[LoneStar]

To be honest, I think Rashford has had more game time than he deserves lately.

Yes, he got us the winning goal against Bournemouth, but overall, I think he has been disappointing.

Happy to see him have a proper run in the team though, but only if it's as a central striker, not out wide.

His runs and movement in general helps the team a lot imo. Yeah he doesn't inspire confidence with his finishing, but he occupies the defenders and helps provide space for others.

 

[RuudTom83]

Rest and a diet will do his wonders, I feel in his desire to become a better player he has tried too hard in the gym.

 

[NinjaZombie]

Rest and a diet will do his wonders, I feel in his desire to become a better player he has tried too hard in the gym.

Guy should spend more time on his first touch than in the gym.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Guy should spend more time on his first touch than in the gym.

And less time in the cafeteria.

 

[Giant Midget]

If he’s truly taken time off to lose the excess weight, surely he needs at least 4 weeks to lose 4-5 kgs? Don’t expect him to be too involved in the coming games, in that case.

 

[tomaldinho1]

If he’s truly taken time off to lose the excess weight, surely he needs at least 4 weeks to lose 4-5 kgs? Don’t expect him to be too involved in the coming games, in that case.

We have looked better without him so I expect Jose to now keep him out. I would really like him to disappear and then come back an absolute machine, lean and dynamic like he was at WBA.

 

[AbusementPark]

Have to agree that United are a better team without Lukaku at the minute. Theres more movement up front and interchanging between the front 3, than when Lukaku plays. Looks a more balanced team and a team that can cause problems at anytime. With Lukaku its a bit 1 dimensional, and he rarely gets into the games. With Sanchez or Martial up front, they drop back to midfield to pick the ball up and start creating spaces for one another, hopefully this helps Sanchez rediscover his form.

 

[Nick.]

Should be worried imo.

 

[Lowkey]

Might be harsh but i see him as a plan B if we are 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go. Put him and Fellaini on and lump balls into the box. It is effective and a genuine option.

 

[Sylar]

Hes lost a lot of his movement that he had. Even when compared to last season. The time on the sideline has been good for United, and hopefully it is for him as well if he recaptures some of the desire needed.

 

[sunama]

Might be harsh but i see him as a plan B if we are 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go. Put him and Fellaini on and lump balls into the box. It is effective and a genuine option.

Lukaku is not good at receiving long balls. He loses most of the long balls to shorter/smaller defenders.
He doesn't seem to be good in the air, either.
His first touch is terrible.
What he can do is chase balls over the top, but at present, he can't do that, due to poor form and weight issues.
I would say that Lukaku, is not a target man (which seems strange, given his physical attributes).

IMO, Fellaini is far more dangerous, as a target man, if that's what you want.

One thing that Lukaku is good at is work-rate. The guy works very hard (though at his current weight, he can't work hard as he gets tired after 10 minutes).

 

[gr3yham3]

I still think that Lukaku will do his best work for us as a right winger/forward. He will give any LB problems with his pace and size, and puts in a good cross too. Out on the flanks also means more space for him when his touches go awry.

 

[robinrooney]

Really hope he doesn't play on Sunday. We play so much better without him in the team. Even Fellaini (a player much derided by me and others in the past) offers much more of a threat as a target man than Lukaku. I'd play him before even thinking of using Lukaku.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Hopefully he just needed a break. He played way too much in the beginning of the season considering he also had a long World Cup, and I think it showed. He is nowhere near as bad as his latest run of performances, so he should be able to regain some form.

If I remember correctly he also had a bad run last season and came back stronger. I would let him start at least one of the home games against Crystal Palace and Young Boys after the international break.

 

[Cee90]

I still think that Lukaku will do his best work for us as a right winger/forward. He will give any LB problems with his pace and size, and puts in a good cross too. Out on the flanks also means more space for him when his touches go awry.

Not for me.

Sure, he can put in a good cross when he has the time and space, but can you really see him dribbling past defenders and then putting in a good cross on a regular basis?

He is a striker.

 

[MaREDcus]

Might be harsh but i see him as a plan B if we are 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go. Put him and Fellaini on and lump balls into the box. It is effective and a genuine option.

Totally agree, I would prefer to start Sanchez, Rashford or Martial ahead of this guy. I never see Lukaku making runs behind to stretch the defense and free up room thru the middle. Its way to slow and compact when he starts up top, this is due to his horrible touch, lack of movement and awful passing.

 

[AbusementPark]

Hopefully he doesnt start on Sunday, the formation is a lot more fluid without him and Sanchez seems to be finding a bit of form and getting some success up front. Only worry is around whether or not Pogba will be fit.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

Not for me.

Sure, he can put in a good cross when he has the time and space, but can you really see him dribbling past defenders and then putting in a good cross on a regular basis?

He is a striker.

A striker can play as a right sided striker or RF not a right winger - they require two separate things & is fundamentally one of Jose's biggest problems.

Players like Rashford & Martial are better as sided forwards than playing purely as a winger or purely as a single target man.

Lukaku fits in to being a sided striker than a winger or a target man

 

[Renegade]

Might be harsh but i see him as a plan B if we are 1-0 down with 10 minutes to go. Put him and Fellaini on and lump balls into the box. It is effective and a genuine option.

That’s one expensive plan B.

