Chelsea
We will never win the league with Lukaku up front
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Chelsea
There's a chance we could win it with Lukaku if wasn't an only striker playing every game, doing the same things.
He should be just an option, just like Louie Saha was but that's a very bad comparison, I know.
A 75m striking “option” Christ. Woodward can’t win. If his not going to be our lead striker he needs to be sold to the highest bidder. Jose wants to complain about funds but had no issue spending 75m on a striker he binned years ago and a player who can’t control a ball. Complete waste of club funds.
You reckon. That was a close one for me but I think Giroud at least allows others to thrive. I reckon they'll end up on similar goals come end of the season.
Maybe that's exactly why Woodward is keeping his wallet close to himself these days.
There is absolutely no denying that he has missed a good amount of chances so far this season.
Sure, all strikers miss chances, but he is the focal point of our attack, and we are overly reliant on him to be getting our goals so he needs to do better. Better control, movement and conversion rate.
That's why when he misses good chances and we don't end up winning, he gets the majority of the blame (along with Jose I guess).
I've personally been hugely disappointed by him this season, but I think there is certainly room for improvement in his game, and I do think he will get better.
Whether or not Jose will be around to see that happen is another matter all-together.
Sure, all strikers miss chances, but he is the focal point of our attack, and we are overly reliant on him to be getting our goals so he needs to do better. Better control, movement and conversion rate.
That's why when he misses good chances and we don't end up winning, he gets the majority of the blame (along with Jose I guess).
I've personally been hugely disappointed by him this season, but I think there is certainly room for improvement in his game, and I do think he will get better.
Whether or not Jose will be around to see that happen is another matter all-together.
Giroud offers everything he does and maybe even more imo.
Im sorry anyone defending Lukaku knows nothing about football. Utd have always worked on strike partnerships and fluid off ball movement and penetration. The guy is clumsy on the ball and clueless off it. The last time we had a focal point striker was RVN and RVN he certainly aint. Enough is enough, time to give him some time out of the team, but the manager is that petty, his pride will always go before the club.
He's a shit striker for a top four club to be relying on, let alone one that aspires to win titles and Champions Leagues. Might well have been the better choice between him and Morata but he's still nowhere near good enough to be playing up front for us. Not in a two and certainly not as a lone striker. Which is doubly annoying because he seems such a great character.
He's good in the air but... His finishing is abject. His first touch is sunday league standard. His hold up play is non existent. He doesn't make the right runs. He has no on-field rapport with anyone, there just isn't any player I've seen who seems to have a clear picture of where Lukaku is or where he wants the ball played. The total disconnect between him, Pogba and Sanchez is particularly striking.
He's good in the air but... His finishing is abject. His first touch is sunday league standard. His hold up play is non existent. He doesn't make the right runs. He has no on-field rapport with anyone, there just isn't any player I've seen who seems to have a clear picture of where Lukaku is or where he wants the ball played. The total disconnect between him, Pogba and Sanchez is particularly striking.
Giroud is better.
Wrong, he got 3 or 4 big chances against England in the 3rd place match, just to feck that up himself because of his first touch
Anyway, based on today game Batshuayi and Rodrigo are looking much better and dangerous than him
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He's been awful this season like many. Looks wrecked, so rusty and lacklustre it's scary. The issue is that we have no plan b when he's not playing well, there are no consequences either. The thread should be we'll never win the league if Lukaku plays 90's minutes every game! He's a very good forward that is playing bad. Jose playing him, Fellaini and Matic 90 minutes. It's hardly lighting quick is it, fatigue team.
Watford, Bournemouth, Leicester, Wolves, Everton...
I hated the signing but I think people are being overly harsh. He's short of form and probably fitness but I think he'd be fine playing under a coach who could properly utilize him and a coach who would actually give him a rest now and then. He's never going to live up to the price tag but he's not hopeless.
I'd take a retired Berbatov and stick him up front now.
Conte maybe, Sarri not gonna happen. His touch alone will move him to 100 cigs per match. Talk of his movement, passing et all.
Giroud and Morata might be slightly worse in finishing, but their better than Lukaku in all other aspects of play.
Here's the thing though, and this isn't me being over the top, if you look at it rationally would he start for those clubs?
I would say defintely not Leicester (Vardy is better than him) or Wolves (who play possession based football which really doesn't suit him). The fact that I've asked you to name a top 10 club he would start at and we're left agreeing on Bournemouth, Watford and Everton says it all really.
opened my stream to see him losing two easy headers at the half way line, he's beyond useless if he can't hold the ball or win a header for his team who is trying to clear the ball or bypass midfield, not talking about his shocking dribbling and terrible movement and out of form poor finishing. What is he even good at? I know it is down to a manager we play and set up these days but he can't do basic thing to be a premier league striker let alone lead the line for us. I am sure we need a striker in winter/summer with a new manager, it shoul dbe someone technical, I am sick and tired watching someone who can't do anything on his own up front
You could have peak Fat Ronaldo in our attack right now and he'd look wank too. We have no creativity, we have no attacking coaching, we're complete disjointed moving the ball forwards, players have no confidence because of chop and change - Lukaku is just another victim of this.
Of course his game could improve, but in the current conditions, it's not going to.
Of course his game could improve, but in the current conditions, it's not going to.
