So when Lukaku is on form and Rashford in form - how do we play with a front 3?
Is Rashford going to play as good at LW with Lukaku being the sole striker and Sancho on the other side?
Would you not prefer both playing as strikers?
Is Lukaku forcing his way into first team consideration when we are back to full strength?
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Is Rashford going to play as good at LW with Lukaku being the sole striker and Sancho on the other side?
Would you not prefer both playing as strikers?
Play him, hes on form, but i dont see him as part of a potential first choice front three we should be aiming for next year
Add Jones/Bailly and Sanchez, while relegate Young to Darmian's role and we are golden.
Interchange. It's also a long season with injuries, loss of form and suspensions. When did United purchase Sancho?
Getting rid of Sanchez will be a challenge. Bailly is a very saleable asset and Jones could thrive if injuries allow at a midtable Premiership club much like Evans.
If all players were back against Arsenal and Ole did not pick Lukaku for his starting 11 I'd look to leave the club the following day.
Yes absolutely his current form warrants a place in the starting XI.
I've metioned before that I think Lukaku is the odd man out of our starting XI, but I'm starting to think I don't know as much as I think I do.
Yes absolutely his current form warrants a place in the starting XI.
I've metioned before that I think Lukaku is the odd man out of our starting XI, but I'm starting to think I don't know as much as I think I do.
The caf isn't the whole world. Anyone with a brain knew what he is capable of. The problem is that some seem to have completely forgotten what he has done in the PL for years.
A squad is about competing for places. No one should really have a starting place unless they deserve it, regardless of money and status.
The way Lukaku has been playing of late suggests he should be in the team. However, to me it depends on the system.
If playing Lukaku meant putting Rashford on the right, then he shouldn't be starting because Rashford is a better option up top, in my opinion, and has scored just as much when up top.
If we play a flat 442 or a diamond as we've been doing of late, then yes, he should definitely be starting. He's been fantastic of late, so credit where its due.
The way Lukaku has been playing of late suggests he should be in the team. However, to me it depends on the system.
If playing Lukaku meant putting Rashford on the right, then he shouldn't be starting because Rashford is a better option up top, in my opinion, and has scored just as much when up top.
If we play a flat 442 or a diamond as we've been doing of late, then yes, he should definitely be starting. He's been fantastic of late, so credit where its due.
Flat track bully, only scores against Palace, Southampton, PSG...
We've agreed a transfer fee for Sancho?
When did this happen?
I agree. Whilst he’s done we’ll recently, he still limits us offensively with his poor touch. He simply can’t hold the ball well under pressure and I think we’re a more dangerous team with Rashford as our number 9.
I'd totally forgotten Valencia, but yes he's a certainty to be off.
I found his post match comment on how Ole wanted him to work on getting back in shape and work on his fitness in his first 3-4 weeks at United interesting, his bad form up until the last few games could be due that and him losing his sharpness being out of the side so long, last season imo proved Lukaku if he works hard can make it at United.
Rashford is brilliant but is still inconsistent, he still has to do more to be a the main striker.
Lukaku to me is the perfect super sub. Can become a legend in his own right if he wants to at this club.
He seems like the only striker we have who gets two goals in a game regularly which is obviously a great trait. Rashford had the purple patch when Ole first arrived, but he still didn't manage to get a brace in that run, which I think is missing from his game. That's due to the parts of striking that Ole was talking about that him and Anthony need to work on - the tap ins, and classic strikers goals that Lukaku is great at. Lukaku is still comfortably are best goal scorer and deserves to hold a starting place.
Can't leave him out on this form. There's a place for both him and Rashford in the team.
He is. That’s what we need, too. If we’re in a position whereby we need to ‘drop’ one of Rashford, Martial and Lukaku due to the great form of the other two then it means we’re scoring goals and winning games.
What’s not to like?
What’s not to like?
He’s undroppable right now. He deserves his place. I hope he’s won a few people over at the very least. He can still improve under Ole
Ole whipping him back into shape in the gym.
Arsenal have some wet blanket CBs so I think he should play, high on confidence and seems to have shed some poundage
Arsenal have some wet blanket CBs so I think he should play, high on confidence and seems to have shed some poundage
If there is it will be at Lingard's expense most likely.
Well, indeed. He looked sharper in recent games. And he has to because that's the reason we buy him. We need him to play his best consistently. I hope he can help us to win many trophies..
