[rtr]

I just think Lukaku is too much work for the rest of the team to be worth it in the long run, he needs too much help.

Had it been Lukaku that had such a poor game against Liverpool and had missed two clear chances like Morata did yesterday we would not have heard the end of it from the anti Lukaku brigade here

Morata generally has a better relationship with the ball though, with or without possession. That's what people want to see, noone seriously expects Lukaku to be reliable on the ball in the final third.

Main reason why i was( and still i am) for lukaku because i thought that he will bully defenders. I preferred that instead skill which morata has . So i can say i am little worried now. He just can't or does not know how to use his body strength.
But i am still sure that he will end season with 30 goals overall

Makes sense on paper, but from watching him play, he looks really easy to defend against. The bullying doesn't seem to actually happen much, if at all.

 

[Red_toad]

Are we playing to his strengths?

Simply put, no. And when you pay in the region of £90m for a player, you should at the very least play to his strengths. That’s the point.

We all know he isn’t a technically gifted nifty little player. He is by definition a flat track bully who needs decent service and an efficient unit behind him. You might not think united should have a player like this, but he’s with us for the best part of the next 5 years at least, so we have to play to his strengths.

Fully agree, it is simply pointless for some fans to want him replaced, he's a major signing and he will score lots of goals if given the right service. Makes no sense to constantly go on about what he's not good at, it won't change, he is what he is, he will score goals, he will have poor games. But at this moment in time, he's simply not being given any service and we certainly aren't playing to the strengths in his game.

 

[Pogbasky]

I just think Lukaku is too much work for the rest of the team to be worth it in the long run, he needs too much help.

Morata generally has a better relationship with the ball though, with or without possession. That's what people want to see, noone seriously expects Lukaku to be reliable on the ball in the final third.

Makes sense on paper, but from watching him play, he looks really easy to defend against. The bullying doesn't seem to actually happen much, if at all.

Yet Lukaku has scored 25 plus goals every season the past four years playing with mid level talent. So much for needing "help"

 

[Ali Dia]

I kind of wish we'd signed morata but I trust Jose. He knows both players and what they offer. I'm sure lukaku will do better when the rest of team get back into the groove....

 

[Sammyjunn]

My doubts earlier in the season when he was banging goals, are coming into reality. He is no upgrade on last year's Zlatan, we complain and complain about the service which isnt great atmittedly, but he is the type of striker who isnt easy to create chances for, no good runs, poor technique and touch and uncapable of magic. He'll be a huge problem in the coming years even though he will score around 25 each season.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

My doubts earlier in the season when he was banging goals, are coming into reality. He is no upgrade on last year's Zlatan.

To be fair, how many strikers are? That was always going to be a massive issue for us.
I’m still convinced Griezmann was lined up until Zlatan’s injury, CF really was one of the few positions we didn’t need an upgrade and no doubt seriously fecked up Mourinho’s summer plans.

 

[Sammyjunn]

To be fair, how many strikers are? That was always going to be a massive issue for us.
I’m still convinced Griezmann was lined up until Zlatan’s injury, CF really was one of the few positions we didn’t need an upgrade.

Not much but it was the general consensus on the Caf, a striker who'd run down the channels and had pace would improve the team. It doesnt really.

 

[rtr]

Yet Lukaku has scored 25 plus goals every season the past four years playing with mid level talent. So much for needing "help"

Most anti-Lukaku people here either bang on about him needing better service, or being unreliable with the ball on his own, or they talk about both. I don't know too much about how he was for the past 4 years, but I can't make any other conclusion based on this season. The guy isn't independently able enough, he's just trash. Who cares about his past record, especially when it is so heavily weighted on teams that aren't in the top 6? Might be a nice change to last year, but it won't change his obvious lack of independence.

 

[Cheesy]

Yet Lukaku has scored 25 plus goals every season the past four years playing with mid level talent. So much for needing "help"

He may have been playing with a mid-table team but he was playing with one that was very much orientated towards getting the very best out of him since he was their best player by a distance. When he does get chances he's often clinical but I don't think it's ridiculous to suggest he's very dependent on good service.

 

[Dobbs]

He may have been playing with a mid-table team but he was playing with one that was very much orientated towards getting the very best out of him since he was their best player by a distance. When he does get chances he's often clinical but I don't think it's ridiculous to suggest he's very dependent on good service.

