Romelu Lukaku

[Blues Forever 1,232]

8 minutes ago, laura90 said:

When we were first linked I posted: It's a fecking disgrace. And it was. I don't blame him. But spending 100 mil on Lukaku, whom  we have been watching for two years at United was madness and disgrace of epic proportions that may cost us top four place,  if he regains starting position and injury crisis lasts . I have never wanted striker given options. I badly wanted defensive central midfilder to fill for injury prone Kante and Kovacic.  Not addressing this problem but getting striker who is well past his prime (pacey merchant entering 13th year of active football) was criminal.

Saul? Never ever was solution but I could never comment badly about somebody who may have some mental issues. Never took him serious and nobody should have. 

But hey, even if we are not happy with Lukaku, opposition is delighted. Which other striker is regularly showing to defenders where exactly the ball should go next?

 

 

Calling Lukaku past his prime is a bit harsh, he just the wrong Striker for our system.

[MoroccanBlue 5,320]

3 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Still think he will have his uses. He dragged two panicking defenders with him when he came on, freeing up Ziyech to score.

Don't know if it was you or someone else with a generic avatar but Lukaku will have his use, just not a €100 million pound use. 

Whether Tuchel will use him as an impact player, or if Lukaku will accept such a role, is highly doubtful. 

[Fulham Broadway 16,923]

4 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Don't know if it was you or someone else with a generic avatar but Lukaku will have his use, just not a €100 million pound use. 

Whether Tuchel will use him as an impact player, or if Lukaku will accept such a role, is highly doubtful. 

We have a history of sticking with expensive players that have been the dogs bollocks but arent quite the full ticket when they sign all the way back to Sutton, Fleck....so I fully expect the club to try and squeeze as much out of the 100m before they call it a day.

[OneMoSalah 8,785]

Personally, still think there has to be a way for him to play in our team successfully and contribute. Its not as if he is Rickie Lambert or Grant Holt or some other Z list PL striker.

I still think that the alternative relying on goal shy and largely inconsistent players like Kai, Werner and Ziyech to deliver goals consistently is risky considering but as has been mentioned it is also risky shoehorning Lukaku for the sakes of it.

There are no doubts that Mount, Havertz and Werner in our front 3/Mount as a 10 and those 2 as split strikers last season was effective as well as in general play bringing better chance creation than with a fixed CF like Giroud/Tammy for instance but they don’t score enough. Thats the issue. Thats always going to be the issue, particularly Werner - I mean we are basically 6 months into Werner’s second season and for me he looks even worse than he did for the majority of last season (didn’t think it was even possible). I’ve seen no improvement, in fact more of a regression, even his famed “movement” and “running off the ball”…. he’s doing nothing.

Lukaku’s Chelsea career isn’t over by any stretches which you’d think trenching through some of the pages here, just right now it looks more like an inadequate buy than anything else. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by OneMoSalah

[NikkiCFC 8,060]

But Pep also wanted him. I am sure he was aware of his shortcomings in pressing but still wanted him. 

[OneMoSalah 8,785]

1 hour ago, NikkiCFC said:

But Pep also wanted him. I am sure he was aware of his shortcomings in pressing but still wanted him. 

The being good at pressing/bad at pressing thing is one of those things which you can kind of overlook because Pep has signed/coached players before who didn’t press and makes them buy into it and makes it work because its his philosophy. So has Klopp. So has Bielsa. Coaches who want their team to press set it up and coach it into the players, based on triggers. 

We don’t really play as a high pressing team either, obviously we press off the ball but we seen to do it more periods/phases of the game as well as sitting off and being compact and organised which is where a great deal of our success has come with under Tuchel.  We did see it with Mount, Werner and Havertz last year but its not like we pressed a similarly to City or Liverpool do when they lose the ball everytime, we were probably closer to being a counter attacking team because it suited us more.

Edited December 6, 2021 by OneMoSalah

[King Kante 1,502]

2 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Personally, still think there has to be a way for him to play in our team successfully and contribute. Its not as if he is Rickie Lambert or Grant Holt or some other Z list PL striker.

