We will never win the league with Lukaku up front

[Foxbatt]

People talk about Lukaku not getting the service. He is not going to the service when his movements most of the times have been terrible. He just stands there alongside two defenders and wave his arms about. Who is going to put a cross in when he is not trying to free himself? Yes he made a very good pass to Sanchez but if that is the standard is acceptable then God help us.
Berbatov was miles better than Lukaku yet we found him not good enough. Yes Jose is to blame for this mess we are in now.

 

[Random Task]

People talk about Lukaku not getting the service. He is not going to the service when his movements most of the times have been terrible. He just stands there alongside two defenders and wave his arms about. Who is going to put a cross in when he is not trying to free himself? Yes he made a very good pass to Sanchez but if that is the standard is acceptable then God help us.
Berbatov was miles better than Lukaku yet we found him not good enough. Yes Jose is to blame for this mess we are in now.

Lukaku was our best outfield player today and literally the only one came out of te Newcastle debacle with any credit.

 

[Mozza]

I don't think it has anything to do with training. We have players who think they can just coast through games and no matter how many times we get stung they refuse to learn.

Its got everything to do with training. We have a manager who hasn't had a fresh idea in about a decade

 

[noodlehair]

Its got everything to do with training. We have a manager who hasn't had a fresh idea in about a decade

The problem is the lack of intensity and I'm not sure in which part of our training sessions Mourinho says to the players "yeah just go out during the game and stroll through it lads"

Mourinho teams are traditionally very alert and hard working. This team isn't...in fact it is the opposite. If Jose hasn't had a fresh idea in a decade how do you explain where that difference has come from and at the same time put it down to his coaching?

 

[Mozza]

The problem is the lack of intensity and I'm not sure in which part of our training sessions Mourinho says to the players "yeah just go out during the game and stroll through it lads"

Mourinho teams are traditionally very alert and hard working. This team isn't...in fact it is the opposite. If Jose hasn't had a fresh idea in a decade how do you explain where that difference has come from and at the same time put it down to his coaching?

As an attacking unit his sides have never been intense. Iterative and grinding. You are right, his fresh idea is a deep defence, we are so easy to play out against.

I'm not sure why we play at such low intensity but I have a hard time believing the players aren't listening to the manager

 

[BenjaminP]

The issue we have currently is from middle of the park. Old Carrick, Gone Herrera, Schoolboy Pogba, Baby McTominay all need to step up.
Our midfield got owned by Shelvey.. What a shame.
We need a Kante type player, and we're set.

 

[noodlehair]

As an attacking unit his sides have never been intense. Iterative and grinding. You are right, his fresh idea is a deep defence, we are so easy to play out against.

I'm not sure why we play at such low intensity but I have a hard time believing the players aren't listening to the manager

Even if they aren't listening it will ultimately come down to the manager eventually.

Though i find it very hard to believe Jose is telling them to coast through games. Especially when it results in us losing and when he's openly criticised the players for it more than once.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Felt he was really good today. Should have easily bagged two assists.

 

[JohnnyKills]

Eight goals in his last 27 games now, after 11 in his first 10.

Thought his link-up play was ok today but still don't think he's good enough for United. He's supposed to be a goalscorer, so if he's not fulfilling that role there are better players around.

 

[serxyo]

Just look the way Lewandowski, Suarez, Benzema play on this position, he's miles away.

 

[noodlehair]

Again how on earth does anyone watch that game today and come to the honest conclusion that Lukaku was the problem?

I think it's pretty much impossible seeing as he was quite easily our best player.

 

[Lentwood]

Lukaku was fantastic yesterday. Hold up play was great and provided two excellent assists that should have been finished

I don’t see how anyone can have any complaints. Also, he would have scored the Alexis chance, he would have scored the Martial one vs one and he would have definitely scored the Martial header - just a shame none of his teammates can provide him with the service he provides them

 

[Escobar]

People talk about Lukaku not getting the service. He is not going to the service when his movements most of the times have been terrible. He just stands there alongside two defenders and wave his arms about. Who is going to put a cross in when he is not trying to free himself? Yes he made a very good pass to Sanchez but if that is the standard is acceptable then God help us.
Berbatov was miles better than Lukaku yet we found him not good enough. Yes Jose is to blame for this mess we are in now.

Not true. He is always crowded out and since we cant create anything outside of the box, he gets nothing. No good cross, no ball into his path. All he gets is a ball into his feet in case he drops deep

 

[Escobar]

Lukaku was fantastic yesterday. Hold up play was great and provided two excellent assists that should have been finished

I don’t see how anyone can have any complaints. Also, he would have scored the Alexis chance, he would have scored the Martial one vs one and he would have definitely scored the Martial header - just a shame none of his teammates can provide him with the service he provides them

We could have the brazilian Ronaldo upfront and he wouldnt score in that current United team

 

[Hawks2008]

Wasn't the problem yesterday but he still isn't at the level required. Mourinho sold Lukaku, De Bruyne, and Salah when he was at Chelsea. 2 of them have become the PL's top players and Mourinho buys the one that didn't.

