I'm not saying they should, I'm saying why would we after 12 games starting from the bench? Even then, hasn't he contributed with goals and assists in the 12 games anyway. If the opinions can be that polarised from say the Pogs who lots of people wanted sold in Jan than now, why can't that be offered to Rom after just 12 games? The reality is despite performances, the issues since Pogs, Sanchez and Rom walked through the door, many fans didn't like them and like Fellaini, this never really went away......only reprieve is Pogs is playing well but the vultures are always circling and never far away.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
I'm not saying they should, I'm saying why would we after 12 games starting from the bench? Even then, hasn't he contributed with goals and assists in the 12 games anyway. If the opinions can be that polarised from say the Pogs who lots of people wanted sold in Jan than now, why can't that be offered to Rom after just 12 games? The reality is despite performances, the issues since Pogs, Sanchez and Rom walked through the door, many fans didn't like them and like Fellaini, this never really went away......only reprieve is Pogs is playing well but the vultures are always circling and never far away.
He scored a good amount of goals last season and overall it was a decent first season yeah, although his lack of goals in the really big games was concerning. Are you honestly saying Lukaku last season was in "Beast Mode" though?
If last season is as good as it gets with Lukaku then that's a huge worry.
He's been shocking all this season though. Being frustrated with 6 months of terrible form isn't being fickle I don't think.
Was Lukaku last year supposed to be him in beast mode? Because Lukaku last year nor the Lukaku at Everton was really good enough for what we should want from a main striker especially one on his wages and the fee it took to get him. I appreciate his attitude and mentality, but talent wise he's nothing more than a squad player, even when on form.
He was the one holding the ball up before that.
He is frustratingly poor right now and I somehow fail to see how a regular run of games can fix the more fundamental flaws he has, as evident in GifLord's clips. Of course you may disagree, and I would love to be proven wrong over time.
Rom was never liked when he was signed and there's nothing that will change people's opinions of him. When he's scoring, it's deafeningly quiet, when his form is poor the vultures start circling. Pogs and Lingard are exactly the same. Some players if liked we focus on their strengths, if not we focus on their weaknesses. The forums always been the same. Rom has his limitations but he's the best goal scorer in the club so not sure why Id advocate selling him as that's the hardest thing to do in football....
If his effort in training is similar to his effort on the pitch, he shouldn't be getting anywhere near the squad. He looks lazy, heavy and completely uninterested. Unacceptable at any level.
His talent to score goals is a fact and proven over a number of years. Only two other players in the league has proven to do this better.
But he's been not scoring this season.
When his all round game is as limited as it is he needs to be getting plenty of goals to make up for it.
9 goals in late February isn't good enough.
None of this is new. If ever there as been polarised opinions on players, it's been this year. Can't say it enough that lots on here wanted Pogs sold only weeks ago. Rom scores goals, fact and like said, only 2 other players in the league do it better. Not sure what he needs to turn around other than find his form.
Are you going to hold the same criticism of the players now as you did under Jose? Do you or others still want Pogs sold? My point is if we don't then only 12 games in, some of which he was injured, hasn't he come off the bench and scored goals and made assists? Or isn't that good enough for people 12 games in?
He's got a very decent goal scoring record in the Premier League.
The guy can finish, he's just not technically good enough to be a Manchester United player.
of meat pies maybe.
Which metric are you talking about, here? Total goals? Goals/season? Goals/minutes? Because he's not third best on any of those categories right now. Furthermore, here are his goal tallies since WBA:
12/13: 17 goals for WBA
13/14: 15 goals for Everton
14/15: 10 goals for Everton
15/16: 18 goals for Everton
16/17: 25 goals for Everton
17/18: 16 goals for United
18/19: 8* goals for United
Apart from that 16/17 season, he's never crossed the 18 goal mark in the EPL. You have called his last season 'Beast Mode' where he scored 16 league goals for us. For reference, here are the EPL goals of our main goalscorer since RvN:
01/02: 23 - RvN
02/03: 25 - RvN
03/04: 20 - RvN
04/05: 11 - Rooney
05/06: 21 - RvN
06/07: 17 - Ronaldo
07/08: 31 - Ronaldo
08/09: 18 - Ronaldo
09/10: 26 - Rooney
10/11: 20 - Berbatov
11/12: 27 - Rooney
12/13: 26 - RVP
11 of those 12 seasons, Lukaku's 'beast mode' would not be good enough. The only season in that list he'd get into with 16 goals is the only one where we didn't win anything - 04/05.
