[Kapardin]

The reactions in this thread are ridiculous. I thought I had gone to a Real Madrid forum a minute the amount of hostility that is being directed to one of our players. Get behind him FFS. He is on a bad run, but he has demonstrated at the beginning of the season he can be lethal. People need to get a grip. Andy Cole wasn't the most talented of strikers but he turned out well in the end. Not everyone has to be top class technically to be successful. It is a team game and about getting the most out of each individual through the team. The way we played as a team yesterday no striker would look good IMO.

Times change. Lukaku will definitely get another season even if he ends this season on 10 league goals due to his price tag. But not beyond that, as even the club wouldn't be so stupid to give him that long a rope.

We will sign some wide players and a #10 to ensure he gets service. He needs to show he is a top level striker by end of next season, improving his play in all aspects. Otherwise, I rather think we will have our eye on Kane by Christmas time in 2018.

 

[BigBebe]

From set pieces? Every tall centre forward defends set pieces. You'd rather Martial or Rashford do it?

He very nearly scored an own goal in the arsenal game with only a DDG wondersave preventing it. He cost us two goals yesterday so yes, I would pretty much rather have anyone else in our defence at the moment.

 

[AXVnee7]

The clearance yesterday had little to do with his size. He wasn’t aerially challenging for the ball. It was about technique to clear the ball and unfortunately he got the execution horribly wrong. I do feel there’s a bit of bad luck involved too.

 

[Kevin]

When I saw the ball was falling to Lukaku i knew his clearance would never be a simple thing and be a potential mess.

 

[predator]

I think a lot of fans need to chill out abit. Obviously passions are high at the moment but calling for him to be sold already is just too far.
We were never beating City yesterday imo, especially without Pogba.

 

[2mufc0]

If it was up to some of the genius's on here we would have sold Evra and Vidic after their derby debuts.

 

[Greck]

He's had several mishaps in our box this season when defending set pieces. Could make a compilation vid of them. Been that many. It's only just becoming obvious because they happened twice in an important game.

I fault Jose for leaving him isolated in big games but can't fault him for Lukaku not having the coordination and technique to make easy clearances. That's midtable stuff

 

[montpelier]

As a Zlatan critic, I ain't got nowhere to go with this. At least last season, defenders looked a bit bothered by playing against Z, it all looks too easy for them with Lukaku.

He's got to be doing better than this (in general play) next year, for sure. Movement, aggression & touch all look short, atm.

 

[Irish Jet]

I think a lot of fans need to chill out abit. Obviously passions are high at the moment but calling for him to be sold already is just too far.
We were never beating City yesterday imo, especially without Pogba.

The issue is not just the derby. He’s just not been good enough and there’s evidence as far back as his Everton days to suggest that will never change. It’s not knee jerk in the slightest.

Was stunned when Mourinho signed him. I was absolutely sure we’d get a more complete striker or wait until next summer if none were available – The investment has tied us to him for at least 2-3 years.

The excuses made for him on a weekly basis are pretty embarrassing and people are grasping at straws to deny what we can clearly see. His lack of technique is a liability and his physicality for a player that size is simply atrocious. Covers less ground than anyone in the league and unlike a Zlatan or Berbatov he doesn’t have the quality to justify it. We’ve invested £75m-£90m in a very limited footballer. People can hope he improves but the areas where you’d expect improvement are already his strengths. His positioning for chances is great, his finishing is normally fine but his touch is always going to be a problem.

The idea that he’s too isolated is another cop out. It speaks to his lack of quality that he can be isolated so easily. The likes of Kane, Zlatan, Aguero or Morata will drop deep and influence the play in ways Lukaku never can. They can take the pressure off their sides in a big away game and will go out of their way to get involved. Yesterday we’d genuinely have been better hoofing it to Fellaini as a #9 – A player far more ridiculed despite superior technical ability. Rom stands out like a sore thumb when he collects the ball deep and takes about 5 seconds just to turn around.

He’ll still score a boatload of goals because he’s good at that – The issue is (and has been) the long spells where he doesn’t score every season. That’s what kills you as a title contender because as we’ve seen in the Chelsea and City games without the goals the other 10 are essentially forced to carry him. It’s a problem and I expect he will continue to be a problem for a few years. We’ve essentially invested £90m in a bigger Chicharito.

