Lukaku's first touch

[breakout67]

Don't know if this deserves a separate thread of its own but one thing I've noticed while watching our players dribble is the visible lack of control on the ball. The ball always seems to be wobbling and our players having to adjust strides to take touches, which slows them down.

Was very apparent in his second goal the other day, he was clear on goal, but the ball never seemed to be under control and he almost ran ahead of it.

Is this just me imagining things, or has anyone else noticed this too?

That's normal for any player than isn't Messi. When you are physically battling a defender, dribbling is difficult.

 

[Jim Beam]

Yeah, it always happens though re the bolded bit. His first touch is underrated, indeed, but when you need to pull footage to show and convince others of his "great first touch", then for me that does show that it is actually an area he can still improve a little more on.

I think "very good to great" first touches, are sort of an expectation I'd have of really expensive footballers, if not most pro footballers.

I actually don't think that Kane first touch is something sublime, but it's pretty good. Lukaku's first touch gets a little overblown imo, but it's also true that it's sometimes pretty erratic. Not just that you need to pull footage to prove others, but only when looking at him playing and he pulls off a great first touch by controlling some very hard ball down it will leave you a little bit surprised. Good thing is that there are signs of progress this season.

Where I do think he is great, other than when he has lots of space to operate, is when he does quick one-two with the player next to him, either by putting the player through or opening the space for himself.

Hit high balls at him or just leave him in a no man's land like we sometimes do without much support and he will have trouble to keep it. Well, it's no wonder, as even Kane and Lewandowski would experience difficulties in such setup.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

What about his passing? Guy pings it around like Scholes, at times. There was one terrific pass to Sanchez across the field in 2nd half that we should have scored/created an attack from.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I actually don't think that Kane first touch is something sublime, but it's pretty good. Lukaku's first touch gets a little overblown imo, but it's also true that it's sometimes pretty erratic. Not just that you need to pull footage to prove others, but only when looking at him playing and he pulls off a great first touch by controlling some very hard ball down it will leave you a little bit surprised. Good thing is that there are signs of progress this season.

Where I do think he is great, other than when he has lots of space to operate, is when he does quick one-two with the player next to him, either by putting the player through or opening the space for himself.

Hit high balls at him or just leave him in a no man's land like we sometimes do without much support and he will have trouble to keep it. Well, it's no wonder, as even Kane and Lewandowski would experience difficulties in such setup.

I think his chest control is probably where his touch is worst of all. The ball just flies off his chest. Maybe because he's so hench!? Whatever, he needs to spend a few minutes at the end of each training session getting some one on one coaching from Fellaini.

 

[SirAF]

it was rival fans and football community who start exaggerating how bad his first touch is when he was confirmed to join us and sadly most of our fanbase believe it as well
His first touch is okay imo , it's just his awkward body language made it look worse

This.

 

[Jim Beam]

I think his chest control is probably where his touch is worst of all. The ball just flies off his chest. Maybe because he's so hench!? Whatever, he needs to spend a few minutes at the end of each training session getting some one on one coaching from Fellaini.

Fellaini is world-class in that department, so it wouldn't hurt. He also sometimes misjudges the flight of the ball with his headers. Anyway, to get the best of him, hitting high balls is certainly not the best way.

What about his passing? Guy pings it around like Scholes, at times. There was one terrific pass to Sanchez across the field in 2nd half that we should have scored/created an attack from.

Faced on goal, his passing and crossing are very good. Actually, it's so good that some of the players behind him might also take notice.

 

[Ish]

I actually don't think that Kane first touch is something sublime, but it's pretty good. Lukaku's first touch gets a little overblown imo, but it's also true that it's sometimes pretty erratic. Not just that you need to pull footage to prove others, but only when looking at him playing and he pulls off a great first touch by controlling some very hard ball down it will leave you a little bit surprised. Good thing is that there are signs of progress this season.

Where I do think he is great, other than when he has lots of space to operate, is when he does quick one-two with the player next to him, either by putting the player through or opening the space for himself.

Hit high balls at him or just leave him in a no man's land like we sometimes do without much support and he will have trouble to keep it. Well, it's no wonder, as even Kane and Lewandowski would experience difficulties in such setup.

Yeah, i agree. I think the most positive thing is there he definitely is improving and will only get better.

I must admit, I'm not his biggest fan but I do support him (obviously) and I hope he proves me wrong and becomes world class with us.

