Ole' front 3 are rapid and mobile... All of which Lukaku isn't.
Will be interesting how he tries to fit him into a fast attacking side.
Will be interesting how he tries to fit him into a fast attacking side.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
Lukaku should be given a fresh start under Ole, he is a very good player who is badly misused and out of form.
Agree he deserves a chance under Ole. A lot of our players became stagnant under Jose. Suddenly when you start noticing the likes of Martial playing with freedom, interchanging positions as opposed to Jose's rigid system, when you see our full backs bombing forward, even fecking Matic making forward passes then you can see where the problem was.
I think Lukaku and Sanchez will do much better under the new manager, just like the rest of the team. Like new signings
With Lukaku he should have to prove himself. Bring him on as a sub for a few games and see how he does. Ease him into the system.
I think Lukaku and Sanchez will do much better under the new manager, just like the rest of the team. Like new signings
With Lukaku he should have to prove himself. Bring him on as a sub for a few games and see how he does. Ease him into the system.
Agree he deserves a chance under Ole. A lot of our players became stagnant under Jose. Suddenly when you start noticing the likes of Martial playing with freedom, interchanging positions as opposed to Jose's rigid system, when you see our full backs bombing forward, even fecking Matic making forward passes then you can see where the problem was.
I think Lukaku and Sanchez will do much better under the new manager, just like the rest of the team. Like new signings
With Lukaku he should have to prove himself. Bring him on as a sub for a few games and see how he does. Ease him into the system.
Ole needs to build or intro a new system just for Lukaku. Even Sanchez will have an easier time fitting in as long as he doesnt hold on to the ball too long and just make quick passes.
I think or hope Ole's vision of attack is similar to that of Tevez-Rooney-Ronaldo interchanging or with Saha in that mix.
Lukaku will bang them in
I think people need to give him a chance like the rest of the players under the new manager.
People have short memories. Deserves his chance.
Prior to this season he was rapid though.
Just type "Lukaku speed" into google and you'll see a load of pieces describing him as one of the league's fastest strikers. He has never been particularly nimble but in terms of top speed he can blitz past defenders.
I don't understand why people think he should be better than he was at Everton. His bets goals per minutes return was when he was playing at WBA. That suggests that at this level he's better playing in a team where he'll get space. At WBA they'd have had far less possession and teams would push up against them. So it makes sense that a powerful, athlete like Lukaku would have more joy.
When you play for a big club, teams will be more defensive and you'll get less space. So despite having lots more chances, they'll come to you quicker and you'll have less time to get your shots off etc.
There are loads of strikers who have scored more goals for lesser teams and found it harder when moving to a big club. It's usually cited as being down to pressure, but it's as much to do with the fact teams defend deep and the moment the ball comes to your feet, there are defenders all around you.
When you play for a big club, teams will be more defensive and you'll get less space. So despite having lots more chances, they'll come to you quicker and you'll have less time to get your shots off etc.
There are loads of strikers who have scored more goals for lesser teams and found it harder when moving to a big club. It's usually cited as being down to pressure, but it's as much to do with the fact teams defend deep and the moment the ball comes to your feet, there are defenders all around you.
It's easy to say that he would, he has to actually do it first. I know he has a good per game/min ratio but that's not so easy to replicate when you have to do it full time.
He’s half the size and twice the player in that clip. He will get a chance, but unlike some other players we who haven’t performed, we all know Lukuku is not good enough for Utd.
Maybe some valid points in there but generally player don't peak or become complete until the late 20's. I suppose Andy Cole had a better goals ratio at Newcastle but his all round game was miles better for us.
I get that people don't fancy him and maybe didn't want him here in the first place but has shown that he is a good player but is out of form for us for whatever reason while he is still lethal for Belgium.
That makes a lot of sense.
So I guess a player like Lukaku theoretically would play better in champions league games and PL games against the top 6 because they are less likely to sit back so defensively, giving him more space to work with.
This. Martial and Rashford haven't done anything yet to warrant them playing ahead of Lukaku at striker right now, especially Rashford. People keep talking about how Pogba shouldn't be held accountable for anything because of Mourinhos system and coaching. Why should Lukaku then? He needs to get the benefit of the doubt based on reputation to begin with.
Nah he was marginally better at Everton but it was tight, Lukaku was a 1 goal in 2 matches for both clubs.
For WBA he scored 17 in 35 (a goal every 222 min)
For Everton he scored 68 in 141 (a goal every 213 min)
We have a worse footballer regularly starting for us in the attacking 3, Romelu should get his chance.
No because, Top 6 and CL teams have far better players and far better managers too.
He can lose the weight and he has already said he is on a program to so but I'm not sure what he size has to do with him scoring a free kick. The point was that the poster said Lukaku would never score Rashfords goal.
We don't know that for sure, but we will see, because regardless of people tossing aside our players on the last month or so I'm sure he will be given chances in hopefully an attacking side rather then a defensive side. Then at the end of the season we should probably have our awnser.