 

[Randall Flagg]

Lukaku has played every minute in the league so far, but its clear he needs some bench time

As disappointed as I was with him yesterday and his recent spell, he is still a striker I rate highly and one I was delighted we signed.

JM did him no favours at all a few weeks ago when he moaned about the fans and Zlatan looks nowhere near ready, and at his age its difficult to see him returning to what we need.


I think Rash or Martial can easily replace him for a couple of games up front

 

[Kapardin]

Was stunned when Mourinho signed him. I was absolutely sure we’d get a more complete striker or wait until next summer if none were available – The investment has tied us to him for at least 2-3 years

Considering our goal drought in the past 2 seasons before this one and Zlatan's injury, we couldn't go without signing a striker. Maybe if we had signed Griezmann, we would have just played him behind Rashford or as a false 9, but that went south as well.

We had Morata, Belotti, Lukaku and Lacazette as options. Mourinho was clearly not convinced by Belotti or Lacazette, while Real made sure we couldn't buy Morata. I don't buy that Lukaku was his first choice though he might have been contacted early on in the summer in the nature of inquiry, Jose literally had no other options.

 

[montpelier]

The service to him has been appalling - because we can't pass & retain the ball vs. the best opposition, Lukaku won't fight for the scraps and/or doesn't have the technique. When Pogba is there, we can at least 'transition' from MF to attack & RL looks a fair bit better / less isolated. And there's *some* threat on the break then too.

(trying quite hard to take a sympathetic view)

 

[Fortitude]

In terms of technique, Lukaku is probably better than Inzaghi, so there’s no reason to think that United cannot compete for the biggest trophies with Lukaku leading the line. Milan did with Inzaghi.

What needs to improve is his big game mentality though. While Inzaghi rose to the occasion in big Champions League nights, Lukaku shrinks under pressure.

No way. Inzaghi was renowned for being terrible outside of the box and in the build up, but get him inside it, and he turned into a different player entirely. He made the right decisions at the right times and had the technique to convert what he saw in his head into a tangible reality. He was also able to remain cognizant when having to convert in those bullet time moments where everything slows down and only the right choice will have the ball in the back of the net.

If Inzaghi got a chance inside the box, more often than not the ball was going in the back of the net no matter whether a technical or instinctive scuff was required.

If Lukaku had that kind of ability and awareness inside the box, a lot of his problems outside of it would be forgotten.

The reactions in this thread are ridiculous. I thought I had gone to a Real Madrid forum a minute the amount of hostility that is being directed to one of our players. Get behind him FFS. He is on a bad run, but he has demonstrated at the beginning of the season he can be lethal. People need to get a grip. Andy Cole wasn't the most talented of strikers but he turned out well in the end. Not everyone has to be top class technically to be successful. It is a team game and about getting the most out of each individual through the team. The way we played as a team yesterday no striker would look good IMO.

Please don't compare him to Cole... =/

Cole was always sharp as a tack at Newcastle, but just a very different kind of player to what we wanted him to be. He changed his style of play to suit us, but that's more to say he saw the game in a different way (Cantona beat that into him) and thus had to utilise skills he had no need for before coming here. His technical ability, as in his first touch and close control where never really a problem - it was passing and combination play that he massively upped because Cantona made him, which Yorke/us really benefitted from.

Lukaku is above average at some things, but it'd be a stretch to say he had any of the innate ability Cole showed before getting here - Cole's range of finishes and speed of thought were incredible at Newcastle.

 

[grahamo]

He needs a rest. He also needs to stay away from our penalty area when we defend corners and set pieces.

 

[Bwuk]

Can someone please let me know what Lukaku offers us upfront that Martial doesn't.

Martial in his debut season was great at #9, and when he plays centrally and gets on the ball he always looks far better than out wide.

 

[RedOldBoy]

Please get a grip on yourselves.

The service he gets at times; especially when Pogba isn't playing is almost non-existent.

What god damn awful stats though; 13 goals in 24 appearances, even when his been isolated in so many matches. Some people on this forum are joke.

