Romelu Lukaku

[Henrique 9,133]

Selling a player for 30m that never scored a single goal in official matches for Chelsea, is an amazing deal for me.

Drogba still is a very good player, and at least a decent "squad player".

[The Skipper 20,593]

It was fun doing that. Should I keep the style? I'll make sure to do other things live to remind me I'm a girl and not a boy

Haha no Barb, stick to your old style, it's unique and has more passion... it's just you. Never change

[iseah100 5,612]

Absolutely but with Costa there isn't only the risk of injuries but also of not adapting quickly enough (less likely) and suspensions (very likely). I think Mourinho might gamble on the combination of Costa, Torres and Drogba until January at least, and this could well be his downfall.

Costa-Drogba-Torres is better than what we had last year. There will be no "downfall" of Jose. He'll replace Lukaku is he leaves v

[Barbara 15,149]

Haha no Barb, stick to your old style, it's unique and has more passion... it's just you. Never change

I thought so too - that's who I am, but well, maybe some of the people wouldn't skip my long-ass posts if I was brief. I could try to find some common ground.

But I know what the problem is. I don't let people fill in the blanks - especially on internet. 1) because they may fill it in a way I didn't mean 2) they may not fill at all and not understand what I meant.

I'm a teacher, I aim to be didactic even without realizing it. But the main thing is that I don't allow people to fill the blanks in their heads, I fill them all by myself.

Absolutely but with Costa there isn't only the risk of injuries but also of not adapting quickly enough (less likely) and suspensions (very likely). I think Mourinho might gamble on the combination of Costa, Torres and Drogba until January at least, and this could well be his downfall.

Yep, it's a risk that many variables could factor in. I don't feel confident and I'm not as convinced Torres+Didier is better than Etoo+Torres+Ba (as the probem presents itself if Costa doesn't play or produce). I guess it's too risky and it could waste all the perfect signings we did and the team's chances in winning tittles, and not only fighting til the end for them.

[The Chels 2,502]

If Costa is injured, I'd rather see Andre lead the line. Hard-working, humble, not complaining

We've tried that before and not had much success. I remember Gary Neville pointing out that Mourinho was constantly having to tell Schurrle where to position himself and make his runs against PSG away.

[LukakutoStamford 779]

1) You're undermining the role he could have here. Torres and Ba started matches... Torres too many. If Lukaku proved he was a best scorer than they - which isn't that hard he could have started many matches. Who said he was destined to play 10-15 minutes for a whole season? I've never expected him to be a super sub throughout the whole season and that the fear that made him move. For someone that believes he's so great he doesn't have proportional confidence in his game. It's almost like he has to convince us with his words because in the pitch he's not sure he will. You misunderstood my point about Benteke, what I meant is that he's much better than all the three mentioned (Lukaku, Torres and Ba) although he isn't an Aguero, let's say. I may even like him better than Costa as I'm not that much of a Costa fan...

2) Again with the assumption he wouldn't play. Last season he would have played a lot of minutes. This year with Costa it's more difficult, that's why last year was his chance and HE wasted it. And yes, he's 21. Why should he have more than a few minutes until he gives José a problem about who should start. You talk of him being 21 as if he was 25. A 25yo has to start every match because he's at his peak, a 21 has to grab every chance thrown his way. Sorry if this offends you, but you seem to think a lot like he does, and that's my problem with him. You earn things, you aren't handled them. A 21 has to prove his value and fight, that's how at age 24/25 you have a guaranteed place, because you fought for it, you worked for it. Lukaku hasn't done that in a top team yet and he will have to do it somewhere if he wants to reach the top.

3) It's not even about being better (although he is better, but he's also older). He was sacrificed for Torres. That was our main mistake. He's scored goals while being here while being second to Didier and Torres (sometimes he was third actually). We made a mistake, we had a gem but we sacrificed him for some blondie. You can never predict precisely a player's future. I didn't expect him to become so good so fast after he left us, but we treated him really badly imo, something we haven't done with Lukaku yet.

4) He does have his qualities, I said as much, but the last one you mentioned is that kind that he isn't willing to offer because to play against tired defenses he has to be in the bench and he (and you seemingly) thinks what he needs now is to start matches. What he needs and what he deserves can be completely different things.

5) Nothing to say about it. we definitely agree on that.

I like Rodriguez he would be perfect. We already have 20 non-HG players for 17 spots, if we let go of a HG player we need to replace him with another one. I'd say bring Jay. It doesn't matter much of who (as it can hardly get worse than Torres), but the profile. A younger player tutored by DD and even Costa, willing to fight his space in the team with some quality will already help us immensely. Of course it can't be a guy that doesn't seem to be promising, but I mean we don't need another WC striker.

1. It's hard to say what his role would have been had he stayed at Chelsea for 2013/2014. At Everton he played 2598 minutes in 33 appearances which comes to 78.73 minutes per appearance. He missed 5 leagues games due to injury but my guess is that he would have had an additional 350-400 minutes from those games. Yes the Striker core was poor last year, but I think it would have been a terrible idea to have him leading the line at 20 even if he was the best. Remember that Mourinho was really trying to land Rooney as the #1 guy up until the deadline.