You have confused appearances with starts. For West Brom he made 20 starts, 15 sub in the PL. 17 goals in 2002 mins. A goal every 118 mins. Scored 2 penalties.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/romelu-lukaku/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/96341/verein/984
For Everton 68 goals in 133 starts, 8 sub appearances. 11880 mins. A goal every 175 mins. Scored 4 pens (I think)
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/romelu-lukaku/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/96341/verein/29
For United in the PL 22 goals in 4053 mins. A goal every 184 mins.
For non-penalty goals. West Brom 133 mins per non-penalty goal. Everton 186 mins per non-penalty goal.
I care far more about how many goals the team scores than how many any one particular individual scores. I think it is worthwhile taking a serious look at a team without Lukaku in it. 10 games with him in the team. 10 without.
I think the real question is whether Lukaku is prepared to sit on the bench for between 30% and 70% of matches, as I find it very hard to believe that our next permanent manager will start him nearly every game he is fit for, as happened under Mourinho and throughout his time at Everton.
If you look at the distance Lukaku typically covers, compared to the main striker in other teams that play in a similar fashion to Solskjaer's teams, he is between 1.0 and 1.5 km per 90 mins down.
Last edited:
He played 2002 mins for WBA and scored 17 goals. That's a goal every 118 mins.
That's true of technically gifted players, not athletic players.
Fans so often get excited about the potential of young athletic players. But if we look through football history, they often peak in their late teens or early 20's.
If your game is based around speed, power and size etc, then there isn't much reason to think a player will get much better, as despite every effort of those of us who love the game to convince ourselves otherwise, it's an incredibly simple game.
If you've got incredible touch, vision, passing and shooting ability, then the more you play senior football, the better you'll get as you adapt to the physicality of the game. If you are really athletic and not a great footballer, you don't need long to reach your peak. The narrative of "learning the game" just doesn't play out in reality as the truth is the runs and positional play you need to make are so basic. As fans, pundits, analysts and coaches we try and make it seem complicated, but ultimately it's not hard stuff.
Michael Owen is a good example. Super fast, had a nose for goals and could finish. But he could have played for a 100 years and never really would have developed his game much more than when he came through as a kid. In his first season he scored 18 Prem goals. In the next 6 seasons at Liverpool the best he ever got was 19. I suspect somewhere some Ajax fans are still waiting for Babel to turn into the next Henry.
I think Lukaku could fit into this new system. Isn't it a bit similar to what he has around him in Belgium?
He's been isolated in Mou's system, but in this new attack-minded system, I think he could get back to his old form.
He's been isolated in Mou's system, but in this new attack-minded system, I think he could get back to his old form.
That's not the reason Owen faded. He was technically very gifted as well but his injuries just couldn't let him express himself the way he wanted. By the time he was maturing and building his all round game a little more his injuries just didn't allow him to execute it. He became a fox in then box because of that.
I also think your generalization of technique vs athleticism is extremely simple and may hold for semi-pro football but not premier league level football. At this level almost everyone is incredibly gifted technically. You can say some players are slightly more on the physical side of things and other on the technical side but there's no reason a player in their older age can't work on technicality when they were physical as a youngster.
Take Ryan Giggs as an example. He was a bullet that ran past defenders but in the end turned his game into that of a passing midfielder. He did get better with time despite being a technical player. Cristiano Ronaldo improves with his goals in his later years mainly because of physical attributes he gained as well.
It might be simple, but it's an extremely effective way of judging players. You just look at youngsters who are very physically gifted and not that great technically, yet are being hyped and then predict they wont match the hype.
I've made similar posts many times on this forum over the years, starting in the newbs discussing Lukaku. Pretty much every time I do it someone says it an over generalization or similar, yet the player in question never goes on to match the hype or even improves much at all.
Reece Oxford example:
"I don't see much to get excited about. We've seen extremely physically developed young players so many times before and they so rarely go on to be much special. People always go on about their age, but ignore they are often among the physically developed players on the pitch."
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/reece-oxford.398524/page-2#post-17922136
Breel Embolo example:
"There are quite a few strong, athletic teenagers who look great at youth level, break through early and get massively over hyped, but then go on to produce little, as they were never that good at actual football. Yet every time the next one comes along, we see the same thing of people banging on and on about their "potential." Breel Embolo is going to be the next one."
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/what-happened-to-them-hyped-youngsters.411974/page-2#post-18455514
It's just so easy to spot. The likes of Giggs and Ronaldo don't fit at all as they were technically gifted. It's not a case of just spotting physically gifted teens and saying they wont make it. It's just spotting super hyped teens, playing senior football at a young age, who are amazingly athletic and big for their age, but don't seem to have any special technical ability. There is simply no reason to think they have massive potential to improve.
We are seeing it now with Sessegnon and how he has been compared to Bale. It's so painfully obvious he's not even close to the technical ability of Bale, yet he scored a lot of goals at a young age, so he got crazy hyped. He can go on and have a good career, but he's not the wonder kid he was being made out to be and doesn't have the potential to be special.
