Romelu Lukaku

[nofacej 132]

You do realise he scored in every pre-season game (iirc) and didn't get a chance to prove himself in the Prem for Chelsea? That IS fighting for your spot, and to be fair, he won the fight vs Torres and Ba by a large margin.

The fact that the whole of England is laughing at us for loaning out our best striker should ring a bell as well.

As far as the Bayern game is concerned, he was brought on when we didn't have a single attacking player left in the team. Our strikers barely touch a ball in our normal formation let alone when we park the bus and sub every attacking threat we have.

I watched every match in pre-season, and am aware he scored a lot of goals (not in every match though) but pre-season is not a series of top flight competitive matches. He has made two appearances this season in the Premier League for us and produced nothing, and against Bayern he was the laziest player on the pitch. He was probably brought on for his defensive aerial ability, but chose to jog around, high up the pitch, like he didn't have a care in the world. In a cup final against the best team in the world when we were one man down, and trying to cling on to a victory, no less. That's only excusable because of his naivety and inexperience, but make no mistake Torres was worth 5 Lukaku's in that match and I'm sure that was the determining factor when it came to Chelsea green-lighting his loan.

To everyone saying we forced him out of the team, that he had no say in the matter, and we've treated him unfairly, I ask you why? It's not like he's on big wages or we're blessed with an amazing strike force. Unless you think Mourinho and the board are incompetent there's only two options: either it was the correct choice for Lukaku's future development, or he wasn't willing to play second or even third fiddle this season, and requested the loan.

I'm just sick to death of reading about Lukaku being the answer to all our problems and this notion that scoring for WBA or Everton is the same as scoring for Chelsea because it really isn't. If it was then Demba Ba would be banging in goals like he did for Newcastle.

[Weckerz 3,781]

I watched every match in pre-season, and am aware he scored a lot of goals (not in every match though) but pre-season is not a series of top flight competitive matches. He has made two appearances this season in the Premier League for us and produced nothing, and against Bayern he was the laziest player on the pitch. He was probably brought on for his defensive aerial ability, but chose to jog around, high up the pitch, like he didn't have a care in the world. In a cup final against the best team in the world when we were one man down, and trying to cling on to a victory, no less. That's only excusable because of his naivety and inexperience, but make no mistake Torres was worth 5 Lukaku's in that match and I'm sure that was the determining factor when it came to Chelsea green-lighting his loan.

To everyone saying we forced him out of the team, that he had no say in the matter, and we've treated him unfairly, I ask you why? It's not like he's on big wages or we're blessed with an amazing strike force. Unless you think Mourinho and the board are incompetent there's only two options: either it was the correct choice for Lukaku's future development, or he wasn't willing to play second or even third fiddle this season, and requested the loan.

I'm just sick to death of reading about Lukaku being the answer to all our problems and this notion that scoring for WBA or Everton is the same as scoring for Chelsea because it really isn't. If it was then Demba Ba would be banging in goals like he did for Newcastle.

I could write a large respons to this but I can't really be bothered. I respect your opinion altough I think it's flawed.

Let me just say a strikers job is to score goals. Which he does, and keeps doing. There's no arguing in that. Unless Torres miraculously gains his former form he's the best we had. Perhaps not first choice material yet for Chelsea, but you make do.

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

Since Benteke is out, he'll get his chance to shoot Belgium to the World Cup next month. Let's hope he gets a lot of practise the coming weeks.

[Tomo 21,681]

I don't agree with Courtois' repeated loans to Atletico either. The longer he spends time in one place (Madrid) the more settled he'll be. It's even more worrying considering Real Madrid's current goalkeeping situation. Casillas looks like he's on the way out and Lopez is no spring chicken. I think it's almost certain Real Madrid will make a move for him in the next couple of seasons. If we don't call him back next season or at least loan him to a Premier League side (preferably London based) then I don't see him ever playing for us.

