Lukaku finally proves there's more to his game than goals

[pedro76]

"playing to someones strengths" or avoiding their weaknesses?

This is where I struggle - for Rom we are able to use the "play to strengths" line, but when it comes to Barkley its a case of criticising the things he doesn't do well rather than focussing on the good things that he does do.

They two of them do lack that certain mentality that made the likes of Keane, Gerrard, Shearer such fierce competitors who could grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

 

[Dithering Dougie]

"playing to someones strengths" or avoiding their weaknesses?

This is where I struggle - for Rom we are able to use the "play to strengths" line, but when it comes to Barkley its a case of criticising the things he doesn't do well rather than focussing on the good things that he does do.

They two of them do lack that certain mentality that made the likes of Keane, Gerrard, Shearer such fierce competitors who could grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

Shearer had scored a grand total of 23 goals at the same age as Lukaku is now and Gerrard had only managed 11 when he was Barkleys age. That's hardly taking games by the scruff if the neck that you're longing for both of Lukaku and Barkey go and do is it.

They're both young talented players playing in a young and talented team, with greater experience will come more consistency and influence.

It's not hard to understand.

 

[Nymzee]

I think it's hard to really compare Lukaku/Barkley to Shearer/Gerrard because despite all having obvious talent only two of them had the apparent leadership qualities to drag their teams through a game. Despite my love for our players we don't have anyone of that ilk in the team currently who can kick their own teammates backsides and get everyone roaring again. Then again Martinez can't either and that's why I think we always struggle for the full 90 minutes if we start slow.

 

[Saint Domingo]

I think it's hard to really compare Lukaku/Barkley to Shearer/Gerrard because despite all having obvious talent only two of them had the apparent leadership qualities to drag their teams through a game. Despite my love for our players we don't have anyone of that ilk in the team currently who can kick their own teammates backsides and get everyone roaring again. Then again Martinez can't either and that's why I think we always struggle for the full 90 minutes if we start slow.

Gerrard didn't start showing those qualities until later in his career though. Barkley has already improved this season taking more ownership. I think if he was played in his rightful position you'd see this quality grow in time.

 

[Nymzee]

Gerrard didn't start showing those qualities until later in his career though. Barkley has already improved this season taking more ownership. I think if he was played in his rightful position you'd see this quality grow in time.

I'd like to hope he could but I think Gerrard being Mr Red and staying there for so long helped those traits shine. I don't see Barkley or Lukaku as ever being a real captain/leader on the pitch but only time will tell.

 

[pedro76]

Shearer had scored a grand total of 23 goals at the same age as Lukaku is now and Gerrard had only managed 11 when he was Barkleys age. That's hardly taking games by the scruff if the neck that you're longing for both of Lukaku and Barkey go and do is it.

They're both young talented players playing in a young and talented team, with greater experience will come more consistency and influence.

It's not hard to understand.

what has the number of goals scored by a certain age got to do with this? I'm talking about mentality.

None the less at 22 Shearer scored 22 goals in 26 games and then went on to score over 30 goals in 3 consecutive seasons....

The key contributor to the number of goals scored by Rom at 21 is the fact that at 16 he was a 6ft 4in - 16 stone "man" in a league where the standard is somewhat "less" than can be expected in the premier league.

I fully expect Rom to be a better player and far more consistent - however I do feel he has a tendancy to be "less interested" in some games. The same for Barkley - I want them to have the mentality that led to Shearer turning on his best mate on the pitch (he reacted to ruddock stamping on him) - its a winners mindset.

 

[pedro76]

Gerrard didn't start showing those qualities until later in his career though. Barkley has already improved this season taking more ownership. I think if he was played in his rightful position you'd see this quality grow in time.

I do hate Red Stevie, but for me I seen his "mindset" from an early age. He flew in on the "guvnor" when he was playing for Middlesboro - the guvnor tried to bully him and gerrard had absolutely none of it. His maturity camer through under the guidance of mcallister.

 

[Saint Domingo]

what has the number of goals scored by a certain age got to do with this? I'm talking about mentality.

None the less at 22 Shearer scored 22 goals in 26 games and then went on to score over 30 goals in 3 consecutive seasons....

The key contributor to the number of goals scored by Rom at 21 is the fact that at 16 he was a 6ft 4in - 16 stone "man" in a league where the standard is somewhat "less" than can be expected in the premier league.

I fully expect Rom to be a better player and far more consistent - however I do feel he has a tendancy to be "less interested" in some games. The same for Barkley - I want them to have the mentality that led to Shearer turning on his best mate on the pitch (he reacted to ruddock stamping on him) - its a winners mindset.

