Lukaku

[daz4matty]

Not trying hard enough and probably pissed at playing on the wing.
Needs martinez to be strong and manage the situation.
Great potential there but letting himself down at the mo

 

[daz4matty]

Not trying hard enough and probably pissed at playing on the wing.
Needs martinez to be strong and manage the situation.
Great potential there but letting himself down at the mo

 

[davek]

Despite being amazed at how a 28million pound striker can't trap the simplest of passes I tend to agree with this. Despite nais scoring a few goals the amount of moves that break down because he takes the option of going backwards with the pass or not having near enough the class to continue the fluent passing.

Really starting to question Martinez's tactics but mainly the decision to not progress the squad from last season, too many players here that should have been moved on and not enough players to cover the extra games. If we're going to blame having a lack of funds we might as well be content with being a mid table team that punches above its weight occasionally.

Sorry for the negativity but i'm furious at the moment.

I wont condemn Lukaku too much, tbh. If Martinez bought an arrow head for the attack then presumably he realises that asking him to skivvy for what is essentially another forward in Naismith is not playing to his strengths.

He misses Barkley badly. Barkley brings shape and order to everything in this Everton team. I believe we wont get any better until he's back and up to speed again. It's frightening to say it, but our season spluttered to a halt the moment Barkley suffered that injury.

 

[cronullasharks]

I wont condemn Lukaku too much, tbh. If Martinez bought an arrow head for the attack then presumably he realises that asking him to skivvy for what is essentially another forward in Naismith is not playing to his strengths.

He misses Barkley badly. Barkley brings shape and order to everything in this Everton team. I believe we wont get any better until he's back and up to speed again. It's frightening to say it, but our season spluttered to a halt the moment Barkley suffered that injury.

Yep, it's frustrating that the 3 players (barkley, mirallas, coleman) that are quick and very attack minded have to be injured at the same time. Hoping once those 3 are back it'll free up some space for lukaku to smash some goals in.

 

[GraemeS1980]

The problem with Lukaku is very simple, he wants to be a Club's top striker he wants to be number one and be playing every single game. Mourinho even said he wanted that at Chelsea and it wasn't going to happen. I feel the arrival of Eto'o may have had a negative effect on the kid and he has had his nose put out of joint. Personally there is a lot of his game he needs to work on and that can only be remedied on the training ground. He has a lot of work to do but is young and needs to learn if he doesn't then he is going to be a very expensive Victor Anichebe.

 

[EverBlue86]

The problem with Lukaku is very simple, he wants to be a Club's top striker he wants to be number one and be playing every single game. Mourinho even said he wanted that at Chelsea and it wasn't going to happen. I feel the arrival of Eto'o may have had a negative effect on the kid and he has had his nose put out of joint. Personally there is a lot of his game he needs to work on and that can only be remedied on the training ground. He has a lot of work to do but is young and needs to learn if he doesn't then he is going to be a very expensive Victor Anichebe.

Absolute rubbish mate. The lads getting no service it's simple. You want to see what the lad can do? Give him a through ball like osman did against Palace and he scores. Don't and make him play with his back to goal he hasn't the ability on the ball neither the frame or agility to do much as it's not his game.

I said all summer for me we needed to do what liverpool did last season, buy another pacy striker/winger and play a 4-3-3 with Rom through the middle and mirallas and a remy on the other side opening up space to thread balls in from the wings into lukakus feet

 

[Milk]

He's probably a bit short of form too at the moment as well as coming off a poor World Cup.
Needs to score a couple of goals in a game and then (hopefully) he'll be off & running

 

[Stan Lee Park]

Absolute rubbish mate. The lads getting no service it's simple. You want to see what the lad can do? Give him a through ball like osman did against Palace and he scores. Don't and make him play with his back to goal he hasn't the ability on the ball neither the frame or agility to do much as it's not his game.

I said all summer for me we needed to do what liverpool did last season, buy another pacy striker/winger and play a 4-3-3 with Rom through the middle and mirallas and a remy on the other side opening up space to thread balls in from the wings into lukakus feet

Agree with your analysis up to a point. Lukaku's strength is definitely running on to a through ball - the Palace goal being a great example. However, this makes him a very limited player and means that we have to adapt our game to play to his strengths - or to allow for his weaknesses. He can't hold the ball up, is at best an average header of the ball and his first touch is awful.so we can't play balls into him on the floor or in the air.
Did we really pay £28 million for him, knowing that this was the case or have we just realised what an expensive mistake we have made?