 

[RedOldBoy]

Seriously. We paid 75m for him, you expect more then an inconsistent poacher who disappears in big games. Look at his goalscoring record too. 13 goals in 24 games? Pretty mediocre when you consider he plays the full 90 every time, and that our whole game is pretty much built towards the chances falling at his feet. He's just not good enough and never will be, and it was obvious from his time at Everton that he wasn't talented enough. He might score 30+ goals in the season (though looking unlikely now). But who gives a feck if it's just against all the smaller teams. Put someone else up there and they'd replicate the same finishing probably but with a much bigger impact in the rest of the game.

When has scoring on average 1 in every 2 games been mediocre?

 

[NotQuiteManc]

Clearly he hasn't been as sharp. Probably Mourinho was using him until he thinks Zlatan is ready, but I think that would need more time. Either way, Lukaku needs a rest, and it is time to trust Rashford and Martial to play as the strikers.

 

[el3mel]

Please get a grip on yourselves.

The service he gets at times; especially when Pogba isn't playing is almost non-existent.

What god damn awful stats though; 13 goals in 24 appearances, even when his been isolated in so many matches. Some people on this forum are joke.

You're not gonna get 10 chances in a big game like this, it's always one or two big chances for your strikers in such game and if you want to win you should be clinical enough to take them.

If he needs 10 chances per game to get a goal then we haven't moved at all from last season. He's supposed to be very clinical.

 

[Son Of Sam]

Please get a grip on yourselves.

The service he gets at times; especially when Pogba isn't playing is almost non-existent.

What god damn awful stats though; 13 goals in 24 appearances, even when his been isolated in so many matches. Some people on this forum are joke.

Martial laid it on a plate for him yesterday and he fluffed his lines. That was the key moment in the game.

If Martial was gifted such opportunity, he would find the net with aplomb & this isn’t the first time Lukaku hits it straight at the goalie.

Earlier in the season, Mkhitaryan was denied an assist at Stoke because Lukaku couldn’t finish a very easy chance, he scored from the rebound.

At Southampton, It was another rebound having found himself one v one with their goalie. How can I forget the chance he missed at Anfield?

Lukaku isn’t clinical, he just shoots and hopes. He doesn’t have the confidence to go for placement and avoid the goalie totally with his shots - and it’s so frustrating.

 

[RedRoach]

No way. Inzaghi was renowned for being terrible outside of the box and in the build up, but get him inside it, and he turned into a different player entirely. He made the right decisions at the right times and had the technique to convert what he saw in his head into a tangible reality. He was also able to remain cognizant when having to convert in those bullet time moments where everything slows down and only the right choice will have the ball in the back of the net.

If Inzaghi got a chance inside the box, more often than not the ball was going in the back of the net no matter whether a technical or instinctive scuff was required.

If Lukaku had that kind of ability and awareness inside the box, a lot of his problems outside of it would be forgotten.
Please don't compare him to Cole... =/

Cole was always sharp as a tack at Newcastle, but just a very different kind of player to what we wanted him to be. He changed his style of play to suit us, but that's more to say he saw the game in a different way (Cantona beat that into him) and thus had to utilise skills he had no need for before coming here. His technical ability, as in his first touch and close control where never really a problem - it was passing and combination play that he massively upped because Cantona made him, which Yorke/us really benefitted from.

Lukaku is above average at some things, but it'd be a stretch to say he had any of the innate ability Cole showed before getting here - Cole's range of finishes and speed of thought were incredible at Newcastle.

So Lukaku wasn't sharp at Everton? And it is impossible for Lukaku to change his style or in improve in any way just how Cole did? I am perfectly aware of the level that Cole was having watched him live and numerous occasions. He was a great finisher but his first touch was not great. He often messed up moves with a heavy first touch. He certainly improved his passing and team play after he arrived, but he was never world class.