He cannot be written off while he's still 25, but you have to agree that he needs to turn around his fortunes in an extraordinary manner to establish himself amongst names like RvP, Rooney, Berbatov, Ronaldo or RvN. There is a great gulf in quality between those names and a striker who as of now cannot judge the flight of a long ball, or control it when he finally manages to stand in the right place to receive it.
Berbatov scored 20 league goals, including a hat trick against the Scousers in 2011 and had to sit out the CL final, not even on the bench, and Lukaku wasn’t fit to lace his boot technically.
A starting centre forward at this club needs to do more than just score 20+ goals a season. We gambled on the chance that Lukaku would move up a level, but he hasn’t, and has regressed if anything.
A starting centre forward at this club needs to do more than just score 20+ goals a season. We gambled on the chance that Lukaku would move up a level, but he hasn’t, and has regressed if anything.
No complaints from me today. He was decent and that's all i expect from him these days.
Is there a gif of the bit where instead of letting a ball roll out of for a throw-in in the club's, he attempts a simple skill (too complicated for him though), fecks it up and ends up giving the throw for Chelsea.
That was so funny and stupid at the same time
That was so funny and stupid at the same time
I genuinely don;t think some people realise how much extra time you get on the ball when you can kill it dead like Berba did there. It's something I've seen for years watching top teams against watching basically anyone else. The ball is still moved nicely, runs are great, passes are tidy, but players not being able to control the ball well enough hampers so many teams.
He wasn't terrible in the first half but in the second half he couldn't trap a bag of cement. Looking hard to see how he turns this around and he looks a cert to be surplus to requirements in the summer.
I liked that he used his body better. Was a small improvement but it was there. He has some much strength but he rarely knows how to use it to his advantage, I think he did against Chelsea. Very low expectations for him atm though.
I can’t believe we haven’t been punished when he plays wide. Every attack goes down the side he’s on while he stands near the halfway line half arsed jogging around. Thank god the other 9 outfield players work their socks off to compensate. I get leaving someone up on the counter but he doesn’t make any defensive effort whatsoever. Sanchez should be starting ahead of him.
Fine effort and fine performance, no problem with that.
But seriously is that just fine enough?
I'm starting to question his ambition though.
He's lacking that hunger, that "fire" which is another thing Utd players have, yes even if they're back-up, squad player or even our bench-warmer.
Berbatov dropped and given bench role by Ferguson and he sure raised his game finally.
Chicharito always make a big mark off the bench and during rotation games.
Saha impressed even if he's the 2nd option to Ruud, even to a point of stealing his place in the starting line-up.
Forlan worked hard alright always aiming to make impression.
And then there's Ole and Teddy.
Etc.
Given more than enough chances already, no more excuses of that.
Expecting him to try way a lot harder. He's playing in a too safe mode at the moment since Ole revolution.
But seriously is that just fine enough?
I'm starting to question his ambition though.
He's lacking that hunger, that "fire" which is another thing Utd players have, yes even if they're back-up, squad player or even our bench-warmer.
Berbatov dropped and given bench role by Ferguson and he sure raised his game finally.
Chicharito always make a big mark off the bench and during rotation games.
Saha impressed even if he's the 2nd option to Ruud, even to a point of stealing his place in the starting line-up.
Forlan worked hard alright always aiming to make impression.
And then there's Ole and Teddy.
Etc.
Given more than enough chances already, no more excuses of that.
Expecting him to try way a lot harder. He's playing in a too safe mode at the moment since Ole revolution.
Lukaku is the footballer version of Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. There are times when he has good end product and arguments for him tend to focus around that, but in the finer details relating to genuine excellence, at this club he is found wanting and is a misfit to boot. It's now becoming more and more apparent that he's just out of place with respect to the club we want to be and the football we want to play.
He hasn’t been bad but he hasn’t been good enough to be starting games, specially with Rashford’s current form, and he was brought here to be the leading striker. If he can’t get in to the starting eleven we should ship him out, get a younger version who can challenge for the spot. Also I don’t think he will be to happy to be on the bench for much longer.
I really like him but Ole’s style doesn’t suit him at all, he is more of a last touch finisher not a builder and his attributes do not match our current style.
I really like him but Ole’s style doesn’t suit him at all, he is more of a last touch finisher not a builder and his attributes do not match our current style.
He became lazy when he beefed up and put on weight, you put a lukaku out there with Everton physique, he would have been a lot better than what he is showing now.
