Lukaku gets too much flak. Sure, his finishing could be better but what he brings to our overall game is invaluable.
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 45
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
Good for his confidence to score a brace last night. The following games won't be easy at all (Watford away) and then Wolves at home, so we need him at his best and scoring for fun.
He could have easily scored 3/4 goals yesterday, but as some you said before, what he brings to the team (energy, power, runs) it's invaluable.
He could have easily scored 3/4 goals yesterday, but as some you said before, what he brings to the team (energy, power, runs) it's invaluable.
If Lukaku has the touch/technique and guile of Berba along with his current work-rate and physicality, he would be worth 200m
Funnily enough, I didn't need any goals from Lukaku against Burnley to validate my high opinion of him. His previous goalscoring record has already validated it. You're the one seemingly hung up on certain incidents, in certain games, rather than looking at the big picture.
But they are playing for inferior teams, they have to do the entire job themselves. Lukaku feeds on the brilliant players around him, getting it all on a plate. (This post was written in an ironic tone).
And if my nan had wheels, she would have been a caravan.
I finally got around to watching the Tottenham game, and what struck me is that Lukaku is just missing that extra bit of craft and guile, the kind that RVP showed in his first season with us. Now of course that's a pretty high standard to hold him to, but then again, we spent over 70 million on him, so it's not exactly an unreasonable expectation. He seems to often just clatter shots into the defenders shins, whereas RVP would manoeuvre around till he found the right angle to unleash an unstoppable shot.
Anyway, I think he was much better yesterday. Watching the Tottenham game, and the uproar over the non-penalty against Jones, I fail to see why there wasn't similar following Mee's push on Lukakau (never mind the ridiculous moment later where picked the ball up from the ground.)
Anyway, I think he was much better yesterday. Watching the Tottenham game, and the uproar over the non-penalty against Jones, I fail to see why there wasn't similar following Mee's push on Lukakau (never mind the ridiculous moment later where picked the ball up from the ground.)
I take Burnley as a good step in the right direction for him - I honestly wouldn't have had him down for scoring the first goal, based off his first 2 performances. Should have had a pen and gave their CBs, who we know are notoriously difficult to play against, a really bad time. I'm much more confident he can take another step forward against Watford, or at least put up a similar performance. Keep it coming Rom - we need you!
Drogba is way down the list if EPL scorers. He isn't the model goalscorer as he only hit 20 goals twice. Drogba did a job upfront a lot of the time. His strength was that he could not score but still get MoTM. Like Giroud on steroids
I almost bite before I read till the end.
I can breathe easy again.
I re-watched the game again last night and I think Lukaku seriously gets way too much flak.
While he isn't the most clinical of strikers, he is also not that poor at converting his chances. I feel that like Andy Cole, his reputation precedes him.
For the game yesterday, I thought most of his misses were not that bad actually.
In the first half when Sanchez put him through, he tried to chip Hart from an acute angle and almost succeeded. Hart pulled off a good save by staying on his feet and making himself big, along with his quick reflexes.
The chance where he rounded Hart, he was clearly fouled by Mee and with a competent ref he would have earned a penalty and potentially a sending off for Mee.
Then of cause there was the handball incident.
The only chance that I thought he should have done better was when he created his own chance out of nothing and ran down the left lane for that one on one with Hart. He shot too straight at Hart, making it easy for him to save.
All in all, he converted two chances and had a couple of shots saved. That's about the norm for most elite strikers. Somehow we like to perceive others players to be scoring machines that doesn't miss chances. That is simply not the case.
When I look back at the three one on one chances Lukaku had during the match, he tried a lob, a dribble past the gk, and a low shot. Plenty of variety there and on another day, he would have scored more. Besides the goals and misses, he also played very well in other aspects of the game.
While he isn't the most clinical of strikers, he is also not that poor at converting his chances. I feel that like Andy Cole, his reputation precedes him.
For the game yesterday, I thought most of his misses were not that bad actually.
In the first half when Sanchez put him through, he tried to chip Hart from an acute angle and almost succeeded. Hart pulled off a good save by staying on his feet and making himself big, along with his quick reflexes.
The chance where he rounded Hart, he was clearly fouled by Mee and with a competent ref he would have earned a penalty and potentially a sending off for Mee.
Then of cause there was the handball incident.
The only chance that I thought he should have done better was when he created his own chance out of nothing and ran down the left lane for that one on one with Hart. He shot too straight at Hart, making it easy for him to save.
All in all, he converted two chances and had a couple of shots saved. That's about the norm for most elite strikers. Somehow we like to perceive others players to be scoring machines that doesn't miss chances. That is simply not the case.
When I look back at the three one on one chances Lukaku had during the match, he tried a lob, a dribble past the gk, and a low shot. Plenty of variety there and on another day, he would have scored more. Besides the goals and misses, he also played very well in other aspects of the game.
Is there any other angle for that Lukaku's miss? One where he rounded the keeper and was brought down by Ben Mee?
We should analyse Kane’s miss at the end of of the Watford game as well.
And the header against us that was an absolute sitter. Kane is actually playing pretty shit right now, but still the media laud him. I'm so sick of the way people just trot out opinions as though they never watched the game. Fair enough when it's journos watching highlights or just wanting to continue the agenda. But when it's our own fans, I just don't get it. It's as though you've already made your mind up and nothing is going to change it. We've been playing much better football these last two games and anyone with eyes can see that. Lukaku played pretty damn well against Burnley. And his hold up play has improved so much. He links up way better than he gets credit for. But then one bad touch and everyone jumps on it. Here's hoping he continues the good work, against Watford.
or Aguero's one on one miss with GK.