We can debate on who is more talented. I certainly don't think that either Lukaku or Cole are/were in the world class bracket, but that doesn't mean Lukaku cannot become a effective player. Give the lad time. Support him. And also give him a platform. We didn't lose purely because of Lukaku yesterday (although the chance he missed he should have buried). We lost because we were incapable of stringing a few passes together to create chances and repeatedly just hoofed the ball upfield in a hit and hope manner. We lost because we had 35% possession and treated a Man City side that were actually quite average on the day as if they were the second coming of Pep's Barcelona.

 

[kopviolator]

When has scoring on average 1 in every 2 games been mediocre?

He's a good striker. But he needs to be in the box and he needs service. And as Jose is playing the counter attacking game both in away games and against the better sides, I don't really see how he is supposed to fit in with the link up play he offers.

 

[Roberto420]

Lukaku is getting stick for his defending fair enough it was shocking and gifted 2 goals,but I blame Mourinho he should of seen his attempted clearance at arsenal which de gea saved and had him furthest forward so we could counter, its not like city are a big team.

 

[montpelier]

Definitely needs more time, long way to go this season (Cups anyway, ) and probably next season too, if we want to be fair at all.

 

[Irish Jet]

Please get a grip on yourselves.

The service he gets at times; especially when Pogba isn't playing is almost non-existent.

What god damn awful stats though; 13 goals in 24 appearances, even when his been isolated in so many matches. Some people on this forum are joke.

Again – This is such a cop out. Lack of service isn’t an excuse for his dreadful play or his 30 minute spells without being seen – He cost 75 million pounds. He’s 6ft 4” and built like a tank – he should be able to occasionally win a long ball or two. He never does – His physical presence is atrocious.

Compare this to Zlatan last season – He didn’t always play well but how often did he really go missing? How often did he look out of his depth?

He was always a reliable out ball and would compete and throw himself around if nothing else. He bullied Vertonghen and Alderweireld off the park when we beat Spurs around this time last year. We’re seeing nothing of that quality from Lukaku and that is the standard that has been set, the standard we need. Zlatan is a year older coming off a wrecked knee, we shouldn’t be looking to him again.

Lukaku’s goals have come in spurts against pretty terrible opposition. A hat-trick on Wednesday still wouldn’t make up for his 3 awful performances against Liverpool, Chelsea and City. They’re papering over cracks. It's no joke to expect more from the player we signed to make the difference in these games. We all hope he does well but why should he be immune from criticism?

 

[Hammondo]

So Lukaku wasn't sharp at Everton? And it is impossible for Lukaku to change his style or in improve in any way just how Cole did? I am perfectly aware of the level that Cole was having watched him live and numerous occasions. He was a great finisher but his first touch was not great. He often messed up moves with a heavy first touch. He certainly improved his passing and team play after he arrived, but he was never world class.

We can debate on who is more talented. I certainly don't think that either Lukaku or Cole are/were in the world class bracket, but that doesn't mean Lukaku cannot become a effective player. Give the lad time. Support him. And also give him a platform. We didn't lose purely because of Lukaku yesterday (although the chance he missed he should have buried). We lost because we were incapable of stringing a few passes together to create chances and repeatedly just hoofed the ball upfield in a hit and hope manner. We lost because we had 35% possession and treated a Man City side that were actually quite average on the day as if they were the second coming of Pep's Barcelona.

He was never a great finisher, he was someone who consistently finished easy chances.

 

[Fracture90]

Kinda sad Lukaku is quickly turning into this season scapegoat.

He's forced to scrape something from hoofballs we're sending for 98% of the time, barely gets any touches and then he's expected to be perfect and convert the only chance he gets late in the 2nd half...

Yes his first touch isn't always great and his decision making is mind-boggling at times but those are segments of the game you as a manager address on the training ground.

No striker will ever have 100% conversion rate, that's not how the force works.

 

[RuudTom83]

He will be fine, the only consistence service he gets is from Pogba and when they are both on the pitch he scores without to much effort.

Add a winger who actually wants to cross the ball and Lakaku will have his second source for goals.

At the moment he is having to be a one man band and is obviously struggling at the task.

Someone like Zlatan can work better on his own because he was once works class and can still find moments of magic.

 

[Treble]

Lukaku has played more than any other top CF in the league: about 500 min more than Aguero, Jesus, more than Morata and Kane too. He could experience mental fatigue from being over played by Jose.