Every striker is dependant on good service. Some strikers can carry on doing the business in the short term but if the guys behind them don't perform ultimately the No.9 will suffer. We're seeing that right now.

Really surprised at some if the comments in here. There's zero patience with some.

 

[AshRK]

My doubts earlier in the season when he was banging goals, are coming into reality. He is no upgrade on last year's Zlatan, we complain and complain about the service which isnt great atmittedly, but he is the type of striker who isnt easy to create chances for, no good runs, poor technique and touch and uncapable of magic. He'll be a huge problem in the coming years even though he will score around 25 each season.

How come the problem is or will always be with the guy banging 25 plus goals but not with players around him. It's funny how much criticsm he gets yet the players around him aka rashford ,martial (both of them I love) and mata don't get the same flak. The whole notion that replace lukaku and everything will be good is a joke considering he yesterday put in better effort than all the other attackers who had zero intelligence.

Lukaku has to improve ,not denying that but evertime we have a bad game attack wise people just find fault in his play when other around him have been even worse.

 

[Igor Drefljak]

Valencia's crosses never beat the first man.
Our RW doesn't exist
Same could be said for whoever plays behind the striker
Martial cuts in a lot more, rather than an actual winger
Ashley Young actually gives him some decent crosses

We have no movement on the ball whatsoever. Pogba coming back is a plus, but honestly, the blame isn't solely on him, we offer him nothing, and our players play in line or behind the ball. Lukaku is constantly outnumbered.

He isn't technically amazing, but honestly, how many times have we put the ball on a plate for him

 

[Chief123]

Did anyone see him lashing out in the box when the goal went in??

 

[El Jefe]

How come the problem is or will always be with the guy banging 25 plus goals but not with players around him. It's funny how much criticsm he gets yet the players around him aka rashford ,martial (both of them I love) and mata don't get the same flak. The whole notion that replace lukaku and everything will be good is a joke considering he yesterday put in better effort than all the other attackers who had zero intelligence.

Lukaku has to improve ,not denying that but evertime we have a bad game attack wise people just find fault in his play when other around him have been even worse.

This isn't true though. Rashford and Martial's threads are filled with criticism from the last game and Mata's is on a whole different level, its almost unanimous in that thread that Mata should be out of the team and potentially the club.

Lukaku will always be under the spotlight here. He's our number 9 and cost £75m (rising to £90m), the expectation on him should be way more than any other player in our team apart from Pogba. Rightly or wrongly he will always be held to the standards of the many great strikers this club has had and to the other elite strikers in the world.

At Everton he constantly talked himself up of belonging to the big stage, well now he's here he has to deal with the scrutiny and expectation that comes with it. It's still early too tell but he looks like the same old Lukaku at Everton to me.

 

[AshRK]

This isn't true though. Rashford and Martial's threads are filled with criticism from the last game and Mata's is on a whole different level, its almost unanimous in that thread that Mata should be out of the team and potentially the club.

Lukaku will always be under the spotlight here. He's our number 9 and cost £75m (rising to £90m), the expectation on him should be way more than any other player in our team apart from Pogba. Rightly or wrongly he will always be held to the standards of the many great strikers this club has had and to the other elite strikers in the world.

At Everton he constantly talked himself up of belonging to the big stage, well now he's here he has to deal with the scrutiny and expectation that comes with it. It's still early too tell but he looks like the same old Lukaku at Everton to me.

Not at all true. I know people were more concerned with his first touch etc but for me the biggest concern I always had with him is laziness and refusing to work defensively. I feel he contributes a lot defensively and is willing to track back also.

90million or free, criticsm should be fair. Last season the same was pointed at pogba even though he was much better than others. This whole notion that some bring that this team will be better than ZLATAN or lukaku is baseless considering others around him have hardly upped their game.

 

[Sammyjunn]

How come the problem is or will always be with the guy banging 25 plus goals but not with players around him. It's funny how much criticsm he gets yet the players around him aka rashford ,martial (both of them I love) and mata don't get the same flak. The whole notion that replace lukaku and everything will be good is a joke considering he yesterday put in better effort than all the other attackers who had zero intelligence.

Lukaku has to improve ,not denying that but evertime we have a bad game attack wise people just find fault in his play when other around him have been even worse.

