Hating Lukaku

SouthPredators4

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Regardless of whether he is a good striker or not, what cannot be argued is that he flourishes in a certain style of play in which his team is an underdog n plays deep, freeing him to counterattack down channels or spaces in 1 on 1 situations. How, is that the kind of football we want? Are we a perpetual underdog? Do we want to undermine the potential of all the other players to cater to his qualities of a striker? We want to play a modern high pressing game which involves lots of running, passing in tight spaces, technique and dribbling. If so, why is there still doubts on how he is not the solution to our much needed rebuilding?

Look at what good movement and technique a striker can bring to our attack by referencing Greenwood's chances in his full debut, as compared to Lukaku had he played. A no-brainer to me and an indication of how standards have fallen.
 

Woziak

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Yet he's the main man in a very progressive Belgium NT. Why don't his technical limitations hinder him there?
Great point, he has nearly 50 international goals and he destroyed Brazil in that World Cup Quarter Final. He needs to lose 10kgs and be one of 7 or 8 options for 3 or 4 starting places.
 

Cloud7

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Yet he's the main man in a very progressive Belgium NT. Why don't his technical limitations hinder him there?
He’s not the main man in that Belgium team. The main men are KDB and Hazard. You could put a cardboard cut out up top with those two creating for them and the cut out would still become the country’s all time top scorer.
 

laughtersassassin

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Simply put he isn't a very good footballer. Maybe if our entire team was good we could afford a passenger up front with a bad touch but with our squad he isn't good enough in general and doesn't make up for it in goals


As long as we replace him would be delighted to see him go.
 

SouthPredators4

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Yet he's the main man in a very progressive Belgium NT. Why don't his technical limitations hinder him there?
You obviously don't watch enough Belgium games. His performances against Brazil was incredibly overrated. If you watch the game again, he had his good moments but Miranda had him well marked throughout. The subsequent games, his lack of ball skills, poor runs, positioning & technique were so apparent in the frustrations of his teammates that they chose to ignore him. They even played with more fluidity n penetration after he was hauled off. 3rd placing game i think.
 

Saf94

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Yet he's the main man in a very progressive Belgium NT. Why don't his technical limitations hinder him there?
Yep and look at his goals from the group stages of the World Cup -


3/4 are him running into space (4th is a header). This guy doesn’t play in tight spaces, he doesn’t have the touch for it. Whatever you think of the guy he simply cannot he the striker we need him to be. It’s ok when you’re Belgium and you have creativity and supply in buckets your striker can be a poacher. For us we need a striker who contributes to build up and can unlock tight defences. Lukaku isn’t that guy
 

Loublaze

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He’s not the main man in that Belgium team. The main men are KDB and Hazard. You could put a cardboard cut out up top with those two creating for them and the cut out would still become the country’s all time top scorer.
You obviously don't watch enough Belgium games. His performances against Brazil was incredibly overrated. If you watch the game again, he had his good moments but Miranda had him well marked throughout. The subsequent games, his lack of ball skills, poor runs, positioning & technique were so apparent in the frustrations of his teammates that they chose to ignore him. They even played with more fluidity n penetration after he was hauled off. 3rd placing game i think.
Record goalscorer for Belgium though by age 24. Definitely a key player. You make it seem like Benteke or Origi for instance could slot in and fill that role with ease as long as king KDB and prince Hazard are orchestrating things. Some players will always be more scrutinized than others no matter what
 

Loublaze

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Yep and look at his goals from the group stages of the World Cup -


3/4 are him running into space (4th is a header). This guy doesn’t play in tight spaces, he doesn’t have the touch for it. Whatever you think of the guy he simply cannot he the striker we need him to be. It’s ok when you’re Belgium and you have creativity and supply in buckets your striker can be a poacher. For us we need a striker who contributes to build up and can unlock tight defences. Lukaku isn’t that guy
He might leave anyway, many a wish here will be granted. If Solskjaer goes with Rashford/Martial/Greenwood we could be in for a frustrating time next season because none of them are ready to lead the line. I think the club has more pressing issues to address in other areas of the pitch before forking out exorbitant fees on another striker. If United fetch even 50M for Lukaku do you see it being invested wisely? Solksjaer seems to be set on making Rashford the main guy and Im not seeing links to other strikers, so it might be wise to allow our most accomplished finisher to stay on for another season at least
 

bond19821982

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Keep him until we get a proven goal scorer. Madness to sell him and make Martial or Rashford our main man. We still don't know if they will make it.
 

sullydnl

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Keep him, and reinforce the message we're shit and that's the way we like it.
We're a football club, not the post office. The messages we send are much less important than what happens on the pitch.

If Lukaku is our best goalscorer (and he is) then losing him before we know we have brought or are bringing more goals into the team is counterproductive. It doesn't matter what message that reinforces if it sees better results.
 