I still think that the alternative relying on goal shy and largely inconsistent players like Kai, Werner and Ziyech to deliver goals consistently is risky considering but as has been mentioned it is also risky shoehorning Lukaku for the sakes of it.

There are no doubts that Mount, Havertz and Werner in our front 3/Mount as a 10 and those 2 as split strikers last season was effective as well as in general play bringing better chance creation than with a fixed CF like Giroud/Tammy for instance but they don’t score enough. Thats the issue. Thats always going to be the issue, particularly Werner - I mean we are basically 6 months into Werner’s second season and for me he looks even worse than he did for the majority of last season (didn’t think it was even possible). I’ve seen no improvement, in fact more of a regression, even his famed “movement” and “running off the ball”…. he’s doing nothing.

Lukaku’s Chelsea career isn’t over by any stretches which you’d think trenching through some of the pages here, just right now it looks more like an inadequate buy than anything else. 

Is there really or is this just wishful thinking? Utd tried this for two years with him and couldn't do it. Everyone who actually watched him in Italy said that the reason he did ok over there was due to the standard there and the space he got and it had nothing to do with any real tangible improvements in his game. 

Personally, I just don't see it; other than us ripping up the formation and play style, which is just plain madness.

Lukaku has too many know qualities/failings to think he is going to suddenly improve his weaknesses at 29 and be able to do all of this. I mean even if we give him some of Maradonna's Finest Colombian Marching Power before every game and he starts running around like a mad man, what can be done about his first touch and link up play? 

1 hour ago, NikkiCFC said:

But Pep also wanted him. I am sure he was aware of his shortcomings in pressing but still wanted him. 

Sorry, but I really do not believe that this is true and it was just paper talk. Pep is the man that dropped, a then only slightly declining, Kun from his team and told him that he had to learn to press as a part of a unit before he could get a starting XI role and his link play and touch was light-years ahead of Lukaku's. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by King Kante

[Warning_Hazard 156]

Yep! Told ya. What a waste of 90M quid lol.

[OneMoSalah 8,785]

1 hour ago, King Kante said:

Is there really or is this just wishful thinking? Utd tried this for two years with him and couldn't do it. Everyone who actually watched him in Italy said that the reason he did ok over there was due to the standard there and the space he got and it had nothing to do with any real tangible improvements in his game. 

Personally, I just don't see it; other than us ripping up the formation and play style, which is just plain madness.

Lukaku has too many know qualities/failings to think he is going to suddenly improve his weaknesses at 29 and be able to do all of this. I mean even if we give him some of Maradonna's Finest Colombian Marching Power before every game and he starts running around like a mad man, what can be done about his first touch and link up play? 

Sorry, but I really do not believe that this is true and it was just paper talk. Pep is the man that dropped, a then only slightly declining, Kun from his team and told him that he had to learn to press as a part of a unit before he could get a starting XI role and his link play and touch was light-years ahead of Lukaku's. 

Well its both really.

We need it to work because he’s clearly not going anywhere anytime soon (look at how long it took to shift Torres, Kepa now potentially and think about how long it may take with Werner come the summer if he doesn’t buck up his ideas) because 1) its still only been near half a season and 2) he cost £100m. Throw in on top we aren’t spunking another £100m on a CF anytime soon despite people living in a fantasy land thinking thats how football works. 

People need to wake up and accept there isn’t just an easy fix or it isn’t FIFA where we can just sell Lukaku 6 months or 1 year after buying him for £100m so there will have to be someway that he gets used and is used effectively. 

I don’t think it’s implausible that he cannot score goals in this team and that at the same time this team cannot be a good team. Theres too many good players here for it all to go to fuck because of one players limitations. And the managers far too good too for everything to seemingly go up in smoke because of one player and that limitations.

Or barring that, then this group of players and manager is not what we all think it is (which is ludicrous to think). 

[King Kante 1,502]

22 minutes ago, OneMoSalah said:

Well its both really.