If you honestly cant see that a striker with non-special movement, non-special finishing who is poor at creating for himself wont be a problem that is on you. Lukaku has very little to offer vs the best teams and defences as a lone striker. Surely he isnt the only one who hasnt been good enough, but I dont think he is the striker we should have gone forward with. And I said that even when he was playing 'well' and banging goals.

 

[Maradona10]

Mourinho praises Lukaku mentality and he is right!

Mourinho was particularly delighted with Lukaku's application towards the end of the game, when he applauded the No.9's sliding tackle in his own third seconds after he lost the ball at the opposite end.

The United manager responded to the Basel defeat by dropping four outfield players from his weekend matchday squad and Mourinho reminded his squad that Lukaku's mentality is the benchmark.

"In the last minute he was fighting and running back like he was there from the first minute," Mourinho said of Lukaku. "So I think it is also a mentality question.

"The way Romelu wins the corner for the goal, the way Romelu ends the game making tackles in left-back positions, that's the mentality I want and unfortunately not every player is the same. Players are men, men are different, men are unique cases and some guys are capable to go into the limits of their effort and some other guys, even with a lot of talent, they don't manage to do that.

I think he talks about Mkhitaryan/shaw in the players not giving all of themselves. Like Sir alex, mourinho considers the mentality of a player very very important. It is probably the most important factor after basic talent for a player. I think Mou is specially dissapointed in Mkhitaryan as he had come with a reputation of working hard having strong mentality etc, specially from his time in brazil and Ukraine.

 

[MThomas]

Mourinho is at times a bit too focused on the mentality of a player...

 

[haram]

Mourinho is at times a bit too focused on the mentality of a player...

It's very important though. Look at the mentality Leicester had in their title winning season, and then the following season...

 

[MThomas]

It's very important though. Look at the mentality Leicester had in their title winning season, and then the following season...

I'm not sure where I said it's not very important ?

Mourinho gets a bit obsessed with it, has to be a certain way. Happy to test players to see how they respond. I think at times he goes looking for problems because he sees it as an obstacle they must get through together..

I don't think it's a coincidence that it works better with established players....

Leicester had a freak season where a large amount of factors played in, it won't happen again for a long long time.

 

[haram]

I'm not sure where I said it's not very important ?

Mourinho gets a bit obsessed with it, has to be a certain way. Happy to test players to see how they respond. I think at times he goes looking for problems because he sees it as an obstacle they must get through together..

I don't think it's a coincidence that it works better with established players....

Leicester had a freak season where a large amount of factors played in, it won't happen again for a long long time.

I know you wasn't saying it wasn't important, I was just saying.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Not much but it was the general consensus on the Caf, a striker who'd run down the channels and had pace would improve the team. It doesnt really.

It wasn’t general though, I’d say less than 40% of the Caf thought so. Thankfully the majority realised the striker who was set to bang in 35+ goals for the season wasn’t the issue.
But for those 40% or so, you’d just hope they learn now that pace isn’t everything, far from it.

 

[Escobar]

There is too much wrong with our attacking play to just blame Lukaku. He'd thrive in our team if we would know how to attack

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

There is too much wrong with our attacking play to just blame Lukaku. He'd thrive in our team if we would know how to attack

It starts with the defence in fairness, it’s no suprise at all we play better football & have faster transitions when we have a CB pair from Bailly, Jones & Rojo.
Both fullbacks also need upgrading which is almost a bixarre one to say as in the attacking third Young is one of our best players. Valencia is offering very little this season.

 

[chris wilson]

Mourinho is at times a bit too focused on the mentality of a player...

Good observation. Mourinho does become obsessive in the pursuit of what he idealises and allows his obsession with players who buy into his 'siege mentality' to become personal. He loses objectivity and re-acts on his emotion rather than concentrating on creative tactical formation, solutions that would pro-actively get the most out of Pogba, Mikhi, Mat, Martial and Rashford. This psychology works when managing the underdog but backfires when managing a club of United's or Real's status. In this manner he can lose the confidence of the most skillful footballers in the team such as Mikhy and Mata (at least in the past), KdBruyne etc. while overinvesting in committed and physical specimen workhorse type players such as Fellaini, and now Lukaku ( whose lost form and needs dropping). This obsession with robust physicality and mentality tends toward reactive, negative football, giving too much respect to the opposition and negatively impacts on our more technical creative players. In post match interviews Mourinho loves to praise our forwards more for their conservative qualities than their attacking play, such as lauding Lukaku and Rashford falling back deep whereas Guardiola is the opposite, substituting defenders for attackers late in the game and expecting the whole team to join in the attack.
Let's hope Mourinho doesn't shackle our creativity too much as this will play into the UAE's club strengths.