I doubt Lukaku will be as good as Shearer, few in the prem have been. For a start Sherarer was brilliant in the air whereas Lukaku (although a bit better this season) does not find that this comes naturally to him. Shearer also played in teams that practised set pieces. Ours are woeful so there's a good number of goals he'll miss out on as long as he stays with us. Shearer had touch, finishing from outside and inside the box, aerial ability and could even take free kicks. He was the complete striker. Lukaku doesn't have the same strength in every area of his game.

 

[pedro76]

I doubt Lukaku will be as good as Shearer, few in the prem have been. For a start Sherarer was brilliant in the air whereas Lukaku (although a bit better this season) does not find that this comes naturally to him. Shearer also played in teams that practised set pieces. Ours are woeful so there's a good number of goals he'll miss out on as long as he stays with us. Shearer had touch, finishing from outside and inside the box, aerial ability and could even take free kicks. He was the complete striker. Lukaku doesn't have the same strength in every area of his game.

Agreed - I think the jpeg of Rom with his goals scored at 21 is flawed - for one it completely misses Robbie Fowler out who scored around 70 league goals. Secondly if you came from another planet you would be led to beleive that "alan shearer" wasn't all that good.....

simply put Alan Shearer is the most complete striker we have seen in the prem who plundered those goals playing for lesser quality teams than the likes of Henry etc etc.

 

[dave abrahams]

Lukaku is on a decent run now, nothing spectacular but is doing okay, the key is to keep it up, will he? Can he ?.

 

[oldblue]

I think it isn't a massive criticism of Ross or Rom to say it is unlikely they will be the kind of players who take the game by the scruff of the neck. Just that we will need that from somewhere if we are to be massively consistent.
We did show real character and threat at West Brom which is a great start but players who can change the whole course of a game are rarer.

 

[Efcjake]

He has definitely stepped it up a level as far as his hold-up play, but he's not world class yet. This article mentions that Lukaku plays at his best when facing goal and perhaps we should play more to his strengths. People talking about his goal vs Arsenal a couple of years ago. That Arsenal goal was a one off for me, Rom isn't a winger and shouldn't be played out there. His hold-up play and his touch have really come on a long way this season but if Rom has the ball at his feet and is trying to take someone on it still rarely ever comes off. Rom has trouble dribbling to create his own space to get a shot away. This is the biggest thing for me that puts those players into the elite/world class level, by really being able to make something out of nothing on their own. Rom is a great goal scorer, is becoming a better target man, but I don't think he will ever really get to this level. He just doesn't have the agility or the skill on the ball to do it. If you feed him the ball like Deulofeu does then he will score goals all day, but until he is capable of beating a man one-on-one he won't be talked about at that level.

 

[Hellerad]

Agreed - I think the jpeg of Rom with his goals scored at 21 is flawed - for one it completely misses Robbie Fowler out who scored around 70 league goals. Secondly if you came from another planet you would be led to beleive that "alan shearer" wasn't all that good.....

simply put Alan Shearer is the most complete striker we have seen in the prem who plundered those goals playing for lesser quality teams than the likes of Henry etc etc.

Players like Rush and Fowler benefitted from being average goal scorers in a crap league.

Rom would dominate in any league whereas Rush's failures in Italy proved he was a flat track bully. Just like Fowler.

 

[Arteta2391]

off to Real Madrid then

 

[Dithering Dougie]

what has the number of goals scored by a certain age got to do with this? I'm talking about mentality.

None the less at 22 Shearer scored 22 goals in 26 games and then went on to score over 30 goals in 3 consecutive seasons....

The key contributor to the number of goals scored by Rom at 21 is the fact that at 16 he was a 6ft 4in - 16 stone "man" in a league where the standard is somewhat "less" than can be expected in the premier league.

I fully expect Rom to be a better player and far more consistent - however I do feel he has a tendancy to be "less interested" in some games. The same for Barkley - I want them to have the mentality that led to Shearer turning on his best mate on the pitch (he reacted to ruddock stamping on him) - its a winners mindset.

It takes a strong mentality to score so many top flight goals that Lukaku already has, and the only fair comparison is to judge them against these players you put forward at similar times in their careers. On that comparison both Lukaku and Barkley stand up very well to these heroes of yours. I'd go so far to say the Lukaku craps all over Shearers record and Barkley looks a more complete player in comparison to Gerrard who was being shifted all round the pitch looking for a settled position.