Chelsea Transfers

[killer1257 3,282]

2 minutes ago, Jype said:

I believe Conte's team were set up so the majority of crosses from the wing-backs were low crosses played to Lukaku's feet instead of in the air. And that's pretty much how Guardiola's teams also spam crosses into the box, it's just the way the game is played these days.

Some guy analyzing the data in their basement has probably figured out that low crosses have a higher probability of ending up in the back of the net than high crosses which are cleared by the defenders quite easily most of the time. Even in the Euros we saw a record high amount of own goals, because clearing those low crosses quite often ends up as an own goal, as opposed to heading the ball out of play in a high cross.

Lukakus' record of headed goals is not bad really. Last season he only got two (partly for the reasons mentioned above) but the previous season at Inter he scored 6 headers and during his time in England he regularly got 4-6 headers a season. Overall he has scored 45 headed goals in his club career according to Transfermarkt.com. According to the same website Drogba scored 45 headers in his whole career when not counting his last adventures in Murica.

Fair play to you brother. Makes sense. 

I interpreted too much into Lukaku's last season. 

[robsblubot 3,595]

2 hours ago, Stats said:

I have no doubt Lukaku will be a success here. I mean when you look at all the attributes Haaland has, Lukaku has also. One part of Haaland's game that needs developing for his frame, similar to Tammy is his aerial ability. Does not score enough headers. Lukaku is more accomplished in the air. He is up there with one of the best pure no.9 out there and is a reliable player for goals and staying fit. Sometimes having that no.9 that scares the life out of defenders is needed and Lukaku is one of them. With the chances we create, I have no doubt he will be weighing in with goals. I will actually put money on it that he will be within the top 3 goalscorers next season.

He has worked under one of the best coaches around for the last 2 seasons and you can see has been transformed with work on the training field and hard work. He is as it gets for a pure no.9 out there right now and suits the way Tuchel wants to play perfectly.

let me ask you a serious question then, because I think our disagreement here is a bit more subtle than that.

Let's assume what you are saying happens and to the dot. I don't actually doubt Lukaku will score a bunch of goals for us (unless he regains weight and goes back to United form...he was not fit then!).
Now, what if the additional goals, and the fact that we'd be employing a dedicated striker, who does not really contribute a whole lot anywhere else, makes us concede a bit more goals here and there. Kai also does not run like a dog, so having Kai and Lukaku in the team will likely make us a bit softer. The additional attacking prowess helps against certain smaller sides, like you said, so we climb up the table. Not enough to beat City, a strikerless club that wins the PL every other season (or Liverpool). Now we lack a bit of steel to compete in the CL, so we don't get anything there; it's hard anyway, but this time we are also not even in the whereabouts.

Now we end up the season in 2nd or 3rd, but no silverware. Would this be a completely unlikely scenario? Would this be success? As long as he scores gols, would Lukaku have been considered a success then? Or would people ask the right question, which is, "has Lukaku improved Chelsea?"

[Stats 7,140]

2 hours ago, killer1257 said:

Actually, Lukaku is horrible in the air. 

He is not horrible in the air. That is not true. Just because he scored 2 headed goals last season does not mean he is not an aerial threat. In the PL, his time here he scored 23 headed goals which is quite impressive. When the service is delivered to him he can time his jump well. 
 

Maddison is well known for his ability to score from range. Last season he only scored from outside the area 2 times, but that doesn’t mean he does not score from range. He misses headed attempts yes, but he provides much more of an earlier threat than Haaland for sure.

2 hours ago, Hermione said:

Tell me you're a Lukaku fanboy without actually telling me you're a Lukaku fanboy.

I’m far from a Lukaku fanboy. I just speak from the facts. I understand people’s critics of him but he is a pure goalscorer and blinkered people like yourself just have one view because you are so against the deal.

You called the club short sighted for buying one player in his prime. LOL. Wake up and maybe back the board that they have bought an ex experienced striker at a top level who is playing around other young players. A player who fired Inter to their first league title in how many years and finally toppled of Juve. Maybe give the guy some credit.
 