 

[Son Of Sam]

Lukaku has played more than any other top CF in the league: about 500 min more than Aguero, Jesus, more than Morata and Kane too. He could experience mental fatigue from being over played by Jose.

It’s not mental fatigue, his finishing is just awful. I doubt he would have scored the Rashford goal last night. Lukaku would have the shin pads of Ederson and maybe hit the post after a rebound.

 

[Treble]

It’s not mental fatigue, his finishing is just awful. I doubt he would have scored the Rashford goal last night. Lukaku would have the shin pads of Ederson and maybe hit the post after a rebound.

That's a dumb thing to say. And mental fatigue can cause all sort of problems, including with finsihing, because it impedes decision making.

 

[Cassidy]

Some very unsavoury things being said about him on twitter.

 

[Gusjaros]

It’s not mental fatigue, his finishing is just awful. I doubt he would have scored the Rashford goal last night. Lukaku would have the shin pads of Ederson and maybe hit the post after a rebound.

I don't think Lukaku is particularly bad at finishing but especially Martial is a lot better. If it's up to luck or skills I don't know.

 

[fergieisold]

Kinda sad Lukaku is quickly turning into this season scapegoat.

He's forced to scrape something from hoofballs we're sending for 98% of the time, barely gets any touches and then he's expected to be perfect and convert the only chance he gets late in the 2nd half...

Yes his first touch isn't always great and his decision making is mind-boggling at times but those are segments of the game you as a manager address on the training ground.

No striker will ever have 100% conversion rate, that's not how the force works.

The problem for me is that he can't even do the things he's there for. His hold up play is terrible! I just can't see a way forward for him long term.

 

[El Jefe]

For those who don't understand why we're so underwhelmed, hopefully these stats will help.

Mohamed Salah - 13 goals. 1193 total mins 92mpg
Harry Kane - 12 goals. 1306 total mins 109mpg
Álvaro Morata - 9 goals. 1172 total mins 130mpg
Sergio Agüero - 9 goals. 866 total mins 96mpg
Raheem Sterling - 9 goals. 1028 total mins 114mpg
Romelu Lukaku - 8 goals. 1440 total mins 180mpg
Gabriel Jesus - 8 goals. 882 total mins 110mpg
Wayne Rooney - 8 goals. 1075 total mins 134mpg
Alexandre Lacazette - 8 goals. 1110 total mins 139mpg
Jamie Vardy - 7 goals. 1413 total mins 202mpg
Leroy Sane 6 goals. 1032 total mins 172mpg
Anthony Martial - 6 goals. 667 total mins 111mpg

He's played by far the most minutes out of all them and is only second to Vardy in the worst minutes per goal stat. A one in two number 9 was good in the 90s and 2000s but nowadays its not enough as evidenced from the other strikers stats.

Its even less impressive when he has less technical ability than all the strikers here apart from Vardy again who plays for Leicester. Stats and our eyes tell us everything we need to know about Lukaku

 

[Fracture90]

The problem for me is that he can't even do the things he's there for. His hold up play is terrible! I just can't see a way forward for him long term.

Honestly hard to be successful at hold-up when all your teammates are on their own pitch while you're asked to retain the ball whilst being surrounded by like 5 opposition prayers, but that's on Mourinho, he knew what he was getting when he went for Lukaku.

 

[MadMike]

He had an abysmal game yesterday, but people are being too harsh on him. I think the price-tag has set some unrealistic expectations and people are looking for scapegoats because we are playing some atrocious football in these derbies.

The reality is we spent £75m on a good striker with a proven scoring record, but not a world class player. We kinda new that already to be fair. He's low on confidence at the moment but he's still gonna get his goals if we provide him with service. Just don't expect him to pick up the ball and score a worldie on his own or beat players. He's not that kind of player. He's a traditional centre forward and he can perform that role alone very well. He's not too elegant with the ball.

The fact that £75m only buys you a good striker rather than a world class one, is reflection on the state of football. Not a stick to beat Lukaku with.