 

[jb8521]

I think a lot of the problem with how people view his first touch is how it looks rather than its actual effectiveness, it doesn't look silky and a lot of the time when he takes a touch it can look like the ball is getting away from him but in reality he actually has it under control but because of his build he sets the ball further away from himself so that he can take the next touch without the ball being too close to him

 

[Roberto420]

I think a lot of the problem with how people view his first touch is how it looks rather than its actual effectiveness, it doesn't look silky and a lot of the time when he takes a touch it can look like the ball is getting away from him but in reality he actually has it under control but because of his build he sets the ball further away from himself so that he can take the next touch without the ball being too close to him

Yeah agree with this, the 2nd goal against Huddersfield is a good example of this.

Im happy with the big mans contribution thus far, can see him bagging 30 this season which with all things considered isn't too shabby at all in his debut season for us.Hopefully tonight he silences some of his critics regarding scoring in big games.

 

[VancouverUtdFan]

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LuKaKu’S fIrSt ToUcH

 

[Dembeza]

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[Scholsey2004]

Not convinced by all this 'bad first touch' talk. He's been really good since he came for me.

 

[Camilo]

Lets be honest, it's like watching a comedy at times. It's like he wants to control it before he thinks what he's going to do with it. And it's not usually balls fired into him, it's the ones when he has his back to goal with a defender on him - they're appalling.

I see no problem in calling out an obvious flaw in his game. It doesn't diminish his goals and general play. I just think it's a case of him needing to become more familiar with our attacking plays and patterns, and making quicker, better decisions when he gets the ball.

 

[Bastian]

There have been posts criticising this thread. I actually think it's quite fair. I wonder what his first touch and composure attributes are in something like FM, just out of curiosity.

When Chelsea were desperate to score they were open to counters. That style of play suits him to the ground. When teams sit deep it's harder, because he's not yet managed to find a way to fully utilise his physical strength and his height. I think he'll improve, but I still think we will need another option against top teams next season. That option is probably already at the club in any of Sanchez, Martial, Rashford.

 

[horsechoker]

One person said on here that his first touch isn't bad, just inconsistent. I agree with this.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

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Brilliant play, but it’s off his chest, significantly easier to direct a ball where you want. A better example would be the first touch he took before going on that run late in the game.

 

[Greck]

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I'm guessing many refer to his first touch with his feet which is where a majority of passes are aimed, especially in tight areas

 

[Krits]

When someone says he has a bad first touch doesn't mean he can't pull of good touches. It just means that it doesn't happen on a consistent basis to be predictable way to play.

In that first half he was unable to keep the ball under control and bring other attackers in to play. It also slows are game down. In saying that, he has a pretty good cross on him. I've seen him deliver in to the box a few times and he is quite accurate.

But he seems like the sort of person who will put in the hard work to always improve his game so I have a lot of faith in him to come good. He could do with a good back up though to give him some rest and space when things aren't going good.

 

[Bastian]

One person said on here that his first touch isn't bad, just inconsistent. I agree with this.

Well, it's both a question of composure and first touch. But if your first touch is inconsistent then it's bad IMV. Fluky even.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Brilliant play, but it’s off his chest, significantly easier to direct a ball where you want. A better example would be the first touch he took before going on that run late in the game.

Or the first touch for his goal, which impress the hell out of Alan Shearer. Perfectly screened the ball from the nearest defender and wrong-footed the goalie; all with his weaker foot.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I'm guessing many refer to his first touch with his feet which is where a majority of passes are aimed

Ha! Not watched us much this season? Lukaku's constantly dealing with passes fired at his head/chest. And the way he deals with those sort of passes under pressure is the part of his game that most needs work. When he gets the ball to feet his touch has generally been absolutely fine.

 

[Pass and Move]

I don't think his first touch is too bad, especially considering his size, however I don't know why he's so bad at holding defenders off after that. So often he has his back pressed into the defender, but stands too upright with the ball right under him allowing the defender to nick it away. He needs to hold a Zlatan-esque position, half turned into the defender with his shoulder, and the ball under the foot furthest from the defender.

Find it hard to believe none of the United coaches have addressed this.

 

[breakout67]

What I find funny about this talk of 'first touch' is the widespread belief that fans actually know what a 'first touch' constitutes in relation to player assessment. Not to mention, they are talking about the first touch of a traditional striker.