I don't see it as that black and white as that. If you think no athletic player or just Lukaku can become a better footballer by training and player over the next few years then I disagree. Whether he does or not is probably upto how much he wants to, and he always strikes me as someone who wants to learn and improve.
He might not become the striker that we all want to have but he can certainly improve and hopefully can be very good for us.
Belgium are not really that aggressive with the press. They play possession football but don't really counter press. I think a team trying to press aggressiveky with Lukaku is asking for trouble.
Not sure what that proves really, loads of players are overhyped you have written off 3 players that are still very young so who knows what they can become. I pretty sure Bale was hyped then written off in his early days at Spurs.
Hmm, guess I'm misremembering things, I swear I remember them being quite agressive with the pressing aswell. Guess I should go rewatch some of the games.
Can You elaborate a bit more on the ''asking for trouble'' part? Do You mean the speed of the system would be too much for him and he could slow the game down (since he's not as skillful on the ball as Rash or Martial? And by skillful, in this context, I mean to make quick one-two passes in tight spaces etc?)
Lukaku should get a chance and I hope he comes good, but he needs to earn the chance.
Pogba's situation is very different. He has been inconsistent, with some good periods and some poor periods. We haven't got any other midfielders who have outperformed him, and when he doesn't play we normally struggle to create. It's an easy decision to have him straight back in. Meanwhile Lukaku has been terrible all season long, and the team as a whole has looked better without him. So he shouldn't just automatically come straight back in.
Pressing high without doing it very well is asking for trouble. The other team would easily play behind it, then you find yourself in all kinds of trouble.Hmm, guess I'm misremembering things, I swear I remember them being quite agressive with the pressing aswell. Guess I should go rewatch some of the games.
Can You elaborate a bit more on the ''asking for trouble'' part? Do You mean the speed of the system would be too much for him and he could slow the game down (since he's not as skillful on the ball as Rash or Martial? And by skillful, in this context, I mean to make quick one-two passes in tight spaces etc?)
Holy cow, he was clearly much leaner at Everton. Sort it out Romelu.
That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that it's easy to spot over hyped athletic players.
Lukaku was hyped as the most talented player since Messi. That isn't an exaggeration. It was based on the fact that at just 16 years old he scored 15 goals for Anderlecht. But the issue was people almost couldn't see past the fact he was scoring so many in senior football at such a young age, so therefore couldn't envision he didn't have mega potential. But if you actually watch him play, you'd have seen that the goals he was scoring weren't demonstrating any special talent. The reality is he scored a bunch of goals in which he used his strength, speed and height very well. He was using the athletic advantages he had to be effective. But he wasn't showing the touch of Berba, dribbling of Messi and blasting rockets from outside the box etc. So despite his tender years, his talent just didn't have that high of a ceiling. He could and has improved, but he was always going to flop in comparison to the hype he got as a 16 year old, as the hype didn't factor in his physical advantages and technical limitations. It happens all the time and it's really easy to spot.
Yeah, like the hoofball ball mid table Belgium national team do.
He deserves a fresh start as much as anyone in our side. I’m a huge Rashford fan and would be the first to say he needs to fight his way in, but that shouldn’t be used as a bat against Lukaku deserving a fresh start.
OK if your saying he will never have the first touch of Berba and dribble like Messi I couldn't agree more, but I think there is a place for quick, strong athletic players and he can improve movement, positioning and build up play. We have only been using his size and strength in recent times so there alot more we can utilise from him.
I'm not invested in him, it wouldn't cause more then a shrug if left like 80% of the other players. I just think he is better then he shown us recently and score a lot of goals for us.
That's the problem for me. There's definitely a place for fast aggressive athletic striker here for me but Lukaku isn't that anymore thanks to all the bulk. He's now just a static and useless lump that struggle to move on the pitch. He'll never fit in any attacking system with this build. If he wants to save his career as a footballer he needs to drop weight and do it now while his pace can still be recovered otherwise he's done here and at any big club in general.
I think so too, I think he has been massively over criticised by a lot of the fans. The way we ended up playing Messi and Ronaldo would have looked like donkeys under Mourinho. With an attacking approach Lukaku could be unbelievable
If he can improve his movement by a lot, he could be a new Cavani which is a pretty good level. He doesn't have to significantly improve his technique in order to be a top top player.
Time is against him though.
Does anyone know why Rom has been on compassionate leave?
Clearly there is a good player in there somewhere because he played quite well before he came to United and plays quite well when on international duty even now.
Hopefully OGS will be able to get the best out of him. I would give him till the end of the season and if United and a few other players improve and he doesn't, then we can look to offload him.
Hopefully OGS will be able to get the best out of him. I would give him till the end of the season and if United and a few other players improve and he doesn't, then we can look to offload him.
The same thing that is said about every player every time we get a new manager. Years later we're still giving Fellaini, Jones and Young "a chance"
Hope we cut our losses with mediocre players like Lukaku from now on, instead of giving everyone countless chances to prove they aren't good enough.
- Status