Romelu Lukaku | Napoli watch

If Cagliari doesn’t get it’s ground banned this time around for racist abuse, they’re never going to stop. Absolutely disgraceful.
 
I honestly can't believe Chelsea and us were battling over Lukaku and Morata when Arsenal easily picked the best of the bunch in Lacazette for a cheaper price. Sometimes it helps to be skinnt.
 
Is this thread gonna get bumped every time he scores? :lol:

That's understandable, but those harping on about his weight really need to move on. He wasn't the type of striker Jose needed (even though he bought him) and he isn't the type of striker Ole wants. He's no longer a United player, we recovered most of the cash we spent on him, it's all history and belongs in the past.
I hope he does well at Inter, he'll never be an elite striker, but he will always score goals.
 
Tour de France is the most devastating, grueling sporting event on the face of the Earth. When cyclists finish the Tour they are osteopenic, their bone density has eroded, they've lost so much fat and muscle mass that if you look at their faces they seem to have aged 10 years. Professional cyclists are in a league of their own, they're some of the toughest athletes out there in terms of workload, ability to endure pain and physiological torture for a long stretch of time.

So if you think a Tour de France competitor scarfing down some gels mid race in the Alps is any way comparable to a soccer player stuffing his face after a training session you're out to fecking lunch mate.


Here's what Wiggins and Froome look under those yellow spandex jerseys:


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Im not sure what your above rant sought to achieve in direction to me, but my point is not to detract from those riders and what they consume, but rather the idea that professional athletes consume their fare share of "unhealthy foods" in order to refuel.

Im also fully aware of what cyclists put themselves through and they issues they face on the grand tours.
 
I honestly can't believe Chelsea and us were battling over Lukaku and Morata when Arsenal easily picked the best of the bunch in Lacazette for a cheaper price. Sometimes it helps to be skinnt.

Lacazette isn't better than Lukaku.
 
Lacazette isn't better than Lukaku.

Well, it comes down to a matter of preference given that their goal scoring records over the last couple of years are very similar. Lacazette is more the fox in the box, comfortable in tight spaces, technically superior but physically not even close to Rom. Lukaku is the classic flat track bully, oafing over the minnows and disappearing against the big teams.
 
Im not sure what your above rant sought to achieve in direction to me, but my point is not to detract from those riders and what they consume, but rather the idea that professional athletes consume their fare share of "unhealthy foods" in order to refuel.

Im also fully aware of what cyclists put themselves through and they issues they face on the grand tours.

No food is unhealthy in isolation. It's all relative. A frail cyclist scarfing down rice cakes or sugary drinks which would normally be considered "unhealthy" by the armchair nutritionists, is ok. Phelps eating 12,000 calories while training is also ok. A footballer with excess weight, trying to cut, eating french fries dipped in heavy cream is not ok. That's all, it's not rocket science.

For the record, he's eating primarily salads now, Conte's got him on a meal plan. Why couldn't Mourinho/our club do the same, I'll never know.
 
Great reaction of him to the racist sh8t after he scored.

As the commentator said - it is 2019!
 
Well, it comes down to a matter of preference given that their goal scoring records over the last couple of years are very similar. Lacazette is more the fox in the box, comfortable in tight spaces, technically superior but physically not even close to Rom. Lukaku is the classic flat track bully, oafing over the minnows and disappearing against the big teams.

Well in the league last season the only teams Lacazette scored goals against away from home was Huddersfield, Cardiff and Fulham. All three were relegated. The year before that he scored against Newcastle and a terrible Everton side. Sounds like he only turns up at home. Arsenal were winning games at home even when Giroud was there, so it's not like Lacazette is making that much of an impact. 5 away goals in two seasons? Really? Lukaku had 8 alone last season, a season in which he was far from his best.
 
Well in the league last season the only teams Lacazette scored goals against away from home was Huddersfield, Cardiff and Fulham. All three were relegated. The year before that he scored against Newcastle and a terrible Everton side. Sounds like he only turns up at home. Arsenal were winning games at home even when Giroud was there, so it's not like Lacazette is making that much of an impact. 5 away goals in two seasons? Really? Lukaku had 8 alone last season, a season in which he was far from his best.

That's a weird take, he doesn't score away goals. Maybe the whole team plays worse, or the tactics are different or whatever. Regardless, last year Lacazette scored against Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea. Scored against Napoli in the Europa, 3 against Valencia in the semis etc. The year before he scored against City and United. This year he's already opened his account against the Spurs. Seems like a clutch player for the big games, which is something you could never accuse Lukaku of.
 
That's a weird take, he doesn't score away goals. Maybe the whole team plays worse, or tactics or whatever. Regardless, last year Lacazette scored against Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea. The year before he score against City and United. Scored against Napoli in the Europa, 3 against Valencia in the semis etc. Seems like a clutch player.

