[Aloysius's Back 3]

Yeah I agree. All our players are focused on serving the CF right now. Their own individuality seems to be compromised.

And this happens when Rashford plays as a ST too - whilst many people will talk about how Rashford's failed every time he has started as a St - they don't acknowledge the fact that he is being made to play as that sole striker that gets the ball from every direction & is made to be our main focus. No way is he playing the same football that he did under LVG nor England national team where he is merely an attacking cog of an overall attack.

Martial is the best target man that we have from his first touch to his short passing to bring others to play - you wonder why he isn't made to play that role & you question if it is as simple as how tall & strong he is which holds him back from playing such role under Jose.

It really is incredible.

 

[AltiUn]

It's a slightly strange situation because while we wanted our team to challenge we actually look a long way off. So would a signing like Mandzukic even make sense if we're going to challenge 2-3 years from now? I like the profile of players Liverpool have gone for. All the signings that Klopp has made are in the 20-27 age bracket, all have improved at the club and everyone's value has increased since they arrived. That's the sort of activity we need IMO. But you're right in that it's an odd situation where were obviously not going to spend big on that position.

Manduzkic would've been a shorter term signing for competition up front while Lukaku was still fairly young and volatile, it could have proved valuable now when Lukaku appears to be contributing very little. The best teams in the league all have competent back up strikers: Chelsea have Giroud/Morata for their strikers, Liverpool have Firmino/Sturridge, City have Aguero/Jesus even Arsenal have the Aubameyang/Lacazette dynamic. I wouldn't be stunned to see us dip into the market in January for a loan, we look like we're doing that for a CB already.

I'm of the opinion that Rashford, Sanchez and Martial are not strikers, none of them have enough game time or experience there to be considered strikers, not to the level our rivals' back ups are at least, they all play primarily as wingers.

You're right about the profile of signings Liverpool are going for, I like City's model too, going for players on the cusp of being brilliant, ready to just make that last step up instead of ready made stars. I thought we were going in the right direction signing players like Dalot and Fred but they can't even make the team at the moment.

 

[Rash Decision]

And this happens when Rashford plays as a ST too - whilst many people will talk about how Rashford's failed every time he has started as a St - they don't acknowledge the fact that he is being made to play as that sole striker that gets the ball from every direction & is made to be our main focus. No way is he playing the same football that he did under LVG nor England national team where he is merely an attacking cog of an overall attack.

Martial is the best target man that we have from his first touch to his short passing to bring others to play - you wonder why he isn't made to play that role & you question if it is as simple as how tall & strong he is which holds him back from playing such role under Jose.

It really is incredible.

Since when did Martial become our best target man? Don't remember him ever playing that role.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

Since when did Martial become our best target man? Don't remember him ever playing that role.

That's what I'm complaining about - he has the best first touch, the intention to bring others in to play, has the best protective ability in tight places, has the ability to drop his shoulder occasionally and misguide the defender sometimes etc etc. The list goes on.

Lukaku should not be doing those roles for us.

 

[Johan07]

That's what I'm complaining about - he has the best first touch, the intention to bring others in to play, has the best protective ability in tight places, has the ability to drop his shoulder occasionally and misguide the defender sometimes etc etc. The list goes on.

Lukaku should not be doing those roles for us.

I agree. At least since he has had time to improve on this part of his game and has not.
But neither should Martial.
If we are going to persist (which we will under Mourinho) with an isolated #9, there is only one player in this squad that is suited for that role and its Fellaini.
I rate Lukaku as a player, but he is a terrible, terrible target man. And if we are going to continue to sit back low, thats needed for that system to work. And then he is just not suited for this.
I am really surprised that Mourinho has hung on to Lukaku as long as he have tbh.

 

[Pass and Move]

And this happens when Rashford plays as a ST too - whilst many people will talk about how Rashford's failed every time he has started as a St - they don't acknowledge the fact that he is being made to play as that sole striker that gets the ball from every direction & is made to be our main focus. No way is he playing the same football that he did under LVG nor England national team where he is merely an attacking cog of an overall attack.

Martial is the best target man that we have from his first touch to his short passing to bring others to play - you wonder why he isn't made to play that role & you question if it is as simple as how tall & strong he is which holds him back from playing such role under Jose.

It really is incredible.

