Romelu Lukaku

[Thomas Williams 166]

nor is there much proof to say he's be any better at it than Torres or Eto'o... yet.

Key word there being 'yet.' I think Lukaku is causing the issue by rushing himself. If you look at the best teams in the world throughout the past, you will very rarely find a 20 year old as their stand alone striker. It's just too much pressure and too much expected out of a player that young. If Lukaku became our number one at 22, that would still be immensely young for a striker to play for a team with the quality Chelsea has. I understand that Lukaku is exceptional and he knows it, and he feels he is ready to start for Chelsea, but I don't think a couple more EPL loan spells would hurt him, especially because we know he'd get playing time. And because we can demand a loan fee, it would even be economical for Chelsea (we don't need to keep him as a backup because we're stuck with Torres, like it or not).

Just think Lukaku and the fans need to be patient.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Personally I think he's been run into the ground at Everton. He's played more games than Sturridge in a team who have the creative spark of a boyband member.

It was a stupid loan to make and it'll probably see him end up regressing as a player rather than becoming a player we could actually use in the near future. He's faced almost zero competition in a club whose season is probably over after this weekend (bar the cup competitions) and whose most 'distinguished' player is Gareth Barry.

He'll become a 'what if' for us fans who would've preferred to see him used as a third striker where he'd probably have made 25 appearances.

Oh, and despite all that he's scored 2 fewer goals than Eto'o, Torres and Ba combined.

[Thomas Williams 166]

would've preferred to see him used as a third striker where he'd probably have made 25 appearances.

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I would have liked that too, but I think it is unlikely that Mourinho would have given him that many games. Look how much playing time Ba gets as our number 3, Lukaku probably would have been lucky to get even 10 full 90 minute games, if that. Lukaku is still very young, we have plenty of time and can make plenty of mistakes with what we do with him before he's "regressed." I don't see how any playing time is bad, I think 9 times out of 10 playing full time is good for a young player in his development. And while Everton isn't perfect, you're going to be hard pressed to find a better EPL side willing to take on a Chelsea youth as a full time player.

This Everton side you're making fun of is ahead of United despite having had an ENORMOUS, and I mean ENORMOUS injury crisis the past couple of months--their football is not that bad. Last year we only had a couple more points after week 25 than they do now. They also play a 4-2-3-1, just like us, and Mirallas and Barkley are basically a poor man's Hazard and Oscar- not that different.

If you think about it, it was pretty much the perfect place to loan him, and definitely an upgrade from West Brom. When he performed well there, you guys complain that he should be here at Chelsea, when he performs poorly, you say playing there is ruining him. Fact is, he IS improving his game there, and frankly Mourinho didn't think he was ready yet to start for us. Lukaku wanted more playing time so he could improve, and he's getting it. Don't see what all the fuss is about.

[The only place to be 11,313]

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I would have liked that too, but I think it is unlikely that Mourinho would have given him that many games. Look how much playing time Ba gets as our number 3, Lukaku probably would have been lucky to get even 10 full 90 minute games, if that. Lukaku is still very young, we have plenty of time and can make plenty of mistakes with what we do with him before he's "regressed." I don't see how any playing time is bad, I think 9 times out of 10 playing full time is good for a young player in his development. And while Everton isn't perfect, you're going to be hard pressed to find a better EPL side willing to take on a Chelsea youth as a full time player.

For young players it's all about momentum. Look at players like McEachran who have stalled and are trying to get going again, and look at how well Lukaku did last season. The reason Ba doesn't play is simple - he's dogshit. He offers fuck all on the pitch. He's a bad footballer which is a shame because it's his chosen profession, but he gets paid well and has great seats. Beyond that he's an empty vessel.

This Everton side you're making fun of is ahead of United despite having had an ENORMOUS, and I mean ENORMOUS injury crisis the past couple of months--their football is not that bad. Last year we only had a couple more points after week 25 than they do now. They also play a 4-2-3-1, just like us, and Mirallas and Barkley are basically a poor man's Hazard and Oscar- not that different.

