Can’t say I agree at all. He can control a ball for starters and has the intelligence to create as well.
We will never win the league with Lukaku up front
- Thread starter BringNaniBack
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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?
Nothing to do with Lukaku, you could put Messi up there with the service we’re offering our attackers he’d do feck all as well.
The problem is playing out from the back...we simply don’t do it. We hoof balls up at Lukaku all game and just ask him to deal with it. We usually play with 3 midfielders (or 2 and a #10 just in front) and we bypass them most of the time rendering the tactics and midfielders useless in attacking situations.
Complete waste of time.
The problem is playing out from the back...we simply don’t do it. We hoof balls up at Lukaku all game and just ask him to deal with it. We usually play with 3 midfielders (or 2 and a #10 just in front) and we bypass them most of the time rendering the tactics and midfielders useless in attacking situations.
Complete waste of time.
Fits Mourinho's front man formula ON PAPER but when you watch him week in, week out you see he was a good player in an average team (Everton) and we bought a pup. He is nowhere near good enough for the level of trophies/opposition we want to be involved with.
To make it worse, Jose is not playing to his abilities. He can't play too far away from teammates (because his touch/control isn't good enough) but we isolate him. He needs quick play (whether a through ball or attack down the wing/quick cross) and Jose's tactics (safety) mean we do neither of them.
Jose isnt going to go gung ho or anywhere close to it so Lukaku will score goals but never be good enough for us to challenge at the highest levels.
Sell him, bite the bullet, ignore the jibes and move on - we did it with Di Maria. Either buy a front man who has better control and can do more by himself or play a fast/interchanging front line (2-3 out of Rashford, Martial, Sanchez and maybe Lingard or Mata).
To make it worse, Jose is not playing to his abilities. He can't play too far away from teammates (because his touch/control isn't good enough) but we isolate him. He needs quick play (whether a through ball or attack down the wing/quick cross) and Jose's tactics (safety) mean we do neither of them.
Jose isnt going to go gung ho or anywhere close to it so Lukaku will score goals but never be good enough for us to challenge at the highest levels.
Sell him, bite the bullet, ignore the jibes and move on - we did it with Di Maria. Either buy a front man who has better control and can do more by himself or play a fast/interchanging front line (2-3 out of Rashford, Martial, Sanchez and maybe Lingard or Mata).
The whole team looks like an expensive mistake atm, I'm still hoping it all clicks somehow.
He was bad tonight, technique let him down badly, however I saw enough to suggest he will win the game for Utd at OT, physically he has the beating of their defenders, a more aggressive Utd should give him the ammunition to prove it.
That's because we have seen him do it in limited action this year. Its a different story when you're asked to permanently carry the water for the starting XI week in and week out. He could be as effective as Lukaku, but he wouldn't be a solution. We need a proper world class striker.
I like Lukaku I really do.. However he is not good enough to be a premier league winning striker.
Unfortunately I don't think he ever will be.
Unfortunately I don't think he ever will be.
I like him, but tbf, it'll be pretty damning if he didn't score in any big game in the remaining part of the season. Better wait and see.
Does not really win that many headers and duels for being a big man. Looses to smaller and weaker defenders. And his touch. His touch.... Still suitable against clubs parking the bus(oh wait? Thats us....)
This manchester United team is not set up to play fluid attacking football, which certainly doesn't help Lukaku.
That said, he plays like he's an elite athlete from another sport. Like it's all just a commercial gig "sport swap - elite rugby player gets a chance up top with Manchester united". The ball bounces off him, his timing is off and there is no intuition that screams of intent and having done it a thousand times before. When he got the volley opportunity today VS sevilla I saw van Persie before my inner eye and how he would have buried it, or atleast hit a clean hit on target. While Lukakus strike soared high over the crossbar, this moment of reminiscence faded away and all I saw was a player on too big a stage.
That said, he plays like he's an elite athlete from another sport. Like it's all just a commercial gig "sport swap - elite rugby player gets a chance up top with Manchester united". The ball bounces off him, his timing is off and there is no intuition that screams of intent and having done it a thousand times before. When he got the volley opportunity today VS sevilla I saw van Persie before my inner eye and how he would have buried it, or atleast hit a clean hit on target. While Lukakus strike soared high over the crossbar, this moment of reminiscence faded away and all I saw was a player on too big a stage.
I was actually surprised Lukaku even connected cleanly with that volley, despite it being a side foot and going miles off target.
Let’s face it, he’s no Drogba or Diego Costa is he?
So yeah I go along with the sentiment of the OP on the evidence so far.
Then again, there was a dearth of available top quality centre forwards when we had to buy one, so what can you do?