If we remember his best games only. Drogba was also inconsistent player, he had perfect ending to his Chelsea career so all his shit seasons are sort of forgotten.
Drogba was brilliant for Mourinho, even if he scored more goals under other managers. He scored 10 and 12 league goals in 2004/5 and 2005/6, and was one of the best attacking players in Europe those seasons. He later scored 29 in 32 games for Ancelotti not because he was better, but because his role was different.
Mou generally don’t set up hus teams for the striker to score that much compared to other lone strikers at winning teams: Helder Postiga, Benni McCarthy, Didier Drogba, Diego Milito, Karim Benzema, Diego Costa would always be below or just above the 20 mark in the league. Of these I’d rank Drogba the highest, and Costa, Benzema and Lukaku in an even field behind him.
Think he was great against Burnley. Challenge from Mee was never a penalty either in my opinion. Was just about ‘contact’, but no trip, pull or push. Lukaku just simply didn’t know he was there, and was put off as soon as Mee arrived.
It’s clearly contact, first Mee, at full speed, hits his hips from behind, then holds him from behind with both arms, and lastly kicks the side of his legs. All this from behind, and without ever being close to contact with the ball.
Had it been Sanchez, even to Moss it would have been a stonewall red card and a pen. I’m guessing his neanderbrain goes: ‘Well, its probably contact, but that Lukaku is a strong guy, he should handle it’. Which, for a ref, is as stupid as saying ‘well, he clipped his heels from behind, but that Rashford is a fast lad, he should just have run faster’.
Not for me. Think your description of the incident is far more extravagant than the reality.
No doubt the handball was as blatant as anything, but the penalty was no stonewaller by a long-shot. ‘Hits him, grabs him, kicks him’ - not how I saw it. There was clearly contact, but not a significant one.
Instead he has the touch/technique and guile of of my nan.
I'm as biased anyone towards us but after couple of replies I don't think it's a penalty to be honest, he lost his footing.
Because all those things happened. Significantly enough to not score in an empty net.
And why did he lose his footing? Do you think he would have fell over and missed the goal by himself over if there was no contact?
Right now he's neither good enough to be a match winning striker for a title challenging team nor is he bad enough to be discarded completely. He could do with improving certain aspects of his game. An intelligent player will know their weaknesses well and adapt their style so that they don't show up too often. His manager can help him with developing his game focussing on his strengths. The fact that he seems to be just as good as he was at Everton is not a good reflection on him. A player of his age should be able to improve significantly over a couple of years. I'm not denying he has made some improvements but they're not significant enough to make him a better overall player. Looking at the positives, he is still young and has a great attitude. He should be able to learn and improve with some good guidance.
All that is objective, rational thinking. Personally I hate seeing him play for any team, let alone United. I absolutely detest the way he tries to play and believe players like him are a total liability for any team trying to play good football. That's just my subjective opinion though.
All that is objective, rational thinking. Personally I hate seeing him play for any team, let alone United. I absolutely detest the way he tries to play and believe players like him are a total liability for any team trying to play good football. That's just my subjective opinion though.
It was a clear penalty. It was perhaps not that easy to spot at first, but you could even see it on Mee's look afterwards that he knew he was lucky to get away with it. Moss was atrocious throughout the match! The handball incident is a red card, in my book as well, robbing Lukaku from a scoring opportunity.
Of course it doesn't take a lot of contact from the back for Lukaku to lose his footing when going past the goalie, setting himself up and being pushed in the back - clear free kick, clear penalty.
He is good enough to be in a title winning team but not good enough to be our only & main attacking threat/option.
Lukaku was wearing Christmas underwear during the Burnley game, has anyone else seen the pics? Lol
His scoring record is insane.
But he's shit because he misses a lot of chances.
But he's shit because he misses a lot of chances.
Brilliant player.
You think no other striker could score from service by Hazard / De Bruyne / Mertens / Meunier etc etc?
Of course chance conversion is important, especially at crucial moments
It’s certainty not insane for Utd, it’s just about par for a striker at a top side.
Let me guess - Grant Holt?
Chances mean he's getting into the right position. The kind of insane lethalness of Ronaldo or Messi may never happen, but he'll mature and make more of them count.
His international scoring record is ‘insane’ with something like 75% of his goals coming against seriously overmatched teams.
I will just say there is nothing insane about 16 league goals in a season at the 2nd placed club. He's not an extraordinary goalscorer, just kind of keeping up with other good but not great goalscorers, with some of them offering much more in open play.
Not really, he faces the same level of oppostion that other top countries face.
Plus he seems to score in every game, he doesn't just stat pad every other game.
This kind of stuff is ridiculous. If it was another striker for any team that isn't United then you along with everyone who criticises Lukaku would be saying we should sign the player. He scores at an exceptional rate for Belgium, the amount of goals he has scored for Belgium is not to be sniffed at.
He has a similar goals record to Kane in the PL, has scored the same amount of PL goals as Drogba in 20 less games, but he gets lots of criticism and people call him average or just a good player. Whereas the former 2 are being/were classed as World Class.
It is only because Lukaku plays for United that he gets the stick that he does. If he played for City or Spurs etc people would be saying different things about him.
- Status