There are genuinely people saying his 'first touch' is not good enough for a top club, despite the fact that two managers managing top clubs wanted him despite his bad 'first touch'.

Whatever a first touch is, Lukaku has a good enough one to score and assist goals regularly. His bad first touch is also completely irrelevant in many other facets of being a traditional striker as well.

This isn't a centre midfielder, it's a no.9.

 

[sincher]

Ha! Not watched us much this season? Lukaku's constantly dealing with passes fired at his head/chest. And the way he deals with those sort of passes under pressure is the part of his game that most needs work. When he gets the ball to feet his touch has generally been absolutely fine.

Yes. Zlatan was noticeably better at this last season.

Mind you Zlatan is probably one of the all time greats at this side of the game.

 

[harms]

One person said on here that his first touch isn't bad, just inconsistent. I agree with this.

Inconsistent touch is a bad touch. Even I can stop the ball seamlessly from time to time.
Lukaku's touch isn't good — it's bad (and inconsistent). Thankfully he has other attributes.

 

[Bastian]

What I find funny about this talk of 'first touch' is the widespread belief that fans actually know what a 'first touch' constitutes in relation to player assessment. Not to mention, they are talking about the first touch of a traditional striker.

There are genuinely people saying his 'first touch' is not good enough for a top club, despite the fact that two managers managing top clubs wanted him despite his bad 'first touch'.

Whatever a first touch is, Lukaku has a good enough one to score and assist goals regularly. His bad first touch is also completely irrelevant in many other facets of being a traditional striker as well.

This isn't a centre midfielder, it's a no.9.

I think most people who watch football and have an average level intelligence know what a first touch is and can evaluate what level a player's touch is. Sure, it varies in importance in relation to which position a player plays. A centre midfielder with a bad first touch can be a complete liability. While a target man striker can get away with having a weaker first touch. The problem is that when you're at a top club that needs to have more than one way to play, given how the opposition sets up, a striker with a bad first touch limits your options. I don't think the argument holds that because he was signed by top managers he must have a good first touch, he's signed despite that shortcoming because he's got other outstanding attributes. The criticism is valid IMV.

 

[Greck]

Ha! Not watched us much this season? Lukaku's constantly dealing with passes fired at his head/chest. And the way he deals with those sort of passes under pressure is the part of his game that most needs work. When he gets the ball to feet his touch has generally been absolutely fine.

Yes and I can't fault him for not being able to bring down some of the brainless hoofs our players blast in his direction but his first touch with his feet is below average with sprinkles of good in between. People aren't making this stuff up because they hate him...well some do hate him but the rest of us really want to like him so bad but can't stand how his first touch breaks down attacks and the other attackers can rarely play off him with one-twos and slick flicks.

His first and second touches were awful in the first half but he came alive later on and put in a MOTM performance

 

[ZupZup]

He actually had a bad first touch just before he scored because at the time, I was cursing him for it. Sanchez played it to him with his back to goal on the edge of the box... he ended up having to contest a header because the ball just bounced off him into the air... thankfully Chelsea failed to clear their lines despite getting a head on the ball and 10 seconds later, Rom is sticking the ball in the back of the net.

 

[breakout67]

I think most people who watch football and have an average level intelligence know what a first touch is and can evaluate what level a player's touch is. Sure, it varies in importance in relation to which position a player plays. A centre midfielder with a bad first touch can be a complete liability. While a target man striker can get away with having a weaker first touch. The problem is that when you're at a top club that needs to have more than one way to play, given how the opposition sets up, a striker with a bad first touch limits your options. I don't think the argument holds that because he was signed by top managers he must have a good first touch, he's signed despite that shortcoming because he's got other outstanding attributes. The criticism is valid IMV.

Of course everyone knows what a first touch is, it's in the name. But I cannot agree with this idea that casual observers can evaluate a player's first touch to the correct accuracy that is required for a top club. Firstly, 99% of observers are not paid to evaluate these things and spend very little time on evaluating such things. In almost all cases they will just watch games and highlights and form an opinion based on this limited view point. I won't expect an objective opinion from a casual observer.

A scouting network will do 100 times more due diligence in evaulating player attributes and will work with an astronomically higher amount of footage and data. Furthermore, there is this assumption that a good first touch is something high on the list of qualities.