You lack ambition when it comes to United. It’s very clear! The thing is nobody really hates lukaku but we just know he isn’t the main guy that will bridge the gap between a top 4 team and a title winning/champions league team. He doesn’t have the range/capabilities for the role we bought him for. He is our top 3 highest earner and he can’t get the basics right. Yet you want to praise him for his alleged beast mode against terrible teams while he does feck all against top teams.
At this point I don’t know what it will take to convince you United supporters that lukaku is just not a great fit for the future and what we want from a LEading united striker.
He has always been lazy. Let’s not use this beefing up as an excuse to say otherwise. To have healthy discussions about lukaku would be to accept simple truths and that is he was always a lazy player especially when the team is without the ball.
When we play deep, you want your striker to hold the ball and help the team. With Lukaku team is under pressure always as he loses the ball so easily. McT came on and did what Lukaku should have done. He brought down long ball, held it and passed it to teammate.
Given his current level the first half performance was good. He was absolutely shattered though so should have been subbed at half time.
How a professional footballer gets to a stage of at best having 45 mins in the tank is beyond me. If I were his coach he'd be doing half marathons 3 times a week.
How a professional footballer gets to a stage of at best having 45 mins in the tank is beyond me. If I were his coach he'd be doing half marathons 3 times a week.
That run from him made me cringe. It was lazy as feck and he wasn't even trying to position himself in the better spot.
Luckily we has player who knows exactly where he needs to be.
He had good first season but this season it's poor. He talks big in interviews but his application on the pitch is very poor. For the Pogba's goal, he passes the ball to Rashford and sprints to the box and we have our #9 who is jogging to the box.
His hold up play is very inconsistent and he lacks aggression to receive passes or crosses.
That Rashford's run from our box, taking on 3 Chelsea players and squared it to Lukaku. Any good striker would have moved towards the ball and hit it first time but Lukaku just stands still and wait for the ball to reach him.
It's very hard to create chances for such a static player.
For the money we paid and wages, he is not worth it. Ignoring financial aspects, his quality on the pitch is lacking. We should sell him and sign someone who suits whatever Ole is trying to implement.
His hold up play is very inconsistent and he lacks aggression to receive passes or crosses.
That Rashford's run from our box, taking on 3 Chelsea players and squared it to Lukaku. Any good striker would have moved towards the ball and hit it first time but Lukaku just stands still and wait for the ball to reach him.
It's very hard to create chances for such a static player.
For the money we paid and wages, he is not worth it. Ignoring financial aspects, his quality on the pitch is lacking. We should sell him and sign someone who suits whatever Ole is trying to implement.
I think you're all underestimating his main skill and contribution to the way we play.
His pointing is world class. He's a great pointer.
His pointing is world class. He's a great pointer.
Berbatov's first touch is fecking porn.
That Berbatov trap is an interesting starting point for a discussion, imo. I am both agreeing & disagreeing with what's been posted about it so far.
1 - it looks great, realy cool etc etc
2 - it's not that difficult though really - the reason he doesn't have to move is the quality of the pass, which is exceptional.
Now I can see the arguments against point 2 lining up easily enough - that they can't all do it. Not even on one side.
But the good ones can, everyone who plays for Utd ought to be able to do it, bar maybe the CB if he offers other attributes.
If you see a player who can't control a ball, he isn't for us, the scout just ought to move on to the next one, as basic as that, but they don't, which I just find amazing.
As an extension, the very good players don't even have to look, their head is already up looking around. It also buys you a load of time.
1 - it looks great, realy cool etc etc
2 - it's not that difficult though really - the reason he doesn't have to move is the quality of the pass, which is exceptional.
Now I can see the arguments against point 2 lining up easily enough - that they can't all do it. Not even on one side.
But the good ones can, everyone who plays for Utd ought to be able to do it, bar maybe the CB if he offers other attributes.
If you see a player who can't control a ball, he isn't for us, the scout just ought to move on to the next one, as basic as that, but they don't, which I just find amazing.
As an extension, the very good players don't even have to look, their head is already up looking around. It also buys you a load of time.
Last edited:
His general play wasn't as bad as usual, especially in the first half, but there were some moments when I wanted to break the TV because of him. That instance that he touched the ball just before going out stands out, why would you do that for feck sake.
Didnt stop him earlier to get 20 goals plus a season for 4-5 seasons. Not too bad last season as well.
So true. All top players have that extra few milliseconds on the ball that makes all the difference. Salah is a great example. The Liverpool midfielders and defenders frequently drill the ball into him. He brings them under control with a single touch giving him time to turn at the defenders and run. Lukaku would barely control those balls and even if he does, he won't have time to turn around as the defenders will already be on him.
- Status