 

[Lawman]

Another pointless thread title ffs getting worse than the red tops these titles

 

[DdeGoat]

He is not a striker for a team that wants to be the absolutely best, but titles can be won by less. We can win a title with him if the other parts work. We need the wide players to score and the midfield to create. More importantly a manager who isn't hell bent on playing him as a target man.

 

[BringNaniBack]

We won't win anything with him up front in fact.

 

[afrocentricity]

We won't win anything with him up front in fact.

Bullshit...

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

He was fine today. Most the balls played to him were played 2 meters in the air and with no one supporting.

 

[BringNaniBack]

Bullshit...

You think he's good enough?

 

[BringNaniBack]

He was fine today. Most the balls played to him were played 2 meters in the air and with no one supporting.

You must be joking.

He had plenty of balls into his feet and 90% were mis controlled or layed off to an opposing player by Lukaku. He was dreadful as he is against every half decent team.

 

[afrocentricity]

You think he's good enough?

Yes, it takes a squad to win things anyway and the squad is good enough... Imo.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

You must be joking.

He had plenty of balls into his feet and 90% were mis controlled or layed off to an opposing player by Lukaku. He was dreadful as he is against every half decent team.

Ok.

 

[BringNaniBack]

Yes, it takes a squad to win things anyway and the squad is good enough... Imo.

Lukaku isn't good enough to be the main striker in a team aiming to win the League and Champions league. I'd happily keep him if he was only played against the bottom half of the table and not played in the Champions League.

 

[montpelier]

miles away from good enough atm

only slightly more dynamic than Zlatan but without the technique & the aerial threat

 

[Andy_Cole]

Would like to see this:

Martial ——- Sanchez——— Rashford
——————— Pogba———————
————- Matic———-Herrera————-

 

[goin4glory]

Martial or Rashford deserve a chance up top. Lukaku is awful.

 

[afrocentricity]

Y'all just seem to lurch from one extreme to the other

I'm out....

 

[bosnian_red]

He does fecking nothing. You know what we need to win the league up top? Somebody like the strikers that we've settled with in the past under Sir Alex. Van Persie. Rooney. Tevez. Van Nistelrooy. Cole. Yorke. Cantona. Hughes.
Lukaku is nowhere near being good enough. Nowhere near. And he never will be. There's nothing "early" or premature or whatever about saying this. He can score 30 goals a season against the shit teams. But his lack of talent and his true ability is shown every time we play against anyone half decent. Just goes missing and we look invisible as an attacking threat.

People can say what they want about a lack of service or whatever. You're a striker for Manchester United. You get the ball at your feet and you are expected to be able to create for yourself or someone else. Create a half yard of space to get a shot off. Do something. Anything. Lukaku gets shut down so easily it's ridiculous, then bottles any decent chances he actually gets in big games. The sooner we accept he isn't good enough to be the starting and only striker for United, the better.

 

[bosnian_red]

Lukaku isn't good enough to be the main striker in a team aiming to win the League and Champions league. I'd happily keep him if he was only played against the bottom half of the table and not played in the Champions League.

Yup. He's squad player quality at best and should be used like that. He is nowhere near being good enough to be the main striker. Arsenal bought Lacazette and within half a season realized he wasn't good enough for that, and now he's a squad player. Chelsea did the same with Morata. We need to do the same with Lukaku, irrespective of how much we spent. Treat him like we treated Berba. Drop him every time there's a big game, play him against bottom half opposition.

 

[Random Task]

He lacked any real support tonight due to the defensive setup. His hold-up play was top notch, won plenty of headers at both ends of the pitch and offered a fair few lay-offs when given the opportunity to do so.

His performance was not nearly as bad as some of you are making out.

 

[northender]

He’s a good striker but not an elite one that could lead a team to a title or far in Europe.

Was difficult last summer for big clubs as everyone wanted a striker, not many out there.

United did not buy well though but Mourinho probably won’t admit it. How much spent on Lindelof who’s no better than what you’ve already got? Matic hasn’t done what he did at a chelsea and faded, also he’s just a short-term fix.

Sanchez will be good but United still a good 5-6 top players off where they need to be.

 

[Bilbo]

Can't blame Lukaku. He needs a specific type of service and we don't give it to him. When we do, he scores.

I feel we'd become a more dynamic team instantly with Rashford up top. Won't happen though.

 

[Bwuk]

Expensive mistake.

 

[Raoul]

We needed a striker; ideally a league proven one. So who else would we have bought ?

 

[An Irish Red]

Martial or Rashford deserve a chance up top. Lukaku is awful.

He's better than Rashford though.

We should definitely have an eye on replacing him whenever possible mind.

 

[Bwuk]

We needed a striker; ideally a league proven one. So who else would we have bought ?

We had Martial and Rashford. Should of brought Sanchez in August and moved Martial through the middle.

 

[Raoul]

We had Martial and Rashford. Should of brought Sanchez in August and moved Martial through the middle.

I don't think Martial is any more effective than Lukaku, especially in Mourinho's turgidly boring system.

 

[goin4glory]

He's better than Rashford though.

We should definitely have an eye on replacing him whenever possible mind.

Rashford is still developing so there's an upside to giving him games, Lukaku is pretty much the finished article and simply not good enough.