The difference of 8 big chances between the two seasons is not a big one. Also when we are forever chasing a win when its 1-1 at home we are obviously going to have more shots at goal.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
Zlatan was a free transfer, 36 years old. Scored against Liverpool and City, scored twice including the last-minute winner in one of our cup final victories.
Lukaku was £75m, supposedly in his prime. Had a good game against Chelsea (who ultimately finished 5th) at home.
Lukaku was £75m, supposedly in his prime. Had a good game against Chelsea (who ultimately finished 5th) at home.
We watched both seasons mate.
We were attacking pretty much every game from the start and first half while missing loads of chances. Last season we were creating about 2-3 good chances a game. Our players were just more clinical. Martial, Pogba, Lingard and Rashford missed chances that were easier than their goals the next season. We weren't as fluid as the previous one.
Guaranteed Zlatan missed loads but it was for 2 months as far as I'm concerned. From November to League Cup final he was magnificent, then he was injured.
You can't convince me the 10 goals in 8 months Lukaku scored were the key reason we finished second. I didn't even the space he was evacuating for his teammates either. Don't remember many goals he was dragging defenders with us from the others. He's usually very static.
You're the one that posted the stats. The difference was 8 chances. That's not that big over a whole season.
The space Lukaku made was for our number 10. Which was Lingard, who coincidently had his best ever season. When Lukaku pins back centre backs there is space in front of them that can be exploited, which Lingard did very well. In fact, Lukaku did this against Southampton in the first half but Lingard missed the chance. The space wasn't there the season before last because Ibra would always drop into midfield instead of occupying the centre backs.
These are the big chances missed, not the whole chances created over all and we were top in the league in chances missed and beside, you seem to ignore the difference in number of shots, which is about a whole of 60 shots different.
Lingard was still playing central in Mourinho first season. Lingard, or Mata, whoever played on the right was clearing the space on the right for Valencia ( who was actually still good offensively at this time and was pumping forward a lot ) and drifted to the center of the pitch to assist Zlatan, Mikhi and Pogba in creating chances, while Martial or Rashford were keeping the left flank hanged without drifting wide, so we were basically playing with Valencia and Martial / Rashford as our width providers. This was the most ever fluid formation we looked under Mourinho here.
Lingard wasn't struggling for space in center of the pitch, he was simply not as clinical as he was the next sesson in his "purple patch" in which every shot he was taking was turning to gold.
I know they are big chances missed. 8 is still not that big of a difference over a whole season. I already said that we are much more likely to have more shots when we were chasing wins in half our home games with it being 1-1 every week. There is a difference between drifting into central areas and starting at number 10. Lingard took Mkhi's position at number 10 and benefitted from Lukaku occupying the centre half. Ibra was dropping deep half the time, and even though people dont want to admit it, it did hinder us.
People can talk about football being fluid or not but we finished 6th.
I agree its hypocrisy.
However Lukaku is not good enough for us and a good percentage of United fans myself included knew this before he even signed.
We all told you what would happen.
We told you he has the touch of a trampoline and his link up play is garbage.
We told you he is a flat track bully and we wouldnt win anything with him playing for us.
These 8 chances led to us going from 1st most big chances missing team to 7th. I don't think it's that few.
And beside, I still don't find any logic that explain how Zlatan hindered us when we were more fluid and creating more per game.
The jump to 2nd from 6th is due to several factors. You're making it like Lukaku was the main reason for this jump or Zlatan was the reason for us finishing 6th, while ignoring the form of other players around or the better luck in scoring the few chances we were getting.
Well the goals conceded only changed by one. The main changes to the team was Lukaku for Ibra and Matic for Herrera. Herrera has just won player of the year as well. Also Lingard started more games. Apart from that, same team. You tell me what the biggest change in the team was? I'm sure most people would agree that it was the change in striker and the number 10 as a partnership. Those were two of our best players last season.
When Lukaku was missing last season we looked toothless. He was important to our season, I wont have people trying to rewrite that shit because his form has dipped.
Lukaku scored less goals in the league than Zlatan so you can't simply say he was the key reason for the change. The more logical thing is other players who were terrible actually improved or returned to their usual form, mostly Martial.
Or the fact that the way Lukaku played helped the other players? Like I have been saying with Lingard and him finding more space playing behind Lukaku who holds his position agains the centre backs. Lukaku did more than just score goals.
Let's assume that. He's still playing with them now, why Martial is still doing pretty well while Lukaku and Lingard are terrible ?
Players go through dips in form? Lingard hasn't really been playing at number 10 and it doesn't change the fact that Lingard and Lukaku were two of our best players last season anyway. Nothing that happens this season will change that.
Or that what Lingard was passing through was simply a purple patch that extended for 4 months. He didn't score in the last 3 months of the season anyway and Lukaku was still around. Nothing to do with anyone, while Martial is already quality who isn't waiting for anyone to influence his play.
Anyway I think we can agree to disagree at this point as it's obvious we're not going to agree.
Well Lingard did start to play deeper and as a number 8 at the back end of the season so he wasn't really at number 10 anymore. Yes, lets agree to disagree.
So, how much is he going to fetch when he inevitably moves?
Right now, he is the starting striker of the 8th best side in the Prem, 4 goals in 16, in his mid 20s. If you had a striker with those circumstances not named Lukaku, I struggle to see he he should be worth anything more than 15-20m at best.
