Agree he wasn't terrible, in most of those games during that run though he barely even registered a shot on goal. Next season we cant go 15+ games with our main striker starved of that kind of service
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Agree he wasn't terrible, in most of those games during that run though he barely even registered a shot on goal. Next season we cant go 15+ games with our main striker starved of that kind of service
That first goal is why Lukaku would work best with a strike partner to help with hold up play. Preferably someone that's selfless so not Zlatan
true. I do appreciate he isn't given the service of many of his competitors
Rom has worked his arse off since the City loss, one of our players of the season even if the goal tally is somewhat below what we want.
So so happy for the big man after a good performance yesterday. Soon as he got that goal he seemed to grow in confidence, feel it will have done him a world of good 
Get him more involved and we will benefit from it.
Get him more involved and we will benefit from it.
I don't think that's an excuse really. He scored 25 in 36 league games for Everton if that stat is right. We have been inconsistent, sure, but we're still considerably better going forward then Everton was last season, yet Lukaku is highly unlikely to get close to that tally in the league.
Lukaku showed yesterday what he can do, when he's confident and in form. He showed what top teams want their strikers to do. A striker isn't a top striker if he needs everything laid on a plate to him and needs "great service" all the time. Any striker will succeed in a system like that. Not gonna happen. Strikers in top teams need to be able to make something out of nothing, need to get the goals consistently, need to be able to hold off defenders and be part of the overall game. Lukaku did that yesterday but for many other games this season, specifically big games, he hasn't. He showed he can play like how he did yesterday, now it's on him to show he can replicate it without the excuse of bad service when really he just couldn't control a ball in the first place and every single attack was dying down before it started.
His shoulder was offside.
I honestly think he is the best crosser in our team.
No one, if he added some intelligence and tenacity, he would be unplayable.
He needs better service, if only we had someone in the team that could put crosses in like the one he put in for Lingard yesterday. Hopefully we can add 2 new fullbacks in the summer to help with this issue.
He easily is. Always picks out the player and the technique is great as well.
Something he was good at for Everton too.
Varane?
I'd rather we punt the ball into a channel and have him run onto it than hoof it up and ask him to win it in the air+hold it up for others.
For a highly efficient side like ours, almost painfully so, Lukaku is having an excellent season.
The scraps he is getting upfront are difficult to turn into gold without a bit more attacking intent for all around the pitch.
It's working for now. Just. But that's how Jose likes it - a few moments of brilliance in an otherwise tepid encounter.
The Pogba/Lukaku axis needs to be revived to give him more chances.
The scraps he is getting upfront are difficult to turn into gold without a bit more attacking intent for all around the pitch.
It's working for now. Just. But that's how Jose likes it - a few moments of brilliance in an otherwise tepid encounter.
The Pogba/Lukaku axis needs to be revived to give him more chances.
I'm very happy with Lukaku this season. 21 goals so far in all competitions in his first season at United is a very solid return. He'll break the 30 goal mark and that's very impressive when you consider he's playing in a team that don't play to his strengths. Some of it is tactical and some of it is down to personnel. Tactically we use him as a target man to hold the ball and this is a major weakness of Lukaku. He is someone who likes running on the shoulder of the last defender and thrives on quick through balls. I feel like if we had a Eriksen/Ozil type play maker Lukaku would be so much better. You can't compare him to Kane because he has been at Tottenham for very long now and he has a much better understanding with his teammates who play to his strengths. Kane if he moved here last summer wouldn't be doing any better than Lukaku is right now I'm sure. Going forward we need two proper fullbacks who can cross and a right winger in the summer. If we add real fullbacks who can cross Lukaku will have a field day in front of goal. He should've been on the end of crosses like the one he made for Lingard. You can't be in two places at once so it's vital we make these additions. I can see him improving even more next season and breaking the 40 goal mark.
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Absolutely love him and wouldn't change him for any other forward. Not the finished article but already seen improvement in many other aspects of his game than many aren't giving him credit for. The big game goals are an absolute nonsense when you consider who he's played his football for previously. Yep, he's going to score to against the so called big teams playing for WBA and Everton, when others have had the luxury of being fed by world class players.