They're a decent side. But personally I'd have liked to have seen Lukaku train with world-class players and not pale imitations. I'd have loved to have seen him come off the bench and get 30 minutes here and there for us, a few starts and have Jose put his arm round him after each game.

If you think about it, it was pretty much the perfect place to loan him, and definitely an upgrade from West Brom. When he performed well there, you guys complain that he should be here at Chelsea, when he performs poorly, you say playing there is ruining him. Fact is, he IS improving his game there, and frankly Mourinho didn't think he was ready yet to start for us. Lukaku wanted more playing time so he could improve, and he's getting it. Don't see what all the fuss is about.

He's improving marginally, but I still don't think loans are the magical elixir some think they are. At the end of the day players are either good enough or they're not and Lukaku offered enough last season to deserve a season here.

And who gives a fuck what Lukaku wants? He's barely an adult and he's a footballer - two things that tend to make someone a bit thick. I just think we need to re-evaluate how we develop young players rather than sticking them in the Bank of Vitesse to cash in on a few weeks down the line.

[Shogun 721]

I think you're overrating your own players. How many 'world class' players do Chelsea have?

[The only place to be 11,313]

I think you're overrating your own players. How many 'world class' players do Chelsea have?

A few. Plus there's players like Cole, Terry and Lampard who have pretty much been there and got the t-shirt. No disrespect to Everton or Martinez but there's a whole different level of experience at Chelsea.

Not being funny but Everton's PR department couldn't even prevent him from defending a player accused of anti-semitism.

I think he's just suffered from the lack of competition and support in the striker's position. Maybe it's a good thing that he's played without much threat to his spot, but judging by his downturn in form he could've perhaps done with a rest here and there.

[Shogun 721]

you're doing Everton a real disservice though. Everton are the 6th best side in England at the moment and and had more players on international duty in the last round of internationals than any other club in Europe.

[robsblubot 3,530]

you're doing Everton a real disservice though. Everton are the 6th best side in England at the moment and and had more players on international duty in the last round of internationals than any other club in Europe.

think about it... 6th best in England and Mourinho would have been fighting for his job. [yes an exaggeration to make a point]

It's not so much about the players themselves, but rather the investment and the pressure that follows. If the investment made is for a top 3 position, can a manager justify a 6th or 7th position? Sometimes football is all about the numbers... boring isn't it?

[communicate 2,703]

I still think it was the wrong move. Ba simply isn't good enough and has contributed the square root of fuck all to our campaign, whilst Torres has been inconsistent and injury-prone. We needed another striker and Lukaku would have got plenty of minutes whilst playing and training alongside top quality players who might have actually improved his play and kept him in line off the pitch.

At Everton he's faced almost zero competition for a starting spot and I'm not sure how closely related their football is to our's. It was a bad decision and to be honest I think we could've done with a striker who has 'always been known as a goalscorer', don't you?

Nah if he stays he is going to be our 3th option, basically he is not going to play except for league cup and special circumstances. For young player, playing time is important. I have never seen player improved dramatically while stuck on the bench

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Since I last posted in this thread, Romelu Lukaku has scored 2 goals in 10 appearances in the Premier League (without counting his injury forced substitution away to Liverpool) having previously scored 7 goals in 8 Premier League appearances. So what we need to determine is whether his drop in goals is down to a drop in performance from Everton as a team or whether Romelu Lukaku has to take a large amount of, not quite blame, but acceptance for his own transformation into Fernando Torres.

I have to concede that I am of the persuasion that a decent part of the reasoning for Romelu Lukaku's loss of form is down to Everton's loss in form over the last 2 or 3 months. In my opinion, Everton haven't played well throughout a match since we drew 1-1 against Arsenal at the Emirates and that came 8 Premier League matches ago on 8th December. In that time, Lukaku has scored one goal.

Everton have been ravaged with injuries throughout the last couple of months (like some other clubs). Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin, Seamus Coleman, Gerard Deulofeu, Ross Barkley and much more recently Bryan Oviedo all missed numerous games in this period which will have affected the team as most of them are core players in the squad. Any team that is swapping and changing their team unwillingly are going to suffer.