Look at our top strikers down the years. The man doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. Hold up play is meant to be one of his strongest qualities yet he couldn't hold up a kid's sweetie stall. When the ball comes towards him he looks scared of it. Like genuinely scared to touch it. And when he does, it never sticks and he's always stretching for it afterwards. So frustrating to watch. And yet he's guaranteed a starting place for every single game. What a mess
He is missing chances, but lets at look at this objectively. Top strikers get 4 or 5 chances a game and maybe score 1 or 2. Lukaku isn't getting good service and is so isolated he has to do a lot of the work himself. A lack of mobility in midfield is killing us. Last night there was hardly anyone close to Lukaku when he got the ball. How can he be expected to score in the circumstances?
I think you got a bit carried away there man. Actually more than a bit.
Lukaku is a fine striker, but I'm not sure if he's good enough to be solely relied upon in the manner he has been. This is no criticism, I can only think of Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo as strikers who dominated that role for us over a period of years. We've had top strikers since the 90s (Rooney, Cantona, Yorke, Solskjaer, RVP, etc) but they've often relied upon other options to help fill the gap when going in and out of form. Strikers do this, it's why you need good backup options.
Right now, I don't think we have any other strikers in our first team other than Lukaku. Martial and Rashford could become strikers one day, but given the lack of playing time they've had up top since LVG left, I'm not sure if they can be thought of as out-and-out strikers right now. Sanchez can do a job there, but he's in awful nick right now, and is a left-of-field option up-top at the best of times.
Basically, Lukaku needs someone to help share the burden of playing up top. The pressure on him to rediscover and maintain top form almost ensures that he won't be able to.
Right now, I don't think we have any other strikers in our first team other than Lukaku. Martial and Rashford could become strikers one day, but given the lack of playing time they've had up top since LVG left, I'm not sure if they can be thought of as out-and-out strikers right now. Sanchez can do a job there, but he's in awful nick right now, and is a left-of-field option up-top at the best of times.
Basically, Lukaku needs someone to help share the burden of playing up top. The pressure on him to rediscover and maintain top form almost ensures that he won't be able to.
Oh, another one of my threads that turns out to be an accurate prediction....
Could have told you this the day we signed him. He’s as naturally talented a security guard as he is a footballer. I compared his football ability to Chris Smalling’s when he came, and I stand by that.
Aren't you the guy who started the Earth is Flat thread?
His performances for Belgium this summer beg to differ.
We all know he isn't going to waltz past 10 players and score but give him proper service and he will walk his way to 25-30 goal season. His positioning and anticipation is usually spot on, and needs more confidence and a stable team to get going instead of missing open goals. Can't expect him to win us games singlehandedly when the rest around him can't keep the ball for 2 seconds.
Yes Lukaku is the main reason why we aren't the title. Good thread.
The other thread being the earth is flat ladies and gentlemen.
What about this thread https://www.redcafe.net/threads/the-flat-earth-theory-and-nasa.428951/
I'd say he plays a large part in why our attack looks so blunt. His movement, position AND finishing (which is normally great) have all been poor this season so far.
If the earth was flat then the majority of Lukakus first touches would roll off the edge.
The thing I don't understand is why Mourinho went for him? He'd already seen what kind of player he is at with us (Chelsea) and ruthlessly sold him after the UEFA super cup game v Bayern. Technically he's just not a very good player and it isn't possible for him to improve that side of his game. Baffling.
It's only possible to play one style of football with him as CF. That may suffice at Everton etc but never going to be good enough for the top European teams.
It's only possible to play one style of football with him as CF. That may suffice at Everton etc but never going to be good enough for the top European teams.
If you give Jordan Rhodes ‘proper service’ he will score 25-30 goals a season.
He needs to do more for himself, and more for his teammates. If he cannot, he is not the right player.
Anyone who's seen Belgium play will disagree with that.
Not in PL or CL, nope.
He would. If all he had to do was apply the finish, hen he’d get many goals, due to being an excellent finisher. His problem is due to the fact that he needs to do a bit more than that.
He’s a better finisher than Lukaku.
I agree that he wouldn’t score that many goals in PL or CL simply because you don’t have the luxury of waiting for the ball to be passed to you in space with little pressure ov r and over again at that level. If you are saying that’s what Lukaku requires, he should be sold on January 1st.
Based on goals vs Championship defenders? Lukaku has over a 100 PL goals.
Some of the posts on here are such abysmal nonsense it truly is unbelievable.
Utter horsesht peddled by overemotional kids can be the only explanation.
Giroud better?
Jordan rhodes better?
Did i miss their years of heading the premier league goalscoring charts?
He's not the best we've had but who is in the whole squad with only de gea even having a half chance!
Utter horsesht peddled by overemotional kids can be the only explanation.
Giroud better?
Jordan rhodes better?
Did i miss their years of heading the premier league goalscoring charts?
He's not the best we've had but who is in the whole squad with only de gea even having a half chance!
As much as I love Rom, I have to agree I'm afraid. He's too limited and inconsistent to fire you to a league title as the main man. If he had serious competition, he'd be fine - it's sickening to think how bad our squad is now.
SAF had:
Yorke, Cole, Sheringham, Solskjaer
Tevez, Berbatov, Rooney, Ronaldo
In 2018, we have:
Lukaku, Rashford, Martial.
SAF had:
Yorke, Cole, Sheringham, Solskjaer
Tevez, Berbatov, Rooney, Ronaldo
In 2018, we have:
Lukaku, Rashford, Martial.