 

[Fortitude]

So Lukaku wasn't sharp at Everton? And it is impossible for Lukaku to change his style or in improve in any way just how Cole did? I am perfectly aware of the level that Cole was having watched him live and numerous occasions. He was a great finisher but his first touch was not great. He often messed up moves with a heavy first touch. He certainly improved his passing and team play after he arrived, but he was never world class.

We can debate on who is more talented. I certainly don't think that either Lukaku or Cole are/were in the world class bracket, but that doesn't mean Lukaku cannot become a effective player. Give the lad time. Support him. And also give him a platform. We didn't lose purely because of Lukaku yesterday (although the chance he missed he should have buried). We lost because we were incapable of stringing a few passes together to create chances and repeatedly just hoofed the ball upfield in a hit and hope manner. We lost because we had 35% possession and treated a Man City side that were actually quite average on the day as if they were the second coming of Pep's Barcelona.

He was never Cole-sharp, no. He's never had the array of finishes or ingenuity of Cole, either so as a comparison, it doesn't really work because Cole was always the quicker, more mentally aware player, by a distance.

I would think for fair comparison, the players should be similar in ability at base ends, which they aren't, so it's asking a lot of Lukaku to think he can make the kind of leaps someone like Cole did. Not saying it can't happen, but if it did, that would be one spectacular jump, which Lukaku would have earned all the praise in the world for.

As we've spent so much on him, there's no way he won't be stuck with; the manager has also stuck by him resolutely, so he will be given the chances that others in the team who underperform won't get.

For the record, I think Lukaku will amass a more than respectable tally of goals over the course of the season. Big games are much fewer than ones in which he has no reason not to shine, and even being a so-called flat-track bully is actually a great thing for a team as that's where a lot of points can be won. Lukaku's problem is likely to come in all the crunch classes we may face in the latter stages of the league or in cup competitions and that may exacerbate the opinions of him further to the negative because that's when our mettle is tested and players prove their class and what they're peered with (United-level, or whatever). They're also the moments in the season everyone remembers because they tend to be decisive - I mean, how many goals will he have to score now for the City game to be a distant memory for the masses?

 

[Gusjaros]

For those who don't understand why we're so underwhelmed, hopefully these stats will help.

Mohamed Salah - 13 goals. 1193 total mins 92mpg
Harry Kane - 12 goals. 1306 total mins 109mpg
Álvaro Morata - 9 goals. 1172 total mins 130mpg
Sergio Agüero - 9 goals. 866 total mins 96mpg
Raheem Sterling - 9 goals. 1028 total mins 114mpg
Romelu Lukaku - 8 goals. 1440 total mins 180mpg
Gabriel Jesus - 8 goals. 882 total mins 110mpg
Wayne Rooney - 8 goals. 1075 total mins 134mpg
Alexandre Lacazette - 8 goals. 1110 total mins 139mpg
Jamie Vardy - 7 goals. 1413 total mins 202mpg
Leroy Sane 6 goals. 1032 total mins 172mpg
Anthony Martial - 6 goals. 667 total mins 111mpg

He's played by far the most minutes out of all them and is only second to Vardy in the worst minutes per goal stat. A one in two number 9 was good in the 90s and 2000s but nowadays its not enough as evidenced from the other strikers stats.

Its even less impressive when he has less technical ability than all the strikers here apart from Vardy again who plays for Leicester. Stats and our eyes tell us everything we need to know about Lukaku

Players won't perform at their top ability if they never are rested. If Mourinho started rotate Lukaku he would perform better when he gets to play.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

I stayed clear of this thread yesterday as I knew it'd turn into a shit fest very quickly and there's nothing I could have added that wouldn't have been repeated 10 times by 10 different posters.

People need to calm down a little. He literally fed of scraps yesterday. Compare that to the Arsenal game where he was involved a lot more and managed to play two important passes in two of our goals. He does himself no justice with that shite clearance but mistakes happen. It was interesting hearing Delph speak in his post match interview about his mistake and how he was confident that he'd be bailed by his team mates. No one really stood up after we went 2-1 down and fought to win. Felt bad for him as he's obviously down on confidence and then ended up messing up that clearance which makes matters worse - but nows not the time to get on his back. I get the criticism but I don't understand 20 pages of it. Get behind the fecking player and team.