However, there are a lot of players who would step up in that sort of time (Kevin Mirallas in particular did this for us) but Lukaku just went inside a shell and the goals dried up. It wasn't the hardest run of Premier League matches in the world, he has failed to score against Manchester United, Arsenal (they're the excusable fixtures), Fulham, Swansea, Sunderland, Stoke, Norwich and West Brom.

Perhaps you also have to take fitness and his stage of development into account. He is still young and has been used sparingly at Chelsea and was used fairly irregularly at West Brom despite his goal return, Due to lack of competition (which could also be a factor, though I don't think it is, he's a pretty self motivated guy), he has started 17 Premier League matches in a row before his injury against Liverpool. You only have to look at your own players recently such as Hazard and Willian who are suffering from fatigue and they have more experience in hand. Also, when you're scoring goals, your inadequacies are often ignored and vice-versa when you're not scoring. Despite the goals, he's always showed that he's a fair distance from being the footballer he wants to be, patience is probably the one thing he needs more of in terms of his career.

Unsurprisingly, it's a mixture of a drop of form from the player and the team that have contributed to his lack of goals but if I'm being completely honest, it was the team that was making Lukaku look good this season rather than the other way around as the media would have had you believe with their "what was Jose thinking" headlines. Lukaku is young, that should be remembered and he needs less of the Drogba comparisons and the media fuelling his ego. This break should help him as well as competition from Traore and Naismith who is doing well.

There's absolutely no way Lukaku is ready to lead Chelsea next season, nor is there much proof to say he'd be any better at it than Torres or Eto'o... yet.

Thanks for making that report even though you probably already knew it isn't what most here want to read. We want to read that Lukaku will come back and solve all of our striker problems, although what you wrote is probably spot on, imo.

[The only place to be 11,313]

you're doing Everton a real disservice though. Everton are the 6th best side in England at the moment and and had more players on international duty in the last round of internationals than any other club in Europe.

10 players on international duty - that's 2 more than Fulham.

I'm just being honest. Everton are a great club and they play good football but looking at the type of environment Lukaku is playing in, you have to wonder who are the players putting their arms round his shoulder and telling him how to behave.

The amount of times he's completed the full 90 is probably a little high as well, but that's because his competition was Jelavic and Naismith.

[Stats 7,059]

I don't read into when people believe Lukaku would be like Ba in getting bit-part matches. They are different players. Ba is a good striker but ultimately not good enough for a club like us. He is too slow and with the way Mourinho likes to play he does not suit the team and that is evident in most matches he has played for us. Torres and Eto'o are preferred because they have more pace and better work rate. If Lukaku was part of the squad this season I definitely reckon he would have got a lot of starts contrary to what others think. He is a better striker than Ba. Lukaku can do pretty much everything Ba can do but offers more and because of the inconsistencies of our strikers this season it is obvious to me that Lukaku would of end up having some run in the team and proving himself.

As much as Everton are a good team, they are not Chelsea and I also don't read into the stats of him having 2 in 12 goals or so. I personally reckon he would get goals at us because ultimately we are a better team and eventually playing alongside great/greater players will show in the amount of goals he scores. Hazard is up there right with the most created chances in the PL and our strikers have fluffed many chances this season. Lukaku, no doubt to me would have taken some chances that our strikers have not managed to score in games this season.

His goalscoring might have taken a bit of a dip recently when he has been playing but I don't think that gives any inclination to prove that he is not good enough to lead the line for us. Give him the chance then we can talk.

[Thomas Williams 166]

If the investment made is for a top 3 position, can a manager justify a 6th or 7th position?

Stop! Youre going to make Moyes cry.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

Nice to see he will be back fit for the weekend. Would like to see him get some confidence going into the summer and next season.

[BloodIsBlue 291]

If Romelu scorers more goal than any of our strikers (combined possibly) for the remainder of the season will he be ready then?

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Glad to see he is back. Even though he didn't score much for a while, Everton were still winning with him up front.

Since his injury, they've crashed down and even manutd is above them now. They need him drastically

[Ainsley Harriott 2,732]

Scored the winner for Everton.

[Stingray 9,441]

The fridge needed 20 minutes :-) the rest did him good imo.