 

[Rozay]

Contrary to popular opinion it seems, I am hopeful he is fit for the derby. Not that I want him to play, but I do want Rashford to play. No Lukaku increases the likelihood of ‘we have to keep Rashford back so that we have a forward option in the bench’. Lukaku can be that guy. Playing a false winger on the right will play in to City’s hands. We absolutely need to pose a genuine fast threat on the right, otherwise Martial will have an ineffective game on the left, pressed and harried by two or three players as soon as he gets it.

Martial and Rashford as wide threats will help us defensively by occupying more men. Mata or Lingard will simply be chased back and dispossessed if they are threatening. They won’t need men to stay on them.

 

[gr3yham3]

A striker can play as a right sided striker or RF not a right winger - they require two separate things & is fundamentally one of Jose's biggest problems.

Players like Rashford & Martial are better as sided forwards than playing purely as a winger or purely as a single target man.

Lukaku fits in to being a sided striker than a winger or a target man

Lukaku is also the only left footed attacker we have, and Jose likes to play with inverted wingers/forwards. From the times I have seen Lukaku out on the right, he does more than a decent job.

I think his dribbling when given space to run at a defender 1v1 is not too bad. It's when the space is tighter and he had to deal with more than 1 defender when his lack of close control betrays him. Aerially he will give any LB a huge problem to deal with as well.

 

[Aloysius's Back 3]

Lukaku is also the only left footed attacker we have, and Jose likes to play with inverted wingers/forwards. From the times I have seen Lukaku out on the right, he does more than a decent job.

I think his dribbling when given space to run at a defender 1v1 is not too bad. It's when the space is tighter and he had to deal with more than 1 defender when his lack of close control betrays him. Aerially he will give any LB a huge problem to deal with as well.

The thing with Lukaku is - all we have him currently be is a target man who plays centrally which handicaps his own current game as well as the game of others around him.

Forget Sanchez for one sec & picture this -

Rashford(RS) - Lukaku (LS)
Martial (SS)

Lukaku's strength is more running behind the defence that necessarily try to take his man on ( that again is the role of a winger & not a sided striker). However just because Lukaku struggles as a target man centrally having all the balls coming to him - doesn't mean he will struggle as a Right sided forward that the left sided forwards like Rashford & Martial play off of him. That stuff could be deadly.

A left footed on the run sort of target man on the right and having Rashford & Martial playing off him just off to the left of him.

Can you imagine martial starting the attacks from deep, laying the ball to Lukaku to the right & then martial overlapping Rashford to receive the ball on the left. if they don't score then Lukaku will automatically be at the back post anyway due to his placement.

Rashford could be deadly predatory in that situation.

Sanchez could replace anyone in that front line & do just as well or better. Lingard himself could be the more defensive version of martial the ss whilst fellaini can come and replace him as a emergency target man.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Is it bad that I'm hoping he fails a fitness test?

 

[Red14Devil9]

Lukaku is currently in terrible form and I hope he doesn't play against City. Despite this, he will eventually comeback to form, so long term he still has a great future at the club.

 

[charlenefan]

I know he won the pen but seriously what else did he do? Even the pen was a Ederson mistake. Sanchez as a 9 would have been better

 

[RedBrickWall]

Looks about 18 stone, which isn’t surprising the little amount of pressing he does just seems to point and want everybody else to do it.

 

[Jed I. Knight]

I know he won the pen but seriously what else did he do? Even the pen was a Ederson mistake. Sanchez as a 9 would have been better

He looked worse than ever. That Ederson blooper aside, I can’t recall a single situation where he didn’t concede possession.

 

[acnumber9]

I know he won the pen but seriously what else did he do? Even the pen was a Ederson mistake. Sanchez as a 9 would have been better

Nothing. Worse than Rashford probably. He actually won a few headers.

 

[GledTheRed]

Horseshit, invites so much pressure as the ball never sticks to him.

 

[Hammondo]

Cannot play football from the looks of it.

 

[Nico87]

I don't understand that tactic of playing long balls to him as for a big man he doesn't really win many headers, he weirdly jumps several seconds before the ball arrives.

 

[FootyGirl88]

He's not good enough - needs to go along with Jose. He can't even do the basics like hold the ball up.

 

[redom]

Everything about him looks heavy at the moment, the way he moves, his touch, his breathing. It's a good job that run for the penalty was within minutes of him coming on otherwise I don't see him winning that.

 

[Godfather]

He looks way too heavy

 

[Heinzesight]

Touch of trampoline. Cannot stand the sight of him. Sanchez up top would’ve at least made the ball stick a bit more. I really hope he’s not back in the starting XI.

 

[el3mel]

He did well for the pen but then back to his usual self. Can't blame him anymore. We shouldn't have bought him to start with. Hopefully we sell in summer and bring someone in. This level is too high for him.

 

[Stadjer]

Made a run and got a penalty... thats about it.

 

[MDFC Manager]

Should have taken him off right after he won the penalty. Was never going to contribute anything more.

 

[Kopral Jono]

All I know is that Lukaku is a much better footballer than what we've been seeing in recent months. I'm tired of seeing this Sunday league version of him.

 

[Santoryo]

Won us the penalty. But he seriously need to somehow work on his touch, it's actually gotten worse, he even failed to hold up some balls from soft like passes.

Though today I won't blame our attacking players much, the tactics were awful and they never got any chance to get going and play any decent football.