Is Lukaku a centre forward?

[JDL]

He's an Everton player that's what matters.

 

[zirc]

I think he'll work on his hold up play and improve in that area. Yes his touch isn't the greatest but we didn't buy him to do stepovers, we bought him to slot and he manages that alright.

 

[dublinbluenose]

No Gerry this season to delay the pass by two weeks while he beats his man, again.

Hopefully he will get better service in front of him this season as everyone of the players bar Besic knows his game.

 

[thekak]

It's strange you'd think he was a 9 with his size but I'd say he plays more like a smaller person if you get me

 

[Brennan]

Think people need to stop using numbers to try and describe positions really, it doesn't make sense in the modern game. There's far more variety between different players than you can fit into number 9 or number 10.

Hernandez is completely different to Van Persie who's different to Lukaku who's different to Suarez.

 

[Callum_efc]

False 9 ie 10

 

[Degs62]

He's a goal scoring striker bought by Roberto to fit our way of playing. It is really not relevant to think of him as a traditional 'number 9'.

 

[WA Toffee]

Our best game last season was when he played on the right against Arsenal and cut in, so we should use him as an inverted right winger from now on. (whatever number the hipsters decide that is)

 

[Paul Rideout]

I think we will see a nice Rom-Barks-Nais link up play this year (Nais being the selfless one)

 

[Blue Cheese]

Did he not say in his interview that his play with his back to goal was a work in progress and something he was improving on. All i car about is giving him the ball with a sight of goal and it normally ends up in the net.

 

[toffeestillidie]

"Groucho, post: 2894095, member: 11868"]Do you mean "is he a typical centre forward"[/B]?

I certainly think he's the goalscorer we've been crying out for since Sharp and Cottee were sold. He's a cut or three above AJ and Yakubu, and that's not a criticism of them.

He has the size of our ideal '9' and seems to be able to bring the physicality with it, and can combine that with a very good annual goal tally. With the guidance of the wonderful Duncan Ferguson (someone who knows what it means to be an idolised '9') and Roberto, and with his own initiative, he'll only mature and improve.

I'd say he's the perfect '9' for us at present. We've been waiting for some time for this.

Yes this is exactly what I meant, is he a centre forward/target man/turn-and-shoot type striker? Again I used the number 9 for the sake of concision, didn't really people would get so fixated on that they would ignore the rest of the content in my post.

You're certainly right about his size, and I think that's why people are so tempted to pigeon-hole him as a centre forward, but I think it's still important/interesting to talk about his best role. Hulk plays as a winger and does quite well there.

Think people need to stop using numbers to try and describe positions really, it doesn't make sense in the modern game. There's far more variety between different players than you can fit into number 9 or number 10.

Hernandez is completely different to Van Persie who's different to Lukaku who's different to Suarez.

I honestly agree on the numbers mate, it's just commonly used terminology and I thought it would get the point across. But regardless I think most teams demand certain qualities of the players that lead the line, even if their overall game is different.

And I do agree that when his service improves this year he'll be forced to turn and wait for the ball in the box far less, so hopefully we'll see far fewer situations where he's caught flat-footed in the middle of the box watching the ball fly by him, or trapping the ball right into the path of the opposing midfielders.

 

[toffeestillidie]

Our best game last season was when he played on the right against Arsenal and cut in, so we should use him as an inverted right winger from now on. (whatever number the hipsters decide that is)

To be fair I think Martinez did that to specifically take advantage of Monreal playing fullback, to great effect.

 

[orly]

Fair enough lads, sorry for trying to get an actual discussion about our players and the way they play football going.

My only point is that Lukaku is probably best suited for playing with a target man in front of him, using the numbers just seemed like the most concise way to make that point.

Toffee, still I die? Are you a diabetic?

 

[Petit]

Fair enough lads, sorry for trying to get an actual discussion about our players and the way they play football going.

My only point is that Lukaku is probably best suited for playing with a target man in front of him, using the numbers just seemed like the most concise way to make that point.

At the moment Lukaku is a at his deadliest running at defenders with his face to goal. His hold up play and playing with his back to goal is not his strongest assets, which I expect is one of the reasons for why Mourinho didn´t fancy him.

More of a 10 than a 9 right now to be honest. Interesting that him and Barks are quite similar in the way they drive with the ball.

 

[Norwegian Cow]

Trequirtista