It’s not a weird take, filling your boots at home is much easier. Away from home both Aubameyang and Lacazette are found wanting, and not just in the goals department.
 
I wonder why people just refuse to accept the reality. Lukaku is a very good striker. His career stats prove it. A bad patch at United will not change that. The guy is gone. Enjoy him from afar.
 
Yep, wasnt unknown though, some on here mentioned him a few times last season. Same for Barella. Inter have done some good business in the summer
Was Invictus or Rasendori I believe. There is a lot of talent in the Serie A we could have and should have taken advantage of.
 
I wonder why people just refuse to accept the reality. Lukaku is a very good striker. His career stats prove it. A bad patch at United will not change that. The guy is gone. Enjoy him from afar.

Why would anyone enjoy him? Whatever you think of Lukuku, even his supporters can’t seriously suggest he’s a player anyone enjoys watching?

He’s an average striker who has proved at every club he’s been at that he’s inconsistent, contributes nothing to the match other than if he scores, and can’t actually score against a decent defence.
 
I wonder why people just refuse to accept the reality. Lukaku is a very good striker. His career stats prove it. A bad patch at United will not change that. The guy is gone. Enjoy him from afar.
Go and check them again. He's a flat track bully who can't do shit against decent opposition, lacks technical ability and seems to have mental problems when things don't go as planned.
 
Go and check them again. He's a flat track bully who can't do shit against decent opposition, lacks technical ability and seems to have mental problems when things don't go as planned.

96 goals in 207 Premier League appearances, and he started out when he was a teenager. 48 goals in 81 caps for Belgium. 22 goals in 48 EL/CL games. I mean people can dispute the merit of stats but anyone with that goal record is a very good striker. Sure, if you want to qualify that statement by saying he mainly does it against the weaker sides, or technically he's not great, then fair enough, but you can't deny that anyone with that record is not a more than competent forward that the majority of teams in Europe would love to have leading their attack.
 
96 goals in 207 Premier League appearances, and he started out when he was a teenager. 48 goals in 81 caps for Belgium. 22 goals in 48 EL/CL games. I mean people can dispute the merit of stats but anyone with that goal record is a very good striker. Sure, if you want to qualify that statement by saying he mainly does it against the weaker sides, or technically he's not great, then fair enough, but you can't deny that anyone with that record is not a more than competent forward that the majority of teams in Europe would love to have leading their attack.
That's definitely a factor. Think Chelsea was only "big" team in the league in two years.
 
I wonder why people just refuse to accept the reality. Lukaku is a very good striker. His career stats prove it. A bad patch at United will not change that. The guy is gone. Enjoy him from afar.
The last player I would prefer to watch and "enjoy".
 
Why would anyone enjoy him? Whatever you think of Lukuku, even his supporters can’t seriously suggest he’s a player anyone enjoys watching?

He’s an average striker who has proved at every club he’s been at that he’s inconsistent, contributes nothing to the match other than if he scores, and can’t actually score against a decent defence.

This is absolute drivel. Lukaku scored a very credible 17 league goals for West Brom as a 19/20 year old, including a hat trick against United. Lukaku was very good at Everton. In his 13/14 season on loan at Everton he scored 15 in 31, scored against Man City, Liverpool twice and Arsenal. He ended with 68 in 141 league games. No one is claiming hes the second coming of Batigol, hes not. Hes a very good striker, with the record and stats to back it up. Stop being blinded by hate.
 
He's a good player but he was so poor last season compared to his usual standards. Made sense to sell him but we should have signed someone to replace him. Someone like Kean who didnt go for much money.
 
He is, and has always been, a good striker. Possibly a very good striker, conditions permitting... just not definitively a very good striker, and certainly not a great striker.

This has always been the case, and will continue to be the case. Pretty much everyone knew this from the get go when he signed for us (early enthusiasm aside) and pretty much everyone is still right.

He’ll easily reach double figures for Inter, and contribute a more than respectable goal tally.. but he won’t be the one to create a winning goal out of nothing in the dying minutes against Juve... though once in a while he might do it against Udinese.

I can’t think there’s really an awful lot more than that to say?... but apparently 31 pages and counting says I’m wrong..
 
I wonder why people just refuse to accept the reality. Lukaku is a very good striker. His career stats prove it. A bad patch at United will not change that. The guy is gone. Enjoy him from afar.

No one is going to enjoy watching him play. Also it's not people who is refusing reality. Check his average league goals per season, it's not great. Except 1 season he never scored 20 league goals. A bad patch at United is closer to his career goal average.

He is a good striker though, upgrade in Icardi for them and also he wanted to leave. So good move for all parties.
 