Courtois has established himself as arguably the best keeper in La Liga. We can't loan him to Arsenal or Spurs for obvious reason's, and loaning him to Fulham, West Ham or those types just isn't practical when top clubs in Europe will happily sign him with their eyes closed.

If he was owned by Athletico, there would be a mad (probably goalkeeping record breaking) auction for his signature this summer, just imagine (in that situation) if we said, "we want to sign you, but your going to have to go on loan to Fulham to prove you can hack it in the prem".

See what i mean? next year it's decision time, he is just not going to accept a mid table loan or a rotation role when Barcelona and Real Madrid want him and will make him number 1 straight away. This isn't aimed at you, but we really have to start thinking realistically with this situation now. If we wanted to send him on loan to a midtable PL side, we should have done it straight away in 2011 then sent him to Leti.

[nofacej 132]

Courtois has established himself as arguably the best keeper in La Liga. We can't loan him to Arsenal or Spurs for obvious reason's, and loaning him to Fulham, West Ham or those types just isn't practical when top clubs in Europe will happily sign him with their eyes closed.

If he was owned by Athletico, there would be a mad (probably goalkeeping record breaking) auction for his signature this summer, just imagine (in that situation) if we said, "we want to sign you, but your going to have to go on loan to Fulham to prove you can hack it in the prem".

See what i mean? next year it's decision time, he is just not going to accept a mid table loan or a rotation role when Barcelona and Real Madrid want him and will make him number 1 straight away. This isn't aimed at you, but we really have to start thinking realistically with this situation now. If we wanted to send him on loan to a midtable PL side, we should have done it straight away in 2011 then sent him to Leti.

I agree with everything you said. My problem is that I don't think the situation that he became the best keeper in La Liga should have ever been allowed to happen. I'm not going to claim to be an expert on player development, and maybe this is a bad idea, but I would have thought shipping him to various clubs around Europe would have been a better option than keeping him in the same city and club for three seasons. Maybe not from a developmental perspective, but I think it would have been in our interest to prevent him from getting too comfortable anywhere.

[johnnythefirst 1,076]

I would have thought shipping him to various clubs around Europe would have been a better option than keeping him in the same city and club for three seasons. Maybe not from a developmental perspective, but I think it would have been in our interest to prevent him from getting too comfortable anywhere.

Jesus Christ, letting a (back then) 18 year old building himself a completely new life every summer. That sure would have helped his development.

They're people, not puppets.

Also, what you're saying is: damn him for being so good already at this point. That wasn't part of the plan!

[nofacej 132]

Jesus Christ, letting a (back then) 18 year old building himself a completely new life every summer. That sure would have helped his development.

They're people, not puppets.

Also, what you're saying is: damn him for being so good already at this point. That wasn't part of the plan!

We've had no problem sending our other youngsters all over the place one season to the next. With the way modern footballers are paid and the infrastructure of European clubs settling in to a new environment is hardly as taxing as it would be for your average person. Also: damn him for being so good already! That wasn't part of the plan!

[Leif 6,006]

Well, good then.

Roberto Martinez: "Romelu is ready to start games. He is not a player who needs to come on when matches are open."

[didierforever 7,349]

is he starting today???

[replika83 14]

is he starting today???

Yes?

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/premier-league/2013-2014/everton-newcastle-united-618465.html

[svajo 153]

always check clubs' twitter accounts to see line-ups, they are there first and 100% correct

[Hutcho 8,443]

Really look forward to seeing him today. See him lead the line of a fairly big team. Look at what we are missing.

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

Bang

[Jusek 2,031]

LULUUUU!!!

Nicely done with his weaker foot.

[err 19]

romelu who?

I guess that phone call was for jose

[sutro 1,026]

And he scores!

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

He is getting better service at Everton than over here.. Lol

[Tomo 21,681]

This will be a genius move for us in the long run.

Martinez has as good as confirmed he will start every match when fit and he will come back a much better player than he would have been playing here week in week out.