Could Lukaku improve his first touch? Probably. But the simple fact that the club have invested a record amount on a striker with him means that his qualities have been assessed and they are good enough to lead the line. The opinion of United and Mourinho's scouting netwrok is worth infinitely more than the opinion of someone that just 'watches football' (including my own).

 

[lococol]

His first touch against Chelsea right before he scored was ace.

 

[Bastian]

Of course everyone knows what a first touch is, it's in the name. But I cannot agree with this idea that casual observers can evaluate a player's first touch to the correct accuracy that is required for a top club. Firstly, 99% of observers are not paid to evaluate these things and spend very little time on evaluating such things. In almost all cases they will just watch games and highlights and form an opinion based on this limited view point. I won't expect an objective opinion from a casual observer.

A scouting network will do 100 times more due diligence in evaulating player attributes and will work with an astronomically higher amount of footage and data. Furthermore, there is this assumption that a good first touch is something high on the list of qualities.

Could Lukaku improve his first touch? Probably. But the simple fact that the club have invested a record amount on a striker with him means that his qualities have been assessed and they are good enough to lead the line. The opinion of United and Mourinho's scouting netwrok is worth infinitely more than the opinion of someone that just 'watches football' (including my own).

Again, it's the same argument. That because those with superior knowledge (which they definitely have) have decided to purchase him means they view his first touch as good. It's flawed. Like I said, he's got other outstanding attributes and scores loads of goals. It doesn't thereby mean that he can function well in all kinds of styles we might want or need to employ. We could have similar conversations about other players, they all have faults to a degree. My problem with a striker who lacks a decent first touch is I can't remember seeing someone really develop it at his age. It's either there or not, and as many have pointed out, his physical superiority from an early age probably allowed him to dominate without having to really work on it, as lesser players would have had to do. Hopefully he'll improve that part of his game too, the other alternatives are playing other players up top when suitable or tailoring our play exclusively to suit Rom's qualities.

 

[Bobski]

One person said on here that his first touch isn't bad, just inconsistent. I agree with this.

Saying a player has a bad first touch does not mean it is always bad. Rooney was very erratic with it at times, but he would pull out plenty of incredible ones then a 10 yard pass could bounce off him. Lukaku is similar, though not as good touch wise as Rooney, mis-controls balls you expect anyone to take and then does something brilliant when you expect it to fly off him. Makes it somewhat difficult to play off him, runners are never quite sure if he will get it right.

 

[Billy Jim]

He’s got a Rooney-like first touch. When it’s good, it’s really good. When it’s bad...

 

[luke511]

People with weightier legs generally have worse touches, basic physics.

 

[Bobski]

People with weightier legs generally have worse touches, basic physics.

One of the reasons why Zidane was such a beautiful player to watch, only 6 "1 but bulkier than most of the technical wizards, confounded expectation of how he should play with his supreme body control and feel for the game.

 

[Bastian]

People with weightier legs generally have worse touches, basic physics.

I wonder if they train with lighter balls that are harder to control.

 

[Trizy]

Lets be honest, it's like watching a comedy at times. It's like he wants to control it before he thinks what he's going to do with it. And it's not usually balls fired into him, it's the ones when he has his back to goal with a defender on him - they're appalling.
.

That's very common though, same with knowing you're being pressed. He's too focused on holding or the impact of the defender on his back that it takes away from his concentration on his first touch. I bet in training he has a decent first touch touch.

It's something that can be worked on though.

 

[BringNaniBack]

His first touch isn't great but it's more his second touch where he falters. Even when he controls the ball, he looks unsure of what to do next and he often lays it off to no one or fumbles and losses possession. He needs to make quicker decisions when the ball is played to him in tight areas.

 

[Sepukku]

From what I've seen so far, saying his first touch is bad is not necessarily true.

He’s got a Rooney-like first touch. When it’s good, it’s really good. When it’s bad...

This is a good shout, i think.

I would say its his style that looks sloppy not his first touch. He's not silky as Mata, that's for sure. But then again he is scoring goals and creating chances. I don't know. He definitely has what it takes to be the striker we need but it's a matter of form. One thing i loved from the Chelsea game was his amazing run towards the end of the game. To be that big and to run that fast, i don't think I've seen it before.

 

[glazed]

To be that big and to run that fast, i don't think I've seen it before.

It's a bit like Gareth Bale, only bigger. Makes me think he'll have a lot of injuries in his late twenties. It's a mechanical question of how much weight and power you can squeeze through a ligament day in day out.