 

[El Jefe]

Not at all true. I know people were more concerned with his first touch etc but for me the biggest concern I always had with him is laziness and refusing to work defensively. I feel he contributes a lot defensively and is willing to track back also.

90million or free, criticsm should be fair. Last season the same was pointed at pogba even though he was much better than others. This whole notion that some bring that this team will be better than ZLATAN or lukaku is baseless considering others around him have hardly upped their game.

Lukaku at Everton was known for banging in the goals but turning in poor performances against the top teams. How Lovren and Bailly handled him last season was disgraceful. He was also known for poor approach play and an inconsistent touch. None of these things have changed in his time here.

Rashford and Martial are on course to double their goals and assists tally this season so how can you say those around him have hardly upped their game. He's by no means the only culprit, Mhki and Mata are rightfully being slaughtered for their performances because they have been much worse but Lukaku is still a concern atm.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

My doubts earlier in the season when he was banging goals, are coming into reality. He is no upgrade on last year's Zlatan, we complain and complain about the service which isnt great atmittedly, but he is the type of striker who isnt easy to create chances for, no good runs, poor technique and touch and uncapable of magic. He'll be a huge problem in the coming years even though he will score around 25 each season.

 

[charlenefan]

The mail saying he could face a 3 game ban for a low blow in the box?

 

[El Jefe]

Mario Gomez was deemed a problem for Bayern and he scored about 35 goals a season so I don't see what's so funny here espescially if he doesn't improve on the areas mentioned by @Sammyjunn

 

[Siorac]

Mario Gomez was deemed a problem for Bayern and he scored about 35 goals a season so I don't see what's so funny here espescially if he doesn't improve on the areas mentioned by @Sammyjunn

He scored 113 in 174 and yet the fans never warmed to him.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Football fans in being idiots shocker.

 

[Sigma]

Valencia's crosses never beat the first man.
Our RW doesn't exist
Same could be said for whoever plays behind the striker
Martial cuts in a lot more, rather than an actual winger
Ashley Young actually gives him some decent crosses

We have no movement on the ball whatsoever. Pogba coming back is a plus, but honestly, the blame isn't solely on him, we offer him nothing, and our players play in line or behind the ball. Lukaku is constantly outnumbered.

He isn't technically amazing, but honestly, how many times have we put the ball on a plate for him

Valencia put in on a plate for Lukaku once in each match against Newcastle and Brighton.

Newcastle:



Brighton (2:10):

 

[Siorac]

Football fans in being idiots shocker.

They had a point though, Bayern became a better side with Mandzukic.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Keep laughing mate.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Mario Gomez was deemed a problem for Bayern and he scored about 35 goals a season so I don't see what's so funny here espescially if he doesn't improve on the areas mentioned by @Sammyjunn

Dont reason too much, he wont understand it.

 

[Sammyjunn]

They had a point though, Bayern became a better side with Mandzukic.

Just like France play better with Giroud.

 

[Pexbo]

 

[Smores]

Lukaku has scored the same amount as Morata and only assisted one less. We've also scored more than Chelsea.

He can't be that much of an issue can he now lads

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Lukaku has scored the same amount as Morata and only assisted one less. We've also scored more than Chelsea.

He can't be that much of an issue can he now lads

Morata has been injured and played less games hasn't he? So the total goal scored stat is a bit misleading. Ofcourse staying fit is a skill in itself so you cannot kick Lukaku for being healthy.

 

[Sammyjunn]

Lukaku has scored the same amount as Morata and only assisted one less. We've also scored more than Chelsea.

He can't be that much of an issue can he now lads

I dont think anyone is blindly focusing on goals and assists, but more about contribution to the team. I actually think Lukaku has been good so far and has done well, but he isnt an elite striker and I fear he'll never be with the skillset he has.