It’s getting ridiculous now. I like Lukaku and I know he can do better than this, but this is beyond him and on the manager. Drop him, sit him on the bench and he can fight his way back. And I don’t care who fecking plays instead of him, give Greenwood a chance or play Chong and move Rashford as striker. We lose nothing by doing that, Lukaku is in horrendous form.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
Lukaku supporter and pretty much have to agree with this, for his own sake I think he needs taken out. There was a point last night where Luke played a ball in to him and it was never going to be easy for anyone to control but when I saw it was to Lukaku I just knew before it even got there it wasn’t sticking, low and behold it “hit” off of him and went the other way.
Looks shot of confidence as there was a point last night where Martial gave him the ball and instead of taking the better option of shifting it to his right and moving with the ball to create the better angle which I’ve seen him do many a time before he doesn’t seem to care what foot he uses but instead he just took a swipe at the ball with his left and ended up doing nothing with that shot.
Personally I’d maybe put Martial central Rashford on the left and anyone really on the right, Chong maybe as I think Martial has better control, link up and vision than Rashford and would do better centrally.
@FootyGirl88 that comment about Lukaku and welbeck is an insult to welbeck. He may be a dodgy finisher but we could never fault his movement or effort
His whole situation baffles me.
I saw a few clips of his Everton days recently and he was weaving in and out of defenders and looked so agile. Now he's beefed up so much he's just a bulky mass up front. Now this wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if he was excellent at holding up the ball but he isn't in the slightest. In fact he is absolutely terrible at it 90% of the time. Harry Kane is nowhere near Lukaku in terms of strength but conversely, he holds the ball up superbly and wins fouls to relieve pressure on his team. It has less to do with pure strength and more your touch and the way you utilise your body. Zlatan was also very good at this and didn't need to have Akinfenwa levels of muscle to do so.
So that being said. Surely the Utd staff can see he is too bulked up, which means they are happy with it. These players are monitored constantly with their weights and body fat so they are clearly aware of it and seems this is what they want. But if he's shit at aerial duels, has the first touch of a trampoline and is extremely cumbersome why are we isolating him and playing him in this role?
I saw a few clips of his Everton days recently and he was weaving in and out of defenders and looked so agile. Now he's beefed up so much he's just a bulky mass up front. Now this wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if he was excellent at holding up the ball but he isn't in the slightest. In fact he is absolutely terrible at it 90% of the time. Harry Kane is nowhere near Lukaku in terms of strength but conversely, he holds the ball up superbly and wins fouls to relieve pressure on his team. It has less to do with pure strength and more your touch and the way you utilise your body. Zlatan was also very good at this and didn't need to have Akinfenwa levels of muscle to do so.
So that being said. Surely the Utd staff can see he is too bulked up, which means they are happy with it. These players are monitored constantly with their weights and body fat so they are clearly aware of it and seems this is what they want. But if he's shit at aerial duels, has the first touch of a trampoline and is extremely cumbersome why are we isolating him and playing him in this role?
Think Lukaku will be dropped for a match, replaced by Rashford, who will be frustrating in another way, and then Lukaku will be back.
The problem is as it always is - Rashford will be made to play the football that Lukaku is made to play so he will struggle.
Play him upfront in partnership with Martial with Sanchez playing off those 2 - we would play better football. Instead we will have wide players attempting to cross the ball to Rashford & him jumping around like a rabbit to deal with it
Jose is doing him no favours at all. I know he's teacher pet and for that reason he's unlikely to be dropped for a few weeks, but he really needs to. Just doing him more harm than good at this point. I don't know whether it's tiredness or whatever, but he's struggling big time and as a result he's a hindrance on the team. The guy isn't even doing the basics at the moment. We're not exactly creating an abundance of chances for him, but he still can't be absolved of blame here.
Don't shoot the messenger, I just thought it was funny
Hargav is talking shite. Lukaku wishes he had welbecks movement
Its true, I can't lie Welbeck was much better x
3-5-2 with Martial and Rashford up front. Dalot and Shaw attacking wing backs. Anything different would be a relief at this point.
Movement hasn't never been his strength at United but against Juve he looks incapable of even controlling the ball or making a simple pass. Needs to be dropped and given time to regain confidence.
And that's been the case since the day LVG was fired. Not the best team by any sense but still enough to build a basic 352 with Martial & Rashford upfront - a back 3 I clouding smalling blind & another CB to provide extra support, we always had wingbacks/attacking fullbacks. The problem is Jose bypassed the natural balance of our squad to make everyone play his traditional 4231 or different forms of that exact formation.
I really despise his ability as a footballer especially as a No.9 for United but am I the only one feeling sorry for him now?
Our fans have been quite nasty to him on social media and other than Fellaini, I can't think of a player that our fans have joined our rivals in 'banter' and abuse of a player. Fellaini is probably the player with the strongest mentality at the club which is why he's survived here for so long despite regularly being in the firing line.
Lukaku on the other hand has a weak mentality imo. He loves to talk a big game to deflect from this but you can see his is shitting himself on the pitch by hiding from the ball. Last season when he broke his goal drought, he didn't celebrate his goals, which came off as quite passive aggressive in response to the weeks of criticism he received.
Our fans have been quite nasty to him on social media and other than Fellaini, I can't think of a player that our fans have joined our rivals in 'banter' and abuse of a player. Fellaini is probably the player with the strongest mentality at the club which is why he's survived here for so long despite regularly being in the firing line.
