Romelu Lukaku | Match Discussion thread 2017/18

Status
Not open for further replies.
Good performance? Did we watch different matches? He was awful.

Misplaced 5+ 2 yard passes
 
Thought he made much better runs then his done all season. He was strong and physical. Picked out a lovely pass for Alexis who should have done better.

For me he lead that line own his own so much better then his done in recent weeks and gave us a platform to build off. Yeah his passing was off at times but Rom isn't and hasn't claimed to be the best passer. Work to be done still on his game no doubt, but I thought he looked alot better today
 
Good performance for a long while and he still ends up on the losing side.
 
FA Cup: Huddersfield Town v Manchester United - 17th February 2018

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
Two lovely goals from Rom today and some nice build up play from him.

21 goals for the season in all comps so far for the big man.
 
He was excellent for both goals. The way he turned the defender for the first was awesome. The second was due to a brilliant pass not that I am taking any credit away from him. Excellent finishing from him.
 
Was good to see a link between him and Sanchez for the 2nd goal. Very good work for the first goal where he firstly holds the ball up, plays it to Mata and then turns and Mata passes behind the defence. More of this and less hoofs in his direction.
 
15 of his 21 goals have either been the first or second goal. That's 71%. The thought that he only scores the 3rd or 4th goal in a riot can be put to bed.

He currently has 12 league goals. I'd like to see him reach 20 for the season.
 
I think the issue is he’s being judged against the worlds best strikers now he’s at Utd a bit like Benzema at Madrid is 20 league goals enough especially when you don’t have Ronaldo hitting 50 from the wing like he’s had previously and he isn’t as silky as Benzema as a player either.

30 in all comps would be a decent return but it’s something to build on for next season.

The good news is his link play is improving through the season but he’s probably never going to be that 1 man front line that Drogba or Costa was in big games that allowed Chelsea to play the way they did.

That’s 21 goals in 38 games slightly better than 1 in 2 which is what you expected from strikers until a few years back now it’s more like 1 in 1.5 which is probably where he needs to get himself to.

I hope he gets a big goal a winner vs Chelsea or Liverpool or in Seville might do him some good and help get the haters off his back a Utd number 9 needs to score big goals in big games.
 
We were better at creating chances for Ibra last year, perhaps because of him but Lukaku has been better at converting chances this season, his misses have been highlighted a lot more than Ibra's. Ibra averaged 4.1 shots per game in the league last season, Lukaku just 2.7 a game this season. He could be doing better but I think others could be doing more for him too, you'd expect an improvement next season and hopefully this from him and others too.

Harsh on Lingard as he's done well but 4-3-3 with Matic, Pogba and one of the others behind the front 3 that played yesterday is the way to go for me. With Martial, Rashford and Lingard providing alternatives. Taking an attacker away but Pogba with licence to roam and contribute more in the final third makes a bigger difference in attack than any of Martial, Rashford and Lingard at this stage of their careers.
 
Think Ibra shot per game stats are higher as he attempts a lot more shots from distance plus free kicks which Lukaku hasn’t really attempted Lukaku tends to go more for more safe chances whereas Ibra took high risk low reward shots.

If you had a shot comparison I would guess that 90% of Lukaku shots are from inside the box whereas Ibra was probably close to 70%.
 
Champions League: Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United - 21st February 2018

35 touches against Sevilla, lost 18

you can't play counter attack with a player that poor. I still think this was the wrong purchase, not all the others. Need to stick Rashford or Sanchez in there. All the big games he goes missing.
 
I think there's 2 parts to it though he's got to do more but he needs help from the team last night he was so isolated normally trying to control a long ball against 2 centre backs and their holding mid.

I do feel that a team on the front foot more he would score a lot more goals but playing this way he's not really any use.

I blame the tactics almost as much as I blame the player because this is exactly what happened at Everton he had a poor record against top sides because most of the times vs a top team they'd just pump the ball long to him and he couldn't really do anything with it. If we wanted a big hold up guy we might as well have signed Giroud or Llorente and saved ourselves a fortune in the summer.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea - 25th February 2018

Goal and an assist.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
He was very good today. When he runs at defenders they don't want to touch him. When he does being a ball under control his so strong and powerful they can't push him off it. He was active all game. He was working hard. And he took his goal really well. Plus that cross for Lingard was fantastic.

Yes his touch and his passing needs massive work. But the last few games his doing more and more positive things. 22 goals for the season and there's still loads to improve on, is a great sign of things to come.
 
Big goal and a big performance in a big game safe to say the big man needed that one.

Wasn’t perfect but provided 3 moments of real quality his goal, his assist and the acrobatic effort that forced the save from Courtois.
 
Before we hype it too much the performance before the goal was horrendous. Great last 50 mins but the first 38 were one of the worst performances I’ve seen from a professional footballer. One time he got the ball under control with his first touch accidentally knocked it 3 yards away with his second.

But credit where it’s due. Was fantastic after that. The goal was a real confidence boost.
 