So yeah I go along with the sentiment of the OP on the evidence so far.
Then again, there was a dearth of available top quality centre forwards when we had to buy one, so what can you do?
Its sad how people just love to scapegoat him. Yes he must improve like any other player but to blame him after every bad performance by the team is becoming a chore. I get some just don't like him but he is no donkey, he hardly gets a service , he puts in his 100% trying to fight 3 players. Maybe Jose is liking the way he is playing and we fans have some other expectations with him.
At times ( like last night) he looks like a clusterfeck of a footballer with very poor skill and drive. Bulky, very one footed and never wins long balls. Poor service has nothing to do with class!
And when he wins an aerial duel, there is no one around to help him out. It's crazy football to me. If we're playing to most rudimentary style of football, let's do it correctly and flank him by runners.
He is made a scapegoat, our team just hoof the ball and when wins the headers there are no one near to him.
Thread should be "we will never win the league with Jose".
Thread should be "we will never win the league with Jose".
Good effort in general once again from the big man! Should have scored one there? Try to loose the ball less!
I think Jose's system is asking too much of him. He is more RVN than Henry and he needs good service.
He's more prime Hernandez than RVN is what you meant to say
He wasn't great but he was given a really rough assignment. I don't think any recent United striker other than RvP or maybe Berba could have held the ball up today- alone against 4 defenders, nobody making runs beyond him, and all the midfielders playing deep.
Further, there is no pattern to our build-up play which means he always gets the ball pinged in fast or lobbed up high at him, back to goal, with at least 1, probably 2 defenders right at his back.
Further, there is no pattern to our build-up play which means he always gets the ball pinged in fast or lobbed up high at him, back to goal, with at least 1, probably 2 defenders right at his back.
He's been our best player this season for me.
I know it's easy to say that when he's the striker, but if you look at games where the team hasn't been great and someone has bailed them out, it's almost invariably been either him or De Gea.
For all the moaning about him not being good enough against the other top sides...the three games we've won against top six opponents this season, he's been excellent in each and scored or set up vital goals.
Games where we've not played particularly well and Lukaku has either scored or set up the winning goal:
Chesea (h)
Spurs (h)
Brighton (h)
Huddersfield (h)
Huddersfield (cup)
Burnley (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Southampton (a)
That's not including all the other games he's scored or contributed in at vital times where other players have also done similar. Not sure this can apply to anywhere near the same extent to any of our other players barring De Gea.
The criticism at this point just looks like people determined not to admit they are wrong. I was sceptical of whether he offered enugh as a player when we signed him, but when nearly every goal we score is as a result of good play by him, which seems to frequently involve him beating defenders by himself, eventually you just have to accept that what you thought initially might be a load of bollocks.
I know it's easy to say that when he's the striker, but if you look at games where the team hasn't been great and someone has bailed them out, it's almost invariably been either him or De Gea.
For all the moaning about him not being good enough against the other top sides...the three games we've won against top six opponents this season, he's been excellent in each and scored or set up vital goals.
Games where we've not played particularly well and Lukaku has either scored or set up the winning goal:
Chesea (h)
Spurs (h)
Brighton (h)
Huddersfield (h)
Huddersfield (cup)
Burnley (a)
Bournemouth (h)
Southampton (a)
That's not including all the other games he's scored or contributed in at vital times where other players have also done similar. Not sure this can apply to anywhere near the same extent to any of our other players barring De Gea.
The criticism at this point just looks like people determined not to admit they are wrong. I was sceptical of whether he offered enugh as a player when we signed him, but when nearly every goal we score is as a result of good play by him, which seems to frequently involve him beating defenders by himself, eventually you just have to accept that what you thought initially might be a load of bollocks.
I agree.
One good half and suddenly he's class again according to some. He has one good game and then 5 poor games. Play every week and you are bound to have a decent game eventually.
Great goal and assist today. Doesn't make me forget how woeful he has been for months.
Great goal and assist today. Doesn't make me forget how woeful he has been for months.
He can and he will.
Need to be more consistent next season.
No more Big Game Curse.
Close thread.
Need to be more consistent next season.
No more Big Game Curse.
Close thread.
21 goals and 6 assists is woeful?
7 assists actually.21 goals and 6 assists is woeful?
Yes woeful. Crouch would have scored a similar amount in this team and actually has better feet and hold up play than Lukaku.21 goals and 6 assists is woeful?
A goal here and there doesn't make up for the break down of play and the poor link up play that we encounter 9 times out of 10 when Lukaku is given the ball. We'd score more without him in the team.