I really wish his run near the end resulted in a goal. It was just fantastic to watch him, back to goal on the half way line and end up taking a shot on the edge of the box surrounded by three chelsea defenders chasing after him.
Totally agree. I was discussing this today with a colleague. He can't hold up play like Drogba or Milito. He is very fast and big though, so we should put balls into the channels for him to chase then bring people into play.
Yes, and I made the point in the other thread about him on the wing - if he's running onto balls out wide, he'll either draw CB's out of place and create space for the others to run into or he'll get physical mismatches against fullbacks who he can usually match for speed and almost certainly outmuscle. He's shown he has the vision to pick out passes and crosses so why not get more out of that?
I agree that he is a very good striker and has done quite well for his first season but surely you would swap him for Kane if the opportunity arose?
Or if he pulled it back for Pogba, and he belted it into the back of the net with a rocket. He was right behind him I think.
Pogba wasn't close to him enough. If he waited to pass the back to Paul, Chelsea defense would have returned and we wouldn't have got a corner. He chose the right decision.
He had a pretty indifferent first half apart from the goal but I thought the second half was probably the best I've seen from him so far at United.
He did the things that he's normally not very good at very well in the second half - the ball stuck for the most part, he created the goal for Lingard and he created chances for himself too. He adjusted well to turn a half-decent ball from Sanchez into a good shot on goal as well as powering past a few players from his own half to get a shot off in the latter stages. If he can keep doing things like that I'm sure he'll win over a lot more fans.
He did the things that he's normally not very good at very well in the second half - the ball stuck for the most part, he created the goal for Lingard and he created chances for himself too. He adjusted well to turn a half-decent ball from Sanchez into a good shot on goal as well as powering past a few players from his own half to get a shot off in the latter stages. If he can keep doing things like that I'm sure he'll win over a lot more fans.
That really was a brilliant goal he scored, 2 perfect touches, did not give the defenders any chance to stop it.
Have been critical but he has been the best Utd player over the last 4/5 games, really picked up from the first Huddersfield game.
Have been critical but he has been the best Utd player over the last 4/5 games, really picked up from the first Huddersfield game.
Agreed.
Now hopefully the Chelsea match will be a platform for him to push in. The work is going in which is good, he now needs to get that higher consistency. his tactical plays are getting better though he's still taking a few wrong decisions.
Looks a player that relies on confidence. Has to push on. Well done to him for that Sunday performance.
He’s evolving as a player on game by game basis, which is good. Just wish he would cut out his tendency to switch off in the games, imo it is mostly why he struggles to win any duels as he constantly one step behind the defender and unable to hold off the ball. For this reason, I believe he sometimes comes across as “weak”, when in reality too often he’s just ball watching, that gives defenders a huge handicap.
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Pogba was close and would have had more room to shoot at. But I understand why lukaku shot anyway, after that run he was buzzing.
Good game from Rom but I still expect a lot more. I expected him to have scored more than he has, in fact if he didnt copy Ibras 16/17 form and struggled between October and November he would have more goals.
All things considered I think he’s having a very good season.
We don’t play to his strengths at all and we probably won’t see the best of him until Mourinho leaves.
We don’t play to his strengths at all and we probably won’t see the best of him until Mourinho leaves.
He has shown good stuff playing from the RW, I recall a game against Arsenal when Roberto Martinez let Lukaku cut in from the RW and voila, Lukaku cut in and scored. Could a shift to RW give him a new dimension?
I watched it several times and he wasn't close enough. Chelsea defense would have backtracked by the time the ball reaches Pogba.
Love this
Love his desire to win that he shows, you can tell how badly he wants to succeed here.
Was just about to post. This is exactly what we need to see from him. He is playing with heart and it shows.
wish we would see more of this from players. It must be a huge release of pressure and confidence boost
Crystal Palace 2:3 Man Utd
Will score when he gets the service.
Yes Rom
Talk about his flaws as you want. His passion for us is ridiculous. You can't but love him.
Took his goal well. Most players lash at that first time but he waited for the space to open.
Play well tonight. One of three players who impressed me tonight.
I hope we stick with him in the long-term - I think he's got potential to score tons for us if he had proper support.
I hope we stick with him in the long-term - I think he's got potential to score tons for us if he had proper support.
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