We need it to work because he’s clearly not going anywhere anytime soon (look at how long it took to shift Torres, Kepa now potentially and think about how long it may take with Werner come the summer if he doesn’t buck up his ideas) because 1) its still only been near half a season and 2) he cost £100m. Throw in on top we aren’t spunking another £100m on a CF anytime soon despite people living in a fantasy land thinking thats how football works. 

People need to wake up and accept there isn’t just an easy fix or it isn’t FIFA where we can just sell Lukaku 6 months or 1 year after buying him for £100m so there will have to be someway that he gets used and is used effectively. 

I don’t think it’s implausible that he cannot score goals in this team and that at the same time this team cannot be a good team. Theres too many good players here for it all to go to fuck because of one players limitations. And the managers far too good too for everything to seemingly go up in smoke because of one player and that limitations.

Or barring that, then this group of players and manager is not what we all think it is (which is ludicrous to think). 

I agree this is not FIFA which is why I was going bananas when he got linked. I said at the time, he would end up being a millstone because you can't buy someone for his sort of fee/wages and then get rid if it doesn't work (especially at his age.) 

I am happy for things to get tweaked and to try and get him working in the system, however from watching him extensively I just don't see how it is possible with his skill set. On the other hand, I also refuse to accept a change in formation or style to accommodate him as this will be detrimental to the rest of the squad and he really isn't a player of such greatness that making such a change will be worthwhile. 

I mean let's be serious, what is happening now with him is exactly what I and a number of others pointed out would happen with him. This didn't take a footballing genius to work out so this form of his and his lack of chemistry in TT's system should not come as a surprise to anyone.

[Tomo 21,733]

1 hour ago, OneMoSalah said:

Well its both really.

We need it to work because he’s clearly not going anywhere anytime soon (look at how long it took to shift Torres, Kepa now potentially and think about how long it may take with Werner come the summer if he doesn’t buck up his ideas) because 1) its still only been near half a season and 2) he cost £100m. Throw in on top we aren’t spunking another £100m on a CF anytime soon despite people living in a fantasy land thinking thats how football works. 

People need to wake up and accept there isn’t just an easy fix or it isn’t FIFA where we can just sell Lukaku 6 months or 1 year after buying him for £100m so there will have to be someway that he gets used and is used effectively. 

I don’t think it’s implausible that he cannot score goals in this team and that at the same time this team cannot be a good team. Theres too many good players here for it all to go to fuck because of one players limitations. And the managers far too good too for everything to seemingly go up in smoke because of one player and that limitations.

Or barring that, then this group of players and manager is not what we all think it is (which is ludicrous to think). 

It may not be FIFA but there's nothing stopping us relegating him to a squad role price tag or no price tag.

Grealish (£100m) is in and out of the City team and often subbed off when he does start while Pepe (£72m) is now firmly a squad player at Arsenal. There's nothing to stop us doing likewise for Lukaku if it benefits the team, to which point he will hopefully have his trademark sulk and force his way out, if he doesn't okay we have a different option in the squad all be it an expensive different option.

Maybe there is an element of trying to convince myself a bit because ,frankly, the thought of this teams potential being squandered because Lukaku is untouchable makes me want to throw up.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Tomo

[OneMoSalah 8,785]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

It may not be FIFA but there's nothing stopping us relegating him to a squad role price tag or no price tag.

Grealish (£100m) is in and out of the City team and often subbed off when he does start while Pepe (£72m) is now firmly a squad player at Arsenal. There's nothing to stop us doing likewise for Lukaku if it benefits the team, to which point he will hopefully have his trademark sulk and force his way out, if he doesn't okay we have a different option in the squad all be it an expensive different option.

Maybe there is an element of trying to convince myself a bit because ,frankly, the thought of this teams potential being squandered because Lukaku is untouchable makes me want to throw up.

Yeah definitely using him in certain games/not giving him a guaranteed start every week is likely the way to go until we figure out how to get regular goals at the top end of the pitch. 

Still, he isn’t a write off either and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Timo, Hakim and Christian find themselves on the chopping block before Rom does transfer wise. There are others who think we can/should sell him though as if its easily done and go and spunk another £100m or whatever on other players though ie Haaland, which won’t happen.