I've felt for a while now that he is far too sloppy with his passing, often knocking it in the general direction of a teammate but not actually with precision. Added to that is that he seems to have dribbling at the forefront of his mind the whole time and too often only resorts to a pass when he's not got anywhere to go, by which time the opposition have oriented themselves well, thereby nullifying our attacking threat. Anyone else feel the same?

 

[FootyGirl88]

I remember that interview he did where he said he can't learn anything off Harry Kane

 

[ForestRGoinUp]

He's not being scapegoated, he's received criticism from fans but very little from the wider media. The fact he's been noticeably bad even when we're playing so poorly is why he's being criticised. He needs to get out of this rut and quickly.

I've been shocked by how little the media bring him up. Pogba Pogba Pogba all the time when their price tags are relatively similar. Lukaku has been protected if anything.

 

[Vernon Philander]

I've been shocked by how little the media bring him up. Pogba Pogba Pogba all the time when their price tags are relatively similar. Lukaku has been protected if anything.

This is something a lot of people forget. Strip out the abnormally large Raiola fee, and Pogba Lukaku cost roughly the same amount. Stands to reason he should be scrutinised just as much.

 

[Jeppers7]

This is something a lot of people forget. Strip out the abnormally large Raiola fee, and Pogba Lukaku cost roughly the same amount. Stands to reason he should be scrutinised just as much.

The fee for Raiola came from the fee ? He owned a percentage of any further transfer fee Juve got. We didn't pay a transfer fee plus an agent fee.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

I've been shocked by how little the media bring him up. Pogba Pogba Pogba all the time when their price tags are relatively similar. Lukaku has been protected if anything.

Well this is exactly what Jose does - he goes & puts certain players like Pogba under a rolling bus only for him to turn around & act surprised when people start questioning him on it. The media don't come out & talk about pogbas performance on a good day or a bad day & stick to it on the back page - however if Jose is feeding the media almost forcing them to put them on the front page by bringing pogba up himself - that is what will happen & both get analysed for it.

Jose covers for Lukaku - not only does he not drop the guy to the media - he doesn't drop the guy off the pitch. Pure bias towards strength & height.

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

Dont give a hoot whether the media criticise him or not,and neither should you.

 

[Mcking]

Scored his 44th international goal for Belgium against Switzerland. He, like all our players, is extremely unlucky to be playing in an awful Man Utd team. You have to feel for him.

 

[AshRK]

As much as people don't like to admit he is our best number 9 at present. He like matic has sadly become club's whipping boys.

 

[Xeno]

As much as people don't like to admit he is our best number 9 at present. He like matic has sadly become club's whipping boys.

At least Matic has a first touch.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Well this is exactly what Jose does - he goes & puts certain players like Pogba under a rolling bus only for him to turn around & act surprised when people start questioning him on it. The media don't come out & talk about pogbas performance on a good day or a bad day & stick to it on the back page - however if Jose is feeding the media almost forcing them to put them on the front page by bringing pogba up himself - that is what will happen & both get analysed for it.

Jose covers for Lukaku - not only does he not drop the guy to the media - he doesn't drop the guy off the pitch. Pure bias towards strength & height.

Because Pogba is neither strong nor tall, right?

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

That second goal was lovely.

 

[GifLord]

and the miss

 

[Raw]

He is insanely prolific for Belgium.

 

[Mcking]

Why do players even bother joining and playing for us anymore? We just end up stalling their career.

 

[Xaviboy]

If he was playing for a free flowing team in attack I'd say he will score more goals. We don't create many chances for him at utd. Think when at Everton they were creating more chances for him in their games and he was putting them away.

 

[edgar allan]

That was a terrible miss by anyone's standards and the goalkeeper should have saved his first goal.

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

Mertins setting up Lukaku again I see.

 

[harms]

The second goal looks fantastic, but even there I can't help but notice that Lukaku took an unnecessary touch at the end, giving the defender a chance to steal the ball from him, which he, luckily, didn't.

His incredible form for Belgium gives me hope though — another manager and perhaps a few different partners will do him a world of good.

 

[Ashley R1+O]

Get a load of the utter drivel at the top of the page and on the last page. Wooooooooof. The absolute state of it.

Watched his all the goals so far on MUTV last night, scored some crackers - after watching Belgium it is so obvious the service differences between the two. Our is absolutely horrendous, barely any tap ins at all and barely any passes through the lines that find him around the penalty spot to tap home.