Anyway I guess this is what the season will bring. Some people will be proved wrong.m, some proved right.

[Stats 7,140]

 

58 minutes ago, Jype said:

I believe Conte's team were set up so the majority of crosses from the wing-backs were low crosses played to Lukaku's feet instead of in the air. And that's pretty much how Guardiola's teams also spam crosses into the box, it's just the way the game is played these days.

Some guy analyzing the data in their basement has probably figured out that low crosses have a higher probability of ending up in the back of the net than high crosses which are cleared by the defenders quite easily most of the time. Even in the Euros we saw a record high amount of own goals, because clearing those low crosses quite often ends up as an own goal, as opposed to heading the ball out of play in a high cross.

Lukakus' record of headed goals is not bad really. Last season he only got two (partly for the reasons mentioned above) but the previous season at Inter he scored 6 headers and during his time in England he regularly got 4-6 headers a season. Overall he has scored 45 headed goals in his club career according to Transfermarkt.com. According to the same website Drogba scored 45 headers in his whole career when not counting his last adventures in Murica.

Thank you man.

34 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

let me ask you a serious question then, because I think our disagreement here is a bit more subtle than that.

Let's assume what you are saying happens and to the dot. I don't actually doubt Lukaku will score a bunch of goals for us (unless he regains weight and goes back to United form...he was not fit then!).
Now, what if the additional goals, and the fact that we'd be employing a dedicated striker, who does not really contribute a whole lot anywhere else, makes us concede a bit more goals here and there. Kai also does not run like a dog, so having Kai and Lukaku in the team will likely make us a bit softer. The additional attacking prowess helps against certain smaller sides, like you said, so we climb up the table. Not enough to beat City, a strikerless club that wins the PL every other season (or Liverpool). Now we lack a bit of steel to compete in the CL, so we don't get anything there; it's hard anyway, but this time we are also not even in the whereabouts.

Now we end up the season in 2nd or 3rd, but no silverware. Would this be a completely unlikely scenario? Would this be success? As long as he scores gols, would Lukaku have been considered a success then? Or would people ask the right question, which is, "has Lukaku improved Chelsea?"

Tuchel like Conte demands a lot from his players so all the players will have to learn to press out of possession and be efficient with the ball. I actually think Havertz can strike up a similar link up combination that Martinez did with Lukaku at Inter. We created so many chances last season and squandered a lot too and while, without Lukaku I think this squad was going places, you think a natural CF is one piece that is missing to an already great squad/team. I mean last 2 seasons we have just about clinged on to top 4 so as long we are not in a top 4 battle and firmly challenging is a massive improvement in its own. City are a top class team and will take a lot displacing them but do I feel we have more chance of that with a natural no.9 coming in? I do.

[Tomo 21,751]

I literally forgot about him leaking United's training performance data as one of his final acts before he left. 

So after nearly two days of performing all levels of mental gymnastics on my own brain to try and convince myself i'm wrong/overreacting i get the biggest possible reminder of why i'm so skeptical.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Tomo

[Jype 6,398]

50 minutes ago, Tomo said:

I literally forgot about him leaking United's training performance data as one of his final acts before he left. 

So after nearly two days of performing all levels of mental gymnastics on my own brain to try and convince myself i'm wrong/overreacting i get the biggest possible reminder of why i'm so skeptical.

If he did that then it's a cuntish thing to do to his team mates, but I wouldn't underestimate the effect that constant scapegoating by the media and fans can have on a players mental health, after all they're human too and not robots. He didn't even start all that badly (first season at Utd he scored 27 goals overall) but gradually he got worse and worse until immediately getting back to performing at a good level once he got out of that club, which could suggest that there was little wrong with the player and more wrong with the environment. If a player is not mentally in the right place, he won't play well. I'm not saying that's the only reason he failed at Man Utd, but it might easily have played a part. And in any case, there have never been any problems with Lukaku in any of his other clubs, and people have always spoken highly of him wherever he's played.