As you’ve said the sulk/wanting to leave is really the only way he will leave because nobody will try and sign him outright from us already considering he cost 100m.

3 hours ago, King Kante said:

I agree this is not FIFA which is why I was going bananas when he got linked. I said at the time, he would end up being a millstone because you can't buy someone for his sort of fee/wages and then get rid if it doesn't work (especially at his age.) 

I am happy for things to get tweaked and to try and get him working in the system, however from watching him extensively I just don't see how it is possible with his skill set. On the other hand, I also refuse to accept a change in formation or style to accommodate him as this will be detrimental to the rest of the squad and he really isn't a player of such greatness that making such a change will be worthwhile. 

I mean let's be serious, what is happening now with him is exactly what I and a number of others pointed out would happen with him. This didn't take a footballing genius to work out so this form of his and his lack of chemistry in TT's system should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Whilst I agree in a way, there are still going to be games where we create a lot and don’t score enough (Manchester United and Burnley) which will bite us in the arse, especially when we are clearly in the title race and have already cocked up 4 points that could of been very useful due to poor chance conversion and now City and Liverpool starting to look like they are in the sort of shape to put a good run together. 

Lukaku’s more prolific and I don’t think any of those other attackers will outscore him this season. Goals are a big issue. How Rom fits into the team and we remain a successful and effective team, I don’t know, but its not as if it cannot be done regardless of him limitations. Same way in how its not impossible for a combination of the other attackers to play together. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by OneMoSalah

[Strike 7,254]

I hope Conte convinces the Spurs board to trade Lukaku for Kane

[NikkiCFC 8,060]

7 minutes ago, Strike said:

I hope Conte convinces the Spurs board to trade Lukaku for Kane

Saw comments like that on many places... Did people forget what Conte said about Kane in 2017? No chance that is happening. Newcastle is our best bet.

Conte bought Spaniard Alvaro Morata for £65million to lead his attack — but said: “If I had to buy one striker, I’d go for Kane.
“For me, Kane is one of the best strikers in the world. He is just a complete striker.

“If you go to buy Kane now, it would be at least £100m. If I see this price for a striker, I know for sure he’s a big striker.”

 

[King Kante 1,502]

18 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Yeah definitely using him in certain games/not giving him a guaranteed start every week is likely the way to go until we figure out how to get regular goals at the top end of the pitch. 

Still, he isn’t a write off either and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Timo, Hakim and Christian find themselves on the chopping block before Rom does transfer wise. There are others who think we can/should sell him though as if its easily done and go and spunk another £100m or whatever on other players though ie Haaland, which won’t happen.

As you’ve said the sulk/wanting to leave is really the only way he will leave because nobody will try and sign him outright from us already considering he cost 100m.

Whilst I agree in a way, there are still going to be games where we create a lot and don’t score enough (Manchester United and Burnley) which will bite us in the arse, especially when we are clearly in the title race and have already cocked up 4 points that could of been very useful due to poor chance conversion and now City and Liverpool starting to look like they are in the sort of shape to put a good run together. 

Lukaku’s more prolific and I don’t think any of those other attackers will outscore him this season. Goals are a big issue. How Rom fits into the team and we remain a successful and effective team, I don’t know, but its not as if it cannot be done regardless of him limitations. Same way in how its not impossible for a combination of the other attackers to play together. 

The problem however is our chance creation does not stay the same when he is on the pitch. That is the biggest problem with him. He cannot finish off any chances if we're/he is not creating them due to his lack of off the ball play/we lose the ball due to his technical limitations. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by King Kante

[NikkiCFC 8,060]

 

[Warning_Hazard 156]

Forum smashing kai and ignoring the elephant in the room tbh.

dear oh dear

[NikkiCFC 8,060]

3 minutes ago, Warning_Hazard said:

Forum smashing kai and ignoring the elephant in the room tbh.

dear oh dear

Played just 3 minutes. Not fair to focus on him. We are shit either way.