I can guarantee we wouldn’t score more. Who is going to get the goals? He is better than Rashford and Martial.The man was the match winner against Chelsea and some people are still happy to criticise. The same people who would have used him as the scapegoat if United lost today.
I don't even...
I agree with the OP. I think well never win the League with Lukaku up front. With him on the right flank however...
Well it doesn’t matter, 21 goals and 7 assists in his first season at the club is woeful. He should have 50 goals and 30 assists already. Disgraceful.
He had some great moments today but let's not get carried away, he still has big flaws to his game which are a major hindrance when thing's aren't going to plan.
Teams that perform in the big games win leagues, and even after today we've been shit in them for several reasons.
Teams that perform in the big games win leagues, and even after today we've been shit in them for several reasons.
Go to sleep, that comment is embarrassing.
Dreadful scenes
Don’t drink and post.
He isn't better than Martial at all. Rashford is debatable. What is he better at? Big tall and athletic? Lukaku is a better header of the ball, that's about it.
The man was the match winner against Chelsea and some people are still happy to criticise. The same people who would have used him as the scapegoat if United lost today.
Martial, Sanchez and Lingard would score plenty as a front 3. We wouldn't have a target man but our football would be so much more fluid and it would lead to more goals.
The Crouch comment was obviously tongue in cheek but I genuinely think most decent strikers would do just as well as Lukaku in this team and I do think we'd be a better team without him.
People call it knee jerk when the forum slates a player after a loss or a bad game, well this is the other side of the coin. Lukaku has one good game and everyone forgets how poor he's been.
He destroys so many of our attacks with his terrible feet but that is always brushed under the carpet.
People call it knee jerk when the forum slates a player after a loss or a bad game, well this is the other side of the coin. Lukaku has one good game and everyone forgets how poor he's been.
He destroys so many of our attacks with his terrible feet but that is always brushed under the carpet.
I think some people are seeing this as a kind of Van Nistelrooy situation, as great as Ruud was (one of my favourite United forwards ever) and how many goals he scored, it can be argued that the team benefited greatly, more, when we played someone like Saha with Rooney instead of him. Now they aren't at all similar players, I think Van Nistelrooy was a better goal scorer and was far better technically than Lukaku, but I think for some people trying to argue against Lukaku here it's a similar sort of situation. Personally I'm not sure what to make of it yet, he had a great game today, but he's also had some really bad ones this season and calls for him to be dropped have been justified in my opinion.
Props on him today though, battled like mad and won us the match against a top opponent. But I think people on both sides are too quick to go either way; For example, we wont win the league with Lukaku upfront even though he hasn't had a full season with us yet is a pretty irrational statement to make currently, but then the other side of it is, well Lukaku has been poor a lot this season, through his fault or not, but then he has one good game and everyone's quick to jump on the "HA, see, told you!" bandwagon and completely forgetting the past performances like nothing happened and putting aside peoples genuine concerns with him in the first place, today was fantastic absolutely, so lets hope both sides can agree on that and hope we have more performances like that from him going forward
Props on him today though, battled like mad and won us the match against a top opponent. But I think people on both sides are too quick to go either way; For example, we wont win the league with Lukaku upfront even though he hasn't had a full season with us yet is a pretty irrational statement to make currently, but then the other side of it is, well Lukaku has been poor a lot this season, through his fault or not, but then he has one good game and everyone's quick to jump on the "HA, see, told you!" bandwagon and completely forgetting the past performances like nothing happened and putting aside peoples genuine concerns with him in the first place, today was fantastic absolutely, so lets hope both sides can agree on that and hope we have more performances like that from him going forward
I find it amazing how people will go out of their way to criticise one of our best players.
I, broadly, agree with noodle, he's been fantastic in pretty much all areas of his game and I never expected him to be as good as he's been.
Have to say I wasn't sure about him when he signed, but he's been a goal machine, really.
Very glad we didn't sign Morata instead.
I, broadly, agree with noodle, he's been fantastic in pretty much all areas of his game and I never expected him to be as good as he's been.
Have to say I wasn't sure about him when he signed, but he's been a goal machine, really.
Very glad we didn't sign Morata instead.
Give over honestly. Lukaku is better than Martial and saying it is debatable that he is better than Rashford doesn’t even deserve a response but I will give one anyway. If Lukaku was from Manchester everyone would buzz about him like they do Rashford.
For starters Lukaku is better at hold up play, than both of them. Better in the air and is a clinical goalscorer when given the service.
There is a reason he has 98 premier league goals before the age of 25.
Rashford runs the ball out of play all the time and runs into a dead end. Martial has fancy dribbling and footwork and is great at beating a man. But just because Lukaku is not flashy doesn’t mean he isn’t better.