Really? Lukakus made some amazing dribbles and kept the ball well lately in my opinion. I often find myself noticing rashford losing the ball when challenging opponents
He should play every game in this form.
I just hope he keeps scoring big goals so he can take his shirt off and show people he’s not fat. That was the the funniest knock against him on this site.
Players on form should start. He's on form now thus deserves the starting position in striker position. It was the same when Rashford was doing better than him and deserved the starting position. Now Lukaku deserves it.
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I don’t think posting on redcafe should really be a factor
That fecking auto corrector!! I should turn that fecker off for good!!
yes, at the moment if every one is fit and available then it's Rashford-Lukaku-Martial as front three.
but one season is a very long period with potentially 70 games (including internationals) to play for. injuries, form, suspension will play a part so yeah, when Lukaku is scoring goals, he should start.
but one season is a very long period with potentially 70 games (including internationals) to play for. injuries, form, suspension will play a part so yeah, when Lukaku is scoring goals, he should start.
When everyone is fit, the one player I'd want to have always start is Martial as he is the the one that is the biggest threat in just driving / attacking players with the dribble. Thing is then with Rashford and Lukaku as the other starters, we lose a player like Lingard and even Mata that does drop deep, makes those clever runs and just opens up space. With Lukaku / Rashford while both have had good goal scoring form, would not really see us lose some of that more fluid play because both will want to stay up front more.
Good thing is when everyone is fit - there might not have to be a automatic starter, OGS can choose from game to game, knowing he has some really good options of the bench. The competition for places amongst them will hopefully see them be even hungrier every time they step on the pitch.
Good thing is when everyone is fit - there might not have to be a automatic starter, OGS can choose from game to game, knowing he has some really good options of the bench. The competition for places amongst them will hopefully see them be even hungrier every time they step on the pitch.
the problem with that is he is unlikely to come on and score those goals that poachers tend to score while he isn't playing regularly because it requires a kind of sharpness you don't have unless you have rhythm and match fitness. Having said that after all the hoo-ha around sanchez and his arrival we are probably going to go back to the same front 3 that was working well for us before he came. Took only about a year to come full circle.
This highlights one of the biggest problems we’ve had over the last couple of years.
Martial plays left, Rashford plays centre or left, Lukaku plays centre. I’m not sure those three can play together if they are to be in their strongest positions.
Lukaku seems to play better in a front two also. Do people know if he played mostly in a front two at Everton? I suppose that doesn’t actually matter so much as he’s most important in and around the box. It’s just a case of how we get there.
Martial plays left, Rashford plays centre or left, Lukaku plays centre. I’m not sure those three can play together if they are to be in their strongest positions.
Lukaku seems to play better in a front two also. Do people know if he played mostly in a front two at Everton? I suppose that doesn’t actually matter so much as he’s most important in and around the box. It’s just a case of how we get there.
Yeah, Rashford can lose the ball when challenging opponents, like all players, however he doesn’t have Lukaku’s tendency to get tackled when a simple trapping of the call is all that’s required. It frustrates me no end that a guy of Lukaku’s size and strength can’t hold the ball up with a defender on his back he stands over the ball allowing the defender to nick it away when he should be keeping it under the studs of an outstretched leg. Holding onto the ball in those situations isn’t hard. Even guys if Veratti’s size can do it simply by positioning themselves correctly.
He’s earned his place for the time being, whatever reservations I have about him long term. The fact that his replacements will be coming back from soft muscle injuries that can exacerbated if you push them too soon makes it an easy decision.
However I also think that, over time, he’ll be forced back out of the team by the quality of the replacements on the bench. Martial and Lingard both offer more. But he should be given the chance to prove people like me wrong.
However I also think that, over time, he’ll be forced back out of the team by the quality of the replacements on the bench. Martial and Lingard both offer more. But he should be given the chance to prove people like me wrong.
Interchanging front 3 with him mostly coming in off the right
Anyway yeah, he can't be dropped and personally I'm very pleased for him because half of the CAF was giving him stick. And as far as the Lingard Martial situation goes I think it depends on the opposition. Martial is obviously the more talented than the two and has crazy dribbling skills but Lingard's off the ball movement is probably the best in our squad and it's not by mistake both Jose and Ole rate him.
This is the kind of dilemma we should be having, much like days with Saha Ole and Van Nistelrooy or Tevez and Berbatov