Hawks2008

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I'm not sure I rate him but I'd rather have him than 'Rashy' up top for us. However Ole will make sure his boy has a free run at the #9 spot.
 

Saf94

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He might leave anyway, many a wish here will be granted. If Solskjaer goes with Rashford/Martial/Greenwood we could be in for a frustrating time next season because none of them are ready to lead the line. I think the club has more pressing issues to address in other areas of the pitch before forking out exorbitant fees on another striker. If United fetch even 50M for Lukaku do you see it being invested wisely? Solksjaer seems to be set on making Rashford the main guy and Im not seeing links to other strikers, so it might be wise to allow our most accomplished finisher to stay on for another season at least
If you want to build a long term successful project you have to develop your players. In my opinion it’s very wise to focus on Rashford as a project over Lukaku because Rashford has the potential to be a world class complete striker. He has all the tools but just needs to improve his composure and decision making, which is natural for young player to lack.

Our incessant need for players to either immediately perform or be shipped out and replaced with a huge money signing is in my opinion one of the top 3 problems at the club. Look at the guys at the teams around us. Was any of Kane, Salah, Sterling, Mane, Firmino, Son etc ready made stars? All of them were improved and developed by their managers. We have to work with our guys, coach and improve them, that’s how you build a quality team. Liverpool have only signed 1 world class player, Van Dijk, and they are miles ahead of us and have got to back to back CL finals. You don’t have to go for big money purchases to get good players and if you never develop your players they will always struggle.

We should sell Lukaku if we get a good price because we need to build for the future and in my opinion Lukaku isn’t the future (unless he’s happy to be a perennial bench player)
 

starman

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I'm not sure I rate him but I'd rather have him than 'Rashy' up top for us. However Ole will make sure his boy has a free run at the #9 spot.
Like Jose did with Lukaku? While there were calls for him to be dropped and give Rashford a chance.

The issue is not Rashford, its that Lukaku is simply not good enough. Rashford should still be seen as a backup to a world class striker, not as one displacing a 90m 'valued' one
 

RedFish

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We're a football club, not the post office. The messages we send are much less important than what happens on the pitch.

If Lukaku is our best goalscorer (and he is) then losing him before we know we have brought or are bringing more goals into the team is counterproductive. It doesn't matter what message that reinforces if it sees better results.
First class doubtful, special delivery -no chance.

Yeah yeah...coat.....
 

KristianMackle

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We have two strikers who couldn't finish their dinners if they wanted to. Lukaku couldn't trap a cow with all the lush greenery, never mind a football. This isnt about hate. Objectively, we need better strikers.
 

crossy1686

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Lukaku just can't play in a high press. He couldn't even get fit and play with any intensity for more than 20 minutes this whole season. Someone's already mentioned it but as soon as Klopp realised Benteke wasn't going to fit his system, he was shown the door. This will be the same for Lukaku.
 

Loublaze

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Lukaku just can't play in a high press. He couldn't even get fit and play with any intensity for more than 20 minutes this whole season. Someone's already mentioned it but as soon as Klopp realised Benteke wasn't going to fit his system, he was shown the door. This will be the same for Lukaku.
Benteke and Lukaku are not even similar types of forwards. Benteke is a failed target man. Mourinho wanted to play Lukaku as a target man but he's clearly not one and he's said that himself
 

roseguy64

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He’s not the main man in that Belgium team. The main men are KDB and Hazard. You could put a cardboard cut out up top with those two creating for them and the cut out would still become the country’s all time top scorer.
Which is why the other strikers they have have scored similar numbers to Lukaku right?

Origi has 3 in 25. Batshuayi has 13 in 25. Benteke has 12 in 34. Lukaku has 45 in 79. Best goals/game ratio.
 

MadDogg

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still been better than Rashford this season over all a far as I'm concerned
Not a chance. Lukaku in the first half of the season was at a whole other level of bad. I honestly believe he was probably the worst regular starter in the entire league for that period (and I'm not one for hyperbole).

He improved in the second half of the season but obviously still wasn't great.
 

Loublaze

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Which is why the other strikers they have have scored similar numbers to Lukaku right?

Origi has 3 in 25. Batshuayi has 13 in 25. Benteke has 12 in 34. Lukaku has 45 in 79. Best goals/game ratio.
The lengths at which Lukaku is being discredited even for his Belgium record is really something else. He can't have anything. Who needs a striker anyway when they have the two footballing gods in KDB and Hazard right? Cardboard cut out :lol:
 

john moran

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We have two strikers who couldn't finish their dinners if they wanted to. Lukaku couldn't trap a cow with all the lush greenery, never mind a football. This isnt about hate. Objectively, we need better strikers.
The lengths at which Lukaku is being discredited even for his Belgium record is really something else. He can't have anything. Who needs a striker anyway when they have the two footballing gods in KDB and Hazard right? Cardboard cut out :lol:
Most of the discrediting is coming from English fans who think Rashford is the next Messi :rolleyes: not many better options available to buy .
 