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I’m glad he is gone but it was criminal to not replace him. Also I see everyone calling him a flat track bully we could of done with him against Palace and Southampton might of got more than a point out of 6
 
No food is unhealthy in isolation. It's all relative. A frail cyclist scarfing down rice cakes or sugary drinks which would normally be considered "unhealthy" by the armchair nutritionists, is ok. Phelps eating 12,000 calories while training is also ok. A footballer with excess weight, trying to cut, eating french fries dipped in heavy cream is not ok. That's all, it's not rocket science.

For the record, he's eating primarily salads now, Conte's got him on a meal plan. Why couldn't Mourinho/our club do the same, I'll never know.

Team Sky/Ineos riders aren't actually allowed things like soft drinks/OTC sports drinks...part of their 'marginal gains' mantra over the last decade is that they brought in very strict nutrition for all riders in order for them to achieve their maximum potential on minimum weight. It was previously common in cycling, but I think other teams have now cottoned on to that Sky were right, letting your riders eat whatever crap they want because they do loads of exercise is silly as they're then limiting their own potential by not recovering/fueling as well as they could.
 
This is absolute drivel. Lukaku scored a very credible 17 league goals for West Brom as a 19/20 year old, including a hat trick against United. Lukaku was very good at Everton. In his 13/14 season on loan at Everton he scored 15 in 31, scored against Man City, Liverpool twice and Arsenal. He ended with 68 in 141 league games. No one is claiming hes the second coming of Batigol, hes not. Hes a very good striker, with the record and stats to back it up. Stop being blinded by hate.

I don’t hate him, he’s just not very good, and unfortunately has been extremely unprofessional over the last few months - which has soured things somewhat.

I’ve watched him with my own eyes, and that’s how I form my opinion of him, however if you like stats, this this is why he’s nowhere near good enough for Utd or for any top club that wants to win anything:

  1. 1 goal in 23 appearances against the top 6 in 2 seasons for Utd.
  2. Zero goals against the top 10 last season
  3. Grand total of 3 goals against any team in the top half of the league over his entire Utd career.
That’s even before you start talking about his touch and his fitness, which are both incredibly poor.
 
He is, and has always been, a good striker. Possibly a very good striker, conditions permitting... just not definitively a very good striker, and certainly not a great striker.

This has always been the case, and will continue to be the case. Pretty much everyone knew this from the get go when he signed for us (early enthusiasm aside) and pretty much everyone is still right.

He’ll easily reach double figures for Inter, and contribute a more than respectable goal tally.. but he won’t be the one to create a winning goal out of nothing in the dying minutes against Juve... though once in a while he might do it against Udinese.

I can’t think there’s really an awful lot more than that to say?... but apparently 31 pages and counting says I’m wrong..
It's really this simple.
 
He'll do well if he stays lean. Getting heavy certainly affected his stamina and already limited ability. Said it a few times a while back we should get him leaner and probably keep him if we don't have a good replacement, if not he'll get lean somewhere else and do well again.

The big question is what's going on at United to allow him to bulk up like this? Inter rightly tell him reduce your weight as being more like a bodybuilder affects your agility. We've had Rooney, Rojo, Luke Shaw, Bastian and Lukaku all balloon up here, perhaps even Tony V went too far. He was much better before he turned into the brickshit house. Are we seeing it with Lindelof as well?

Are we such a soft touch as a club we don't want to instruct players to lose and weight and upset them or is this seen as ok or an advantage by trainers at the club. It goes beyond Jose for sure. Sounds like more of the holiday camp mentality that runs through the club.

Gary says he's unprofessional, I'd say it's Manchester United.
 
Gary says he's unprofessional, I'd say it's Manchester United.

It’s potentially both. However - players have to take responsible for their own fitness at the basic level - Lukuku didn’t and hasn’t. He himself said he piled on the weight for the WC, how is that the fault of the club, that’s on the player. Utd May well have helped facilitate that, by not dealing with it when it became a problem, but it’s a problem Lukuku created himself.

Lukuku is a very articulate man, but he’s someone who will clearly blame anyone but himself for his own basic failings. He’s complete lack of fitness shows how unprofessional he has been, and he’s responsible for that.
 
I remember reading about Usain Bolt having a McDonalds every day when he was at the Olympics and if Lukaku's 20 chips (and some red meat) leaves you "shaking", don't Google what Michael Phelps use to eat!

I really think some of you lot are reaching for any old bollocks to get mad at with Lukaku.

To be clear, Phelps would swim at least 12k every day and you can add gym work on top of that. The energy consumption is a little bit different to your average footballer.
 
And the energy consumption of a pro footballer in full training is a little different to your average caftard.

True but I don't think that I compared him to the average caftard and I suspect that the average caftard eat too much so Lukaku would win that one anyway. You mentioned Phelps and I made the point that Phelps like most swimmers, consume an awful lot of calories which is pretty much the only point to make because how much you are supposed to eat depends on how much you are supposed to consume. Among athletes footballers aren't at the top of the "eaters" list due to the very nature of the game.