Lukaku on the other hand has a weak mentality imo. He loves to talk a big game to deflect from this but you can see his is shitting himself on the pitch by hiding from the ball. Last season when he broke his goal drought, he didn't celebrate his goals, which came off as quite passive aggressive in response to the weeks of criticism he received.
It's the same as when we had Zlatlan, Jose seems to have zero desire to play anyone else there, be it from the start or during games. I really don't understand it, we could have the best CF in the world and it would still seem common sense to have someone else you were prepared to use.
True. And if he did go 3-5-2 he'd instruct Shaw and Dalot to stay deep, so it'd end up 5-3-2 anyway. We aren't doing anything remotely progressive regardless of the formation.
Jose's hurting Lukaku by giving him undroppable status. Both on them will be out on their arses if this continues.
Can you imagine how the other players feel? They make one mistake and they're ostracised. Lukaku and Matic can play shit again and again and they are still undroppable. How does that help anyone?
Can you imagine how the other players feel? They make one mistake and they're ostracised. Lukaku and Matic can play shit again and again and they are still undroppable. How does that help anyone?
Completely lost faith in him, there was a reason Chelsea shipped him to Everton and i think we all can see why now, thats his level.
All he does these days is put away sitters that gets served to him on a sliver platter and in modern football you need a lot more from your lone striker, basically a glorified, overpaid Andy Carrol
All he does these days is put away sitters that gets served to him on a sliver platter and in modern football you need a lot more from your lone striker, basically a glorified, overpaid Andy Carrol
Welbeck looks more like someone with a gym membership in all fairness. The guys shredded. Lukaku is thic.
I'd rather see Martial up top.
I'd have Zaha and Depay in the team before him.
The main problem I think is that he’s not a back to goal hold up striker. Consequently, he’s always going to look relatively poor trying to play that role. He wants to run into through balls and poach. Ideally, he’d play up front with a more skilful creative player in a pair.
Personally, I don’t think he’s good enough anyway to be our lead CF but, using him the right way, he’d definitely be a lot better than he is now.
Personally, I don’t think he’s good enough anyway to be our lead CF but, using him the right way, he’d definitely be a lot better than he is now.
He just doesn't suit this team and we are grossly misusing him. Buildup is not his strongest suit, but he's being asked to start attacks 60 yards away from the opposition's goal. That's an unenviable task for even the most technical of strikers.
Get him up the pitch, give him some service and he's guaranteed to deliver.
You have to feel for him. Right now, we are using him in a way that completely exposes all his flaws.
Get him up the pitch, give him some service and he's guaranteed to deliver.
You have to feel for him. Right now, we are using him in a way that completely exposes all his flaws.
I think we are all in agreement he needs a spell out of the team. Needs a rest and to regroup. I would go with
Martial Rashford Lingard
Martial Rashford Lingard
We need new players.
Adds nothing to the discussion
We need new players.
wtf is our coaches giving him for training program?
Yes but given Lukaku was signed by Mourinho it's difficult to justify him signing another number 9. His signings struggling is just another part of his mismanagement at United.
It's not difficult to justify. We all have eyes. It's obvious we need new players, including a number 9.
New players needed.
Need players and new manager or just new players?
Same thing happened with Chicharito, if I recall. And maybe to an extent, Depay?
wtf is our coaches giving him for training program?
It's difficult to justify because the current manager signed him. Hence your point fails miserably.
It's a wonder how you ever got promoted.
Probably both.
As much as I want to see the manager turn this around, and I support him, it's hard to see it happening. If I was a betting man, he won't be here next season.
The CEO and players have also unperformed too - mistakes have been made all over the place, from Ed not backing or sacking his manager in the summer and letting this situation unravel, to Jose not getting the best out of his squad, to his centre backs playing like 12 year olds and Lukaku missing 8 easy chances. It's been one huge mess.
Whoever manages the club over the next few years, there's so many players that need to be shipped out, and so many new ones that need to be brought in. All aligned with a strategy put in place by a Director of Football, and with Ed Woodward stepping back.
Lukaku is a decent enough striker in a team that makes lots of chances, but I personally think he needs serious competition.
When a player doesn't perform to the level expected, is it 100% the manager's fault? Or does the player take some responsibility?
Maybe Fergie shouldn't have been allowed any more transfers after Veron, Bellion, Djemba Djemba, Kleberson, Prunier, Taibi, Bosnich, Milne ect.
In your books, it would have been difficult for Fergie to justify new signings because he was the one who signed the above players.
Hence your point fails miserably. Every manager in history makes bad signings and can still request replacements.
After 67,000 posts, and probably decades of watching the game, you should probably realise this by now.
Oh Sir Alex Ferguson absolutely did bear responsibility Veron, Kleberson and co. But he instilled faith in his management through this completed and utter genius, which Jose Mourinho pales in comparison.
Look, no manager should be villified for one dud signing. Pep has Bravo, doesn't he? But SAF (and Pep to an extent for a short period), aside from the duds, build incredible and cohesive football 'teams', making many hugely successful signings, elevating and developing players already at the club including the young ones. That's called top class management. Mourinho has instead signed plenty of duds, refuses to play some, others have regressed under him, and the team is still a disjoint mess after all this time. It's apples and oranges. No one is saying "one bad signing so you don't get any more". The point being made is that "on top of all your other failings you've also signed a number 9 for 75 million who isn't good enough? Really?". That's why Klopp isn't being criticised for Fabinho and Mourinho is being criticised for his signings. Because Klopp's other signings have all been mostly excellent (trophies still remain to be seen in his case).
Its a person turning into Heskey in front of our eyes. That is whats happening
wtf is our coaches giving him for training program?
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