2. It's not an assumption he wouldn't play but rather he'd play a less than he did at Everton, which isn't the steam cooker that Chelsea is in terms of pressure etc. I think this would be a much better year for him to step into the #2 role because he can get acclimatized to Chelsea plus he's not the #1 but he can get 1500+ minutes and take over the #1 duties should Costa get hurt. I don't think he's being handed anything. I think it's more of a bit of apprehension from happen when he was 18 and AVB didn't loan him out and he sat at Chelsea doing very little. Each player is different some can handle working from the bottom getting nothing and some need to be coddled more. You can choose to get rid of those that needs to be coddled but players do need to be treated based on how their personality works and within the framework of the coaches system. If Mou think that can't work then he should get rid of Lukaku and I'm behind that.

3. It's not about treating a player badly as it is not falling prey to salary and shirt selling pressures. Unfortunately it happens in soccer and all other sports. Players that teams invest in get much longer leashes and they aren't easily displaced by less heralded players because of egos.

4. I don't think he's adverse to coming off of the bench, but I think it's a question of being able to see a future and I'm not sure he sees a future at Chelsea under Mourinho just I don't think Jose sees a future with him leading the line at Chelsea.

It just needs to be someone who can give quality minutes not need to start and be happy that he's playing for a big club and has a shot at trophies. Ideally a younger guy 23/24 would be good but lots of players at that age have starting ambition.

[The Chels 2,502]

Costa-Drogba-Torres is better than what we had last year. There will be no "downfall" of Jose. He'll replace Lukaku is he leaves v

It might be better than last year but it's not good enough to fight on 4 fronts. Let's hope he does replace Lukaku if he sells him but I'm not too sure.

[bababoom 4,478]

Sturridge is the more complete striker (compared to Lukaku), that's why people miss him now even to this day. Sturridge is technically sound, fast and able to keep the ball under pressure. We all know he's a selfish cunt but i have to say under Rodgers he passes a lot more. I still wouldn't say he's world class but he would have offered something different upfront, a new 'dimension' as AVB would say.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

I don't care anymore if Lukaku leaves. But if he is leaving then we must buy a good second choice striker. Drogba and Torres cannot be considered good enough backups. Should have bought Mandzukic. Who else is possible?

Remy would be a good shout.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

Sturridge is the more complete striker (compared to Lukaku), that's why people miss him now even to this day. Sturridge is technically sound, fast and able to keep the ball under pressure. We all know he's a selfish cunt but i have to say under Rodgers he passes a lot more. I still wouldn't say he's world class but he would have offered something different upfront, a new 'dimension' as AVB would say.

I dont think he was ever as selfish as many thought he was.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Now that we have set the price, hope clubs like Real or Monaco or Juventus could join in. It is much better to ship him overseas.

[didierforever 7,349]

Just visited the sturridge thread. DEJA-VU!!! probably worse as lukaku WILL be bought by city/united. A direct title competitor in coming years. Atleast with sturridge we can be sure that he won't challenge for the title for the coming future.

[J.F. 1,484]

Lukaku is staying, 10 minutes conversation with Drogba and he will stay, he knows that he will get more chance because he will be our second striker + Drogba is going to be his mentor

[Svita 10 186]

Selling a player for 30m that never scored a single goal in official matches for Chelsea, is an amazing deal for me.

Drogba still is a very good player, and at least a decent "squad player".

But not to me, because he has potentional to be next Drogba. And we don´t need money so much.

To start season with Costa, Torres and Drogba is suicide

[DYC. 7,542]

I say make a deal a la Real. Sell him for £20 mil with the option to get him back for £25-30 mil within the next two seasons.

[Blue Gino 377]

All I ask is one good season, say the right things, then he can get his wish granted and sold next summer. He has the mindset of being the main man but sorry, Diego is the alpha who's going to be a nightmare for opponents this season.

[The only place to be 11,313]

But not to me, because he has potentional to be next Drogba. And we don´t need money so much.

To start season with Costa, Torres and Drogba is suicide

Are the Drogba comparison based on anything more than him being a big, black, long haired striker?

As footballers they're markedly different. Drogba is a two-footed player who is fantastic in the air, strong in possession and with his back to goal, an excellent passer of the ball for a big target man, intelligent and great at bringing others into the game.

Lukaku is a poacher in reality. He's good at running into space but his technique is lacking, he's shockingly bad in the air for someone with his physical gifts and his hold-up play is also pretty bad.

Lukaku is closer in style to Costa which is why losing him isn't that bad. If you want a striker off the bench who changes the way you attack then I'm not sure he's the guy.

If you really want to anoint a big, black, Belgian as the next Drogba then Benteke is your man and I wouldn't mind us going for him. The guy was even born in Africa.

[didierforever 7,349]

With psg ready to sell cavani, if we sell him for 30mil £, I expect us to buy cavani