 

[EverBlue86]

Agree with your analysis up to a point. Lukaku's strength is definitely running on to a through ball - the Palace goal being a great example. However, this makes him a very limited player and means that we have to adapt our game to play to his strengths - or to allow for his weaknesses. He can't hold the ball up, is at best an average header of the ball and his first touch is awful.so we can't play balls into him on the floor or in the air.
Did we really pay £28 million for him, knowing that this was the case or have we just realised what an expensive mistake we have made?

I would have prepared Remy for £11 million and £17 mil left for another 1-2 signings but I still think lukaku's a quality player who will develop to be one of the best in the world.

We need a creative CAM it's been the one thing that's been missing for so long.

 

[Blue Truth]

I thought he was ok today, held up the ball pretty well. You cant expect him to score if we cant give him any service.

 

[Stan Lee Park]

I would have prepared Remy for £11 million and £17 mil left for another 1-2 signings but I still think lukaku's a quality player who will develop to be one of the best in the world.

We need a creative CAM it's been the one thing that's been missing for so long.

I really do hope you are right and that I have to come on here to apologise for writing him off, but on the evidence of what he has done in the last 10 months, this is a long shot.

 

[cjohno]

lazy barsteward and the worse touch ive ever seen, cant even control a basic pass into him

 

[Stan Lee Park]

I thought he was ok today, held up the ball pretty well. You cant expect him to score if we cant give him any service.

If that was OK, I'd hate to see him on a bad day.

 

[Jack b]

You can’t coach a player on how to control a ball.. This are abilities you are born with so u either got it or you don’t.. He hasn’t got it sadly and saying his only 21 is just refusing to face facts that we have spunked our 28m up the wall.. He can still be a decent player for us but he won’t be the world beater many on here keep going on about. Wonder if Martinez still thinks he was a bargain, who is he kidding costa is a bargain.

 

[toffeeben15]

The issue is there's really not much creativity in this Team with mirallas Coleman and Barkley

 

[Jack b]

I think a lot of people being harsh on Lukaku and ignoring some basic facts.

1. Is he dominating matches and putting the attack on his back? No he isn't but not many strikers are and Lukaku may still be a few years off of being able to do that, if he ever can get there.

2. He gets a lot of stick for being a 28 million pound striker. I would bet anything we aren't paying anything close to that amount.

3. This kind of goes back to point one but we knew going into this match what his weaknesses are. His first touch can be poor and his passing is nothing special. He is not going to beat people off the dribble with trickery. Only power and pace. Without Mirallas and Barkley we aren't a counter attacking team. Naismith can't run at people and he also has a very poor first touch so when he gets the ball played into him it almost goes careening 2 yards in front of whatever direction he is facing.

4. Without Barkley or Mirallas there is no one else for defenses to key on to and open space for Lukaku. His strength is power and being a very good finisher when on the break or open in the box. For a guy with his size his contested heading needs improving. If Barkley is gliding past midfielders and pushing the rush then the CBs have to leave lukaku and create more space. Now it will be Osman or Naismith pushing the attack in the middle and there is minimal threat with that.

5. So with him being our only big threat up top he is constantly doubled in the box. A lot of people see Naismith getting goals and E'too scoring and claiming they should be starting and Lukaku, but when you look at E'too's goal vs Krasnodor and Naismith against Chelsea not many people are pointing out how the space is opened up because two defenders are shading over and focusing on Lukaku. Even when he isn't playing well he still receives all of the focus and causes space for others.

Still Lukaku isn't playing well and there are some things that are frustrating and he needs to improve on, namely his runs which result in him being offside. Granted our midfielders aren't seeing them quickly but there are so many times where he is needlessly offsides and if he flattened his runs he could stay on and still have a head start on the defender.

Where do you get this rubbish from we are paying 28m unless Lukaku turns out to be utter [Poor language removed] in which case we will still pay a huge chunk of that. Saying that is just wishful thinking on your part