 

[Xeno]

Hazard-Xeno-Mertens
......De Bruyne

I’ll score loads at top level and I’m 5’ 11” and dogshit.

 

[GifLord]

Get a load of the utter drivel at the top of the page and on the last page. Wooooooooof. The absolute state of it.

Watched his all the goals so far on MUTV last night, scored some crackers - after watching Belgium it is so obvious the service differences between the two. Our is absolutely horrendous.

 

[VeevaVee]

Lucky on the first finish, keeper should've got there. Great work from all involved on the second. Genuinely shocking miss.

 

[onemanarmy]

Meunier and Chadli/Carrasco are so important for him in this system. Wingbacks who have a decent cross in them. 14 goals in 13 apps for Belgium in 2018, 45 in 78 in total. Give him decent crosses and he'll score.

 

[VeevaVee]

Get a load of the utter drivel at the top of the page and on the last page. Wooooooooof. The absolute state of it.

Watched his all the goals so far on MUTV last night, scored some crackers - after watching Belgium it is so obvious the service differences between the two. Our is absolutely horrendous, barely any tap ins at all and barely any passes through the lines that find him around the penalty spot to tap home.

I agree the service isn't good enough, but he shouldn't need tap ins all the time to score goals either. He's not even that good at them.

 

[El Jefe]

Get a load of the utter drivel at the top of the page and on the last page. Wooooooooof. The absolute state of it.

Watched his all the goals so far on MUTV last night, scored some crackers - after watching Belgium it is so obvious the service differences between the two. Our is absolutely horrendous, barely any tap ins at all and barely any passes through the lines that find him around the penalty spot to tap home.

Not being funny but I don't remember a single stunner Lukaku has scored for us.

In fact for the number of goals he's scored in his career, he has very few stunners.

 

[Ashley R1+O]

I agree the service isn't good enough, but he shouldn't need tap ins all the time to score goals either. He's not even that good at them.

But it would be nice to actually have some players with balls who can get us playing downhill and break the line so he can score some easy confidence building goals where he doesn't need to work like an emaciated dog to put something together to get the ball in the net. A lot of contested headers and a lot of just living on hopeful fennels at the back post looking for him to monster a player.

Not being funny but I don't remember a single stunner Lukaku has scored for us.

*shrug*, go and watch them again then I guess, if you can't remember.

 

[VeevaVee]

But it would be nice to actually have some players with balls who can get us playing downhill and break the line so he can score some easy confidence building goals where he doesn't need to work like an emaciated dog to put something together to get the ball in the net. A lot of contested headers and a lot of just living on hopeful fennels at the back post looking for him to monster a player.

Agree there, for sure. We need to work the ball more. Comes back to lack of movement and poor passing quality.

 

[Greck]

But it would be nice to actually have some players with balls who can get us playing downhill and break the line so he can score some easy confidence building goals where he doesn't need to work like an emaciated dog to put something together to get the ball in the net. A lot of contested headers and a lot of just living on hopeful fennels at the back post looking for him to monster a player.


*shrug*, go and watch them again then I guess, if you can't remember.

Think he needs some reference. Why not help refresh his memory so he knows where to look

 

[Denis79]

The second goal looks fantastic, but even there I can't help but notice that Lukaku took an unnecessary touch at the end, giving the defender a chance to steal the ball from him, which he, luckily, didn't.

His incredible form for Belgium gives me hope though — another manager and perhaps a few different partners will do him a world of good.

Think it's just his bad form that makes him take a touch or two extra. I believe he over-thinks the situations because of it.

 

[GledTheRed]

Two donkey looking finishes and one of the worse sitters i have ever seen.

 

[NYAS]

“Donkey looking finishes”...this place is absolutely mental

 

[Darkhorsez]

“Donkey looking finishes”...this place is absolutely mental

I know

 

[onemanarmy]

Two donkey looking finishes and one of the worse sitters i have ever seen.

He just scored 2 times against a good team. Cut him some slack. He has 18 goals in 23 games this year. He's Everton PL and Belgium's all time top scorer at the age of 25. He'll improve and break more records.

 

[GledTheRed]

He just scored 2 times against a good team. Cut him some slack. He has 18 goals in 23 games this year. He's Everton PL and Belgium's all time top scorer at the age of 25. He'll improve and break more records.

I respect his records, don't rate him as a player. He let you down at the WC too imo.