We will never win the league with Lukaku up front

[ash_86]

Exactly it's easy to score multiple goals against the weaker teams. His record v the top teams is I think for us 1 in 14 games or something like that, terrible.

We aren't exactly setup to create great chances against top teams.

 

[Denis79]

Remember his goal against city in the pre-season last year? How do you go from that to this?

 

[ash_86]

The problem is not this though - all those strikers don't need non stop crossing support from fullbacks & wingers which we don't have. Those strikers have the capability of creating chances themselves but more importantly have the ability to play from support much more central & at the middle of the park. They also make the attack more cohesive.

A player like firminh0 has the ability to link wide forwards like martial & Rashford together. A forward like aguero doesn't need crosses & prefers passes down the park. Kane is able to rely on the crosses of just our fullbacks whilst the rest can come through the middle.

Lukaku is one directional the way he currently plays & it's due to his role of being a target man right bang down the centre. We need to shift him off as a wide forward whilst playing another forward on the other side - this will change our team plan from crossing 24/7 to a team that aims to break the centre defence by Central passing.

We do need better players for that - but that's why I'd rather have an Am or a better CM arrive here rathe than a winger like perisic or Willian.

Wingbacks can do the role those guys do for the whole team.

Lukaku scores goals for Belgium from both crosses and balls played to his feet that shows that he could be multi dimensional. We are not playing to his strengths would be my best guess. Also hes' been run to the ground since last year and desperately needs time off.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

Lukaku scores goals for Belgium from both crosses and balls played to his feet that shows that he could be multi dimensional. We are not playing to his strengths would be my best guess. Also hes' been run to the ground since last year and desperately needs time off.

Definitely - he is made to play like the second coming of Drogba. Put him as a RF next to a partner & that won't just benefit him but would benefit the likes of Rashford & Sanchez that can directly compete with each other for playing that type of role - it will only bring the best out of them.

They are people here who are right to admit that our forwards are rubbish compared to Yorke Cole Sheringham & ole. Truth is we only ever use one - a striker who does not play that way & soon as we use Sanchez, Martial, Lukaku & Rashford as combination of strikers - they don't look like being that far off capable of being a good attacking team like our legends do.

Just gutted it hasn't happened - I look at Rashford who was meant to play as a forward ideally upfront with martial & 3 years of Jose he looks completely clueless as a winger crossing the ball to Lukaku the target man.

It's a nuisance.

 

[poleglass red]

We aren't exactly setup to create great chances against top teams.

If he is having a bad day which he seems to do every time we play a "big" team, he offers nothing. All strikers have bad days, but they can still do the basics ie press the defenders, hold the play up, chase back. He does none of that. Ottomendi in the game last season where they beat 2-1, he bullied Lukaku, that shouldn't be happening. We don't create many chances under Jose, but there has to be more to your game than just banging in goals against weak teams.

 

[sunama]

Lukaku scores goals for Belgium from both crosses and balls played to his feet that shows that he could be multi dimensional. We are not playing to his strengths would be my best guess. Also hes' been run to the ground since last year and desperately needs time off.

If he needs time off, why doesn't he just ask for it, from Jose? He is a grown man, after all.
I remember when Fellaini was injured and coming back, he was on the bench for one of our games. Jose asked Fellaini "how much time can you give me?" Fellaini said "10 mins". Jose said, "okay" and subbed him on with 10 mins to go.
Jose isn't some dungeon master who will keep using a player, even if he is stating clearly that his body needs a rest.

Now, on the other hand, if you are saying that you know Lukaku's body better than Lukaku does, well, I don't know what to say.

 

[ash_86]

If he needs time off, why doesn't he just ask for it, from Jose? He is a grown man, after all.
I remember when Fellaini was injured and coming back, he was on the bench for one of our games. Jose asked Fellaini "how much time can you give me?" Fellaini said "10 mins". Jose said, "okay" and subbed him on with 10 mins to go.
Jose isn't some dungeon master who will keep using a player, even if he is stating clearly that his body needs a rest.

Now, on the other hand, if you are saying that you know Lukaku's body better than Lukaku does, well, I don't know what to say.

Fellaini and Lukaku aren't comparable as former is a player that does not feature on the starting XI all the time. All strikers want to feature in all games except when they are injured and clearly Lukaku isn't. You can judge how a player is currently performing with his past to come to the conclusion that what we are seeing is not the same player or one who is clearly more capable than what we're seeing. Assuming he's not injured, the only other reason could be the burnout. Usually managers realize that and give the player some time off. In our case though, right or wrong Jose does not see anyone in our team that can replace Lukaku. If Zlatan was there, Lukaku would be given a couple of weeks off 100%. Again unless injured players don't ask to be taken off the team.

 

[ErranMorad]

He is better Chicharito, and should be used as such. This being a target man ain't going to work for him.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

He got 27 goals last season, including a 10 game goal drought.

He'll be back scoring shortly then won't stop until the end of the season.

He probably will, but that is why we will not be contenders for the lead. Not all down to him, but if he is not scoring then the others are not scoring to make up for it. Is that the way we are playing or the wrong players?

 

[ash_86]

Definitely - he is made to play like the second coming of Drogba. Put him as a RF next to a partner & that won't just benefit him but would benefit the likes of Rashford & Sanchez that can directly compete with each other for playing that type of role - it will only bring the best out of them.

They are people here who are right to admit that our forwards are rubbish compared to Yorke Cole Sheringham & ole. Truth is we only ever use one - a striker who does not play that way & soon as we use Sanchez, Martial, Lukaku & Rashford as combination of strikers - they don't look like being that far off capable of being a good attacking team like our legends do.

Just gutted it hasn't happened - I look at Rashford who was meant to play as a forward ideally upfront with martial & 3 years of Jose he looks completely clueless as a winger crossing the ball to Lukaku the target man.

It's a nuisance.

I agree. Failure to adapt would be Jose's downfall. He likes to play in certain way still could be effective but we don't have personnel for that.