti, we played a lot of games with a 4-4-2 with Didier and Anelka up front. Safe to say, that season, we broke the premier league goal-scoring record and Drogba, Anelka and Lampard had their best seasons ever in a Chelsea shirt.

Exactly. Most title winning sides I can think of used 2 strikers.

Yorke and cole

Henry and berkamp

Rooney and tevez

Drogba and anelka

Rooney and chicharito

Aguero and tevez

Vanpersie and rooney

Aguero and dzeko/negredo

2 strikers systems in the past 10 years win the league. Even suarez and sturridge almost won it.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how shit the rest of the team is, if there are 2 pple that score chances and get combined 55-60goals up front, you regularly win the league.

We have underatted the impact of strikers for too long. We must get it right next season.

[Styles 9,790]

Exactly. Most title winning sides I can think of used 2 strikers.

Yorke and cole

Henry and berkamp

Rooney and tevez

Drogba and anelka

Rooney and chicharito

Aguero and tevez

Vanpersie and rooney

Aguero and dzeko/negredo

2 strikers systems in the past 10 years win the league. Even suarez and sturridge almost won it.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how shit the rest of the team is, if there are 2 pple that score chances and get combined 55-60goals up front, you regularly win the league.

We have underatted the impact of strikers for too long. We must get it right next season.

Most of those partnerships have a player who can play a more withdrawn role. Mourinho's preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1. So maybe instead of three attacking-midfielders behind the forward, we would have two + forward. Oscar would be the player to miss out in this set-up.

Willian - - - - - - - - - - - - Hazard

????

Costa

I don't think Lukaku is that kind of player and neither is Costa.

[lionsden 4,689]

Most of those partnerships have a player who can play a more withdrawn role. Mourinho's preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1. So maybe instead of three attacking-midfielders behind the forward, we would have two + forward. Oscar would be the player to miss out in this set-up.

Willian - - - - - - - - - - - - Hazard

????

Costa

I don't think Lukaku is that kind of player and neither is Costa.

Torres he's a false 9 afterall

[dee25 1,044]

Most of those partnerships have a player who can play a more withdrawn role. Mourinho's preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1. So maybe instead of three attacking-midfielders behind the forward, we would have two + forward. Oscar would be the player to miss out in this set-up.

Willian - - - - - - - - - - - - Hazard

????

Costa

I don't think Lukaku is that kind of player and neither is Costa.

In this particular set-up, I can see Schurrle really flourishing.

Or play Costa slightly more withdrawn with Lukaku up front

[Styles 9,790]

In this particular set-up, I can see Schurrle really flourishing.

Or play Costa slightly more withdrawn with Lukaku up front

Schurrle is an interesting option. That didn't cross my mind at all.

Also come to think of it, didn't Costa play with Falcao in their final season together? I'm not going to pretend that I watched Atletico a lot so I don't know how well that partnership worked but the stats are:

2012-2013

Falcao - 41 goals in 34 games

Costa - 20 goals in 44

The only game I can really remember watching is when they beat Madrid in the Copa del Rey final where Falcao set up Costa brilliantly.