Baines' left foot
Player Valuation: £90m
I want him but I'm increasingly getting used to the idea of being without him. I think Martinez will have a multitude of plans should he not be able to get his first or second choice targets.
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Thing is, the good part of him not succeeding is his price not rocketing. That's what we got going for us, but seeing how Utd and the RS are splashing stupid cash, we'd still expect to pay big for the big man if weære going to do that at all.
MasterMan
Player Valuation: £500k
Exactly. There was times last season when he was plain lazy. He makes no attempt to make a run unless it's gonna go straight to him. Sometimes u have to create chances, and he doesn't.
Blue Cheese
Mental Patient, GOT Ward
In a list of Everton strikers since 2000 where would you place Rom...
In no particular order and apologies if i miss any.
Andy Johnson
James Beattie
Duncan Ferguson
Marcus Bent
Tomas Radzinski
Yakubu
Kevin Campbell
Steve Watson(unsure if he counts lol but was used there)
Francis Jeffers
James Vaughan
Victor Anichebe
Kone
Nick Barmby
Wayne Rooney
James McFadden(classed as a forward)
Tim Cahill(he was used there)
Marouane Fellaini(also used there)
When I look at that list it's not awe inspiring in any sense of the word. I think Lukaku is a massive step up from most of them.
Just my perspective.
In no particular order and apologies if i miss any.
Andy Johnson
James Beattie
Duncan Ferguson
Marcus Bent
Tomas Radzinski
Yakubu
Kevin Campbell
Steve Watson(unsure if he counts lol but was used there)
Francis Jeffers
James Vaughan
Victor Anichebe
Kone
Nick Barmby
Wayne Rooney
James McFadden(classed as a forward)
Tim Cahill(he was used there)
Marouane Fellaini(also used there)
When I look at that list it's not awe inspiring in any sense of the word. I think Lukaku is a massive step up from most of them.
Just my perspective.
If we sign him and he scores 25 goals all from a yard out will anyone be bothered they were not screamers
MasterMan
Player Valuation: £500k
Nope. But he's not going to score 25 unless he ups his game.
MasterMan
Player Valuation: £500k
He is, but none of those players cost £25m. For that price, he doesn't just need to be a step up, he needs to be the focal point of the entire side to build around.
Blue Cheese
Mental Patient, GOT Ward
Yes but putting it into perspective.
At the time James Beattie was our record transfer, AJ was our record transfer. Yakubu was our record transfer and Fellaini was our record transfer.
So by today's prices is Lukaku any more of a gamble?
Blue Cheese
Mental Patient, GOT Ward
Yes but Lukaku has outscored most of them in his 1 year loan. Perspective.
georgie
Player Valuation: £100k
When Alan Carvalho was 18-20 he played for Fluminese and scored 17 goals in 52 appearances. I'm constantly amazed by how many people overlook Rom's age here: over 15 goals in two seasons running (first primarily as a sub) is remarkable. Last season Rom had the highest combined goals and assists of any player under 21 in EUROPE (15 and 9, respectively). Judging a player on his international form is daft, it's an unfamiliar team in unfamiliar circumstances with an unfamiliar manager. He would be by far and away our best striker of the PL era
On current form, and I'm talking the last six months, he definitely is as much of a gamble.
My concern is that he's done well as part of a counter attacking unit at West Brom and during our transitional period under Martinez. However, when we began to dominate sides and look to find space in behind on the front foot he's been badly lacking.
That's the gamble.
Blue Cheese
Mental Patient, GOT Ward
Of course it's a gamble, we aren't flush but is it any bigger a gamble than what we have paid in record transfers before. I don't think it is and there are no guarantees in football that any player no matter what reputation would be a success. At least Lukaku has had a season under Martinez with a healthy goal return.
A gamble worth taking for me personally but as I have said before I understand why some are against it.
Jeff Jones
Player Valuation: £35m
Paul Mariner on ESPN tonight. 'He (Lukaku) has been absolutely dreadful........it's when you put them on the big stage that you see if they've got it.'
The question is whether there's better gambles around relative to price. I'm not sure there is, but I can certainly see the argument for strengthening the squad overall with two or three signings than spending big on one who, let's face it, was poor after Christmas and has been shown up as static and effectively useless on the big occasion at the World Cup.
£25m for us is the same as £75m for our direct rivals like Spurs and Liverpool. They couldn't afford to throw that money on a player they weren't certain about. I'm concerned that because prices at the big clubs are so daft that we're seeing £25m as small change when it really isn't. The only time we've spent any kind of big fee for a player in the last 20 or so years is when we've sold a player on for more.
So we're looking at banking our immediate future prospects on a player with piss-poor sustained form, no first touch to speak of and a suspect attitude, with the pros being that he's managed to score goals in bursts for counter attacking sides.
I want to like him, I want to say "yes, he's the guy", but there's so many obvious negatives to him that, if not outweighing the positives, certainly they call big questions as to his pricetag.
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