If he gets sold, it won‘t be in the next summer. Jose gets the sack at the end of the season for missing out on the CL, a new manager comes in and invests some money elsewhere. I doubt Lukaku would get sold without a big name CF coming in and I don‘t think the funds for that big name are there when you consider the gaping holes at CB, RW, DM, FB and probably even GK position. That means Lukaku gets kept and tried out, only to be dropped at some point during the season for some makeshift solution. That makes him a probable candidate for leaving the club in the summer transfer period of 2020.
I know I am working with assumptions, but history has shown us that this turn of events is indeed very likely. See how van Gaal didn‘t get rid of Rooney and Mourinho needed 1 full season to get rid of him, despite everyone knowing well in advance that he was useless.
Right now, he is the starting striker of the 8th best side in the Prem, 4 goals in 16, in his mid 20s. If you had a striker with those circumstances not named Lukaku, I struggle to see he he should be worth anything more than 15-20m at best.
If he gets sold, it won‘t be in the next summer. Jose gets the sack at the end of the season for missing out on the CL, a new manager comes in and invests some money elsewhere. I doubt Lukaku would get sold without a big name CF coming in and I don‘t think the funds for that big name are there when you consider the gaping holes at CB, RW, DM, FB and probably even GK position. That means Lukaku gets kept and tried out, only to be dropped at some point during the season for some makeshift solution. That makes him a probable candidate for leaving the club in the summer transfer period of 2020.
I know I am working with assumptions, but history has shown us that this turn of events is indeed very likely. See how van Gaal didn‘t get rid of Rooney and Mourinho needed 1 full season to get rid of him, despite everyone knowing well in advance that he was useless.
Someone like Jovic or Piatek may be worth a look.
Considering Benteke went for 30m after a rubbish season for Liverpool, and prices exploded since then, and Lukaku has a much better record in general, he would sell for a good amount.
I suspect a very good side would still sign him.
Bizarre our gym staff just stand by and watch him bulk.
too many sackings required at the club
Bizarre our gym staff just stand by and watch him bulk.
Lukaku doesn’t look that much bigger this season from the last. This picture comparison seems a bit cherry picked.
Bizarre our gym staff just stand by and watch him bulk.
Usually people go about how angles and lighting can make someone bigger or not but the neck is a dead giveaway here. If a physical transformation is a clear hindrance to a player then it's madness that it gets validated.
Bizarre our gym staff just stand by and watch him bulk.
Well if you look at his instagram he looks the same as last season.
I will never follow a football player on IG. It's a big rule for me
I don't even have an instagram, I just searched it on google and he looks fine.I will never follow a football player on IG. It's a big rule for me
£75m.
Why would he have more than 20 touches if we're sending 31 crosses into the box? He's there to be a target for them. Would you prefer Lukaku has 25 like Rashford's last game at CF or 35 like Sanchez, but comes deep and comes wide like they do more often and then we have nobody in the box for the 31 crosses?
We absolutely arent and werent a counter attacking side against Crystal Palace. We had 0 attempts from a counter attack. Crystal Palace had 1 attempt from a counter attack.
There are 10 teams in the premier league with 0 goals from counter attacks this season. We are 1 of those 10. We tried Sanchez and Rashford through the middle and it didnt change.
Yeah but he occupies the defenders or something...
Only Manchester United could spend that kind of money on a player with so many problems. Even on FIFA, his touch is useless.
I dont understand what point you are trying to make or if you actually bothered to read what I posted. I dont blame Lukaku for having 20 touches against Crystal Palace at home. Nor Rashford for that matter. I would prefer them to try to get a little more involved, sure, but its clearly tactical that Mourinhos #9 is supposed to be static and high up the pitch and facing his own goal. He is essentially the first and many times the only target when do we win the ball.
Lukaku moves a lot more for Belgium for example, where he attacks the space behind and even the channels. He also has players much closer to him in all phases of the play, he gets extremely isolated under Mourinho
So to answer your question: yes I would prefer that we play another type of football where the #9 is involved much more both in link-up play and in possession, not just being a target man. This applies especially for Lukaku since he is not good enough at his hold-up play to begin with.
We arent going to. We're going to cross the ball 31 times.
Nah he's definitely larger. Both on TV and from the stands, he looks way bigger then last year.
It would be silent domination, if it his damn first touch wasn't so loud.
He's never been good enough to play for a top club in my opinion, the limitations in his game are huge.
That being said he made up for it with hard graft last season, he doesn't even work hard for the team anymore which makes it worse.
That being said he made up for it with hard graft last season, he doesn't even work hard for the team anymore which makes it worse.
Jesus.
Bizarre our gym staff just stand by and watch him bulk.
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I have so many questions on this.
- I don't understand why he felt the need to put on so much extra muscle.
- Did he get bad advice? - Did the club encourage him, did Mourinho? - Do does he have a personal trainer who isn't very knowledgeable?
He struggles to get off the ground for headers and his movement has become considerably worse.
He has become so top heavy now. His touch is worse, he is carrying so much extra weight/muscle. He looks like he has lost his agility and guile. I remembered seeing him score so many headers at Everton. Now, he can't even get off the ground to generate any power.
He really needs to lose that extra muscle, it is having a detrimental effect on his technical ability on and off the ball.
Lukaku just reminds me of Jonny Bravo now.
When he plays for Belgium he normally has Eden Hazard and KDB alongside or behind him. We don't. When he plays against top countries he just doesn't deliver. It is not as if he doesn't get the ball. He needs to create space for himself if he wants the ball. His first touch is too poor for him to receive the ball under pressure.
Zero confidence at mo. It's not a easy place to play football at the moment and there must be some who think their future is elsewhere....
Apologies if this has already been posted but...55% pass completion rate vs Palace. WTAF
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