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Vernon Philander

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I don't hate him, he's had a tough upbringing and made a very good career so far, broadly speaking.

He's just unfortunately been a downgrade on Zlatan, and we need better.
 

mitchmouse

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Not a chance. Lukaku in the first half of the season was at a whole other level of bad. I honestly believe he was probably the worst regular starter in the entire league for that period (and I'm not one for hyperbole).

He improved in the second half of the season but obviously still wasn't great.
and what about his over all record as, you now, a goal scorer?
 

UNITED ACADEMY

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To describe Lukaku. Goals, poor first touch, a very limited footballer, lazy & doesn’t know how to use his strength properly.

He has way too many negative as a striker with high wages & a club like us. All this goals talk in the World Cup is absolutely overrated, only scoring against Panama & Tunisia. He’s not a bad striker but just not good enough for our first team, no talent. The money that we have spent on him is absolutely criminal. Everton has stolen the money & if there is a similar offer/fees coming for him, we should take it because we want to get back some of the stolen money.

Not hating him but the true is he’s not good enough but overrated by people who hyping his goals but ignoring that he’s a limited strikers, he’s the big version Chicharito with less run & more power, should move on.
 

JohnnyKills

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If you want to build a long term successful project you have to develop your players. In my opinion it’s very wise to focus on Rashford as a project over Lukaku because Rashford has the potential to be a world class complete striker. He has all the tools but just needs to improve his composure and decision making, which is natural for young player to lack.

Our incessant need for players to either immediately perform or be shipped out and replaced with a huge money signing is in my opinion one of the top 3 problems at the club. Look at the guys at the teams around us. Was any of Kane, Salah, Sterling, Mane, Firmino, Son etc ready made stars? All of them were improved and developed by their managers. We have to work with our guys, coach and improve them, that’s how you build a quality team. Liverpool have only signed 1 world class player, Van Dijk, and they are miles ahead of us and have got to back to back CL finals. You don’t have to go for big money purchases to get good players and if you never develop your players they will always struggle.

We should sell Lukaku if we get a good price because we need to build for the future and in my opinion Lukaku isn’t the future (unless he’s happy to be a perennial bench player)
Good post.
 

Enigma_87

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Wonder if he can fetch 50-60m pounds. He's still(almost) 1 in 2 striker.
 

CLK_FPC

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I don't hate him, just think he isn't good enough and have little to no time for him.
The hatred towards him is in part justified, he appears to have regressed from his time at Everton and even from last season but we shouldn't have signed him in the first place.
 

mariachi-19

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I don't hate him, just think he isn't good enough and have little to no time for him.
The hatred towards him is in part justified, he appears to have regressed from his time at Everton and even from last season but we shouldn't have signed him in the first place.
When we signed him, he was a 25 + goal a season striker. We didnt just buy him because he was big and strong. He was a goal machine and if you're getting 25 goals at somewhere like Everton, at Manchester Untied should be getting 30 to 35 +

Problem is, the dickheaded one couldnt' organise the team to save his arse (literally) and had no methodology in his approach to creating a cohesive unit that would play to our players strengths. IE: if you're going to buy a striker that isn't a hold up player, dont fecking ignore the blatant lack of wingers who he'll need to feed the ball into his head...

Lukaku will score lots and lots of goals in the right setup... it just wont be with us.
 

Ashley R1+O

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Delusion.

Best forward at the club and he is not the problem. I expect him to leave anyway.
Correct. I expect him to leave as well.

We would just have to move around too much to get back to what had him scoring last year. Essentially getting rid of Pogba and Martial and marginalizing Rashford. Getting two of the best flank players you could possibly get to hit the ground running and replacing Pogba with a creative player in behind that is capable of keeping the space pushed up enough so Lukaku doesn't have to play with his back to goal and can stay on the shoulder as much as he possibly can. There is just way to many dice rolls and way to much there to try and fix in just one quick bounce back window. We've got a log jam up front, Martial, Rashford and Lukaku all have to play but none of them work well with each other then you have Pogba behind who doesn't seem to work well with any of those combinations at all. (Who's position in my opinion is probably untenable at the club, but that's just my opinion).

The service was an abhorrent mess this season and it wasn't just to Lukaku it was everyone, anyone. Whoever played in or out. It needs to be sorted out and I don't think I've seen anything that can be done that involves getting the best out of Sanchez/Pogba/Rashford/Martial/Lukaku.

We have to go all in on one of them and get rid of the rest and then rebuild around that guy and fix the attack. I don't really expect it to be Lukaku. But if it is, I don't see how the rest can really be a part of that bar maybe Rashford (or even Sanchez but his wages have to go).