It's obvious Lukaku was never happy at United to begin with. On a few occasions he's suggested like he wasn't all that happy about going to United instead of Chelsea wa back in 2017. This year in his farewell message to Conte he said it's a shame they couldn't work together earlier when they had the chance, and after firing Mino Raiola as his agent in 2018 he also said something like 'after my career I will write a book and the truth will come out' which would insinuate that he wasn't happy being Raiola's puppet and go along with his agent's crazy money-grabbing plans. Also in Matt Law's article yesterday it said Man City inquired about Lukaku back in March this year but he knocked them down and made it clear he doesn't like living in Manchester.

Edited August 5, 2021 by Jype

[Alabama 1,992]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theprideoflondon.com/2021/08/04/destroying-every-anti-romelu-lukaku-Chelsea-argument-one-swoop/amp/

Cool piece...

[Atholy 1,293]

9 hours ago, laura90 said:

About Lukaku. I firmly believe his sudden form was due to easier league and easier opponents. He found his match after six unsuccessful years in the Premier League where he has shown plenty of awful first touches and lack of decent ball control. Many good CBs could easily pocked him. Two years later and he is world class striker worth 130 mill that will  bring us title? He is so like Kepa, panic second choice buy. 

 

This guy left the EPL at age 26(!) as the #20 on the EPL ALL TIME Top Scorers list.

Pretty unsuccessful indeed 😛. 

[Alabama 1,992]

 

[Jype 6,398]

1 hour ago, Atholy said:

This guy left the EPL at age 26(!) as the #20 on the EPL ALL TIME Top Scorers list.

Pretty unsuccessful indeed 😛. 

Exactly. I have no idea what people expect from a player if that is considered bad.

Ever since his loan season at WBA (2012/13) I'd say only his last season at Man Utd was a big disappointment. Maybe at a stretch you can consider Lukaku's 2014-15 season at Everton below par too because he only scored ten league goals but even then he finished the season at 20 goals overall due to a strong Europa League campaign (8 goals in 9 games), and after that season he bounced back in the PL too with 18 goals and 25 goals over the following two seasons. That 2016/17 season at Everton was especially good with 24 non-penalty league goals, which is the same as Harry Kane who finished top scorer in the PL with 29 goals (5 pens).

But I guess with some people Lukaku just can't win, they've already made up their minds that he's shit and they only focus on the bad things.

If Lukaku now returns to the PL and stays with Chelsea for the next 4-5 years (which I would assume he does given the investment) he has every chance to finish his career in the top4 PL goalscorers ever, behind only Shearer, Rooney and Kane. In that time he would need to score only 75 goals to achieve that, which is a very reasonable expectation. And if he's a big success he can even usurp Rooney on the list (would need 95 goals to do that). 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Jype

[milka 3,390]

 

[Vesper 30,100]

 

[El P. 1,354]

I don't consider him world-class, but I think he is excellent, just below world-class. His price should be around 70 million pounds, but in today's striker's market it is what it is. He WILL improve us, not as much as Lewa or possibly Haaland, but he will.

I don't think anyone would have something against this happening if the price was lower. But it ain't our money, guys, and we got Kante for 30 millions, Mendy for 20 millions, Azpi for 10 millions, Mount and James for free. Sometimes you overpay, sometimes you underpay. We will overpay for him, but for about 25 millions, not for 50 like we did with Kepa.

Also, I get the feeling that WHOLE WORLD is put on strikers' backs, reading this comments. Would he bring us Premier league, would he bring us UCL, would he improve us? I don't remember anyone asking those questions about let's say Kounde, 70 million pounds rated defender that has only one good season under his belt. Or about Kepa, 80 million keeper, when he was getting here. If you ask me - Mount and Havertz will bring us Premier league, and UCL, again. Not Lukaku, they are better players than him. But Lukaku will help THEM massively, and that is what we should think about and forget about his price tag.

[Superblue 6,372]

There's also some rumours in the British papers today that Southampton will look at buying Tammy to replace Ings.

[ZAPHOD2319 4,803]

23 minutes ago, milka said:

 

He will not get through quarantine fast enough for that fantasy.