I agree with what your saying his first touch, it isnt great and that massively affects his overall game and the team going forward. But I think alot of it is confidence and over thinking things because when he acts in the moment his capable of doing things like he did in the build up for the winning goal.

What I would say is if you look at the bigger picture here we've got a 24 year old record goal scorer for his country, who's already scored almost 100 premier league goals. Yet he has a big flaw in his game with that first touch. Surely that is something that with the right coaching and time spent on the training field, he will eventually eradicate it from his game?

I've had issue with Rom this year which I've said on here before, that we doesn't move alot or bully center backs like he should, given his size and pace. But against Huddersfield, Newcastle and again yesterday he was very good at those things. That's a Chelsea side that have got alot of clean sheets this season and the longer it went on the more and more they struggled to handle him. So yeah his got flaws in his game but his still young still learning and his scoring.

If you would have stayed tuned after you would have seen a much worse performance from a professional footballer in Arsenal's Mustafi. That guy was awful yesterday.
 
He had a tough job yesterday up against 3 CB's and lets be honest the other 2 attackers who started the game weren't in it at all Sanchez/Martial had very little influence on the game and once again the full backs didn't really get forward and provide any crosses for him to attack.

That said he took his goal very well and the cross for the Lingard goal was fantastic and it was a chance he made for himself by running in behind into the channel giving himself space to attack.

I think his weaknesses are improving as the season goes on but we are not playing enough to his strengths.
 
Loved that bit at the end where he took it on his chest and knocked it past the 3 defenders.

Been saying all year that he needs crosses into him. Early ones as well. But when the ball went out wide to Young yesterday there was a reluctance to cross the ball. It was frustrating me so I bet Rom wasnt happy. Given he had pulled on to Azpilicueta at the time. Why arent we crossing the ball more?

I heard Jose say after that he thought Chelsea were very strong down the flanks. Well Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso are hardly Cafu and Carlos. And Eden and Willian arent wingers. So why didn't we work it out wide more? Early crosses into the box to Rom would massively increase the threat he carries.
 
We've needed that all season.

I just don't understand the mentality of buying a player and not using him to his strengths.

It's a bit like JM loves tall players. Why does he? We never use that massive advantage to score from corners or set pieces, we don't cross balls in.

We should be ticking our lips when we get a corner or set piece and should be scoring a high % of them surely.
 
Yes well taken goal, great cross, lovely acrobatic effort but most enjoyed his 92nd minute run from our own half to get us out of our own half and relieve us from pressure.
 
Loved that bit at the end where he took it on his chest and knocked it past the 3 defenders.

Been saying all year that he needs crosses into him. Early ones as well. But when the ball went out wide to Young yesterday there was a reluctance to cross the ball. It was frustrating me so I bet Rom wasnt happy. Given he had pulled on to Azpilicueta at the time. Why arent we crossing the ball more?

I heard Jose say after that he thought Chelsea were very strong down the flanks. Well Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso are hardly Cafu and Carlos. And Eden and Willian arent wingers. So why didn't we work it out wide more? Early crosses into the box to Rom would massively increase the threat he carries.

That was the big frustration yesterday Valencia hardly went forward, Young did go forward but every time he's got to cut back and then the chance is gone this is why Shaw needs to be in teh team because when we get him in behind he can put a ball in without cutting back.

Doesn't always need to be a cross to his head it can be a low cross it's just got to go in quick like it did from Sanchez for his overhead attempt in the 2nd half or the Mata one that he scored from vs Huddersfield, in the box this boy is a lethal finisher it's where he does all his good work because he can use his power to create a yard and he hits the target most of the time.

To be fair the Chelsea system is perfect for their wide players as they are both attacking players they start high especially Alonso they put in a lethal ball, he reminds me a bit of Bale when he broke through playing from the left for Spurs he doesn't have the speed but he's a big physical player who has fantastic technique for crossing a ball.

I think sadly for Lukaku the best crosser of a ball in our team is Lukaku and he can't be expected to get on the end of his own crosses.
 
Premier League: Crystal Palace 2-3 Manchester United - 5th March 2018

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
 
I know it took a deflection past the keeper in the end but that's a really well taken goal in the way that he holds until the right moment to shoot. It's perhaps not been that noticeable as there was a dip after a really good start but he's improved a lot this season, still a lot to improve on but setting himself up well to have a big season next year.
 
I know it took a deflection past the keeper in the end but that's a really well taken goal in the way that he holds until the right moment to shoot. It's perhaps not been that noticeable as there was a dip after a really good start but he's improved a lot this season, still a lot to improve on but setting himself up well to have a big season next year.
Yeah I agree with that, I think there has been a real improvement in his general play from the start of the season until now. He is only going to get better too. He has his haters but I think we are quite lucky to have the guy. Expect a big season from him next year and it was great for him to score against one of the leading teams to get that monkey off his back.
 
I think Chelsea are a bit different to the other big teams in that they aren't an attacking team and don't press, we were able to get others closer to him because of that. Liverpool, Spurs and City are more attacking and press so can push us back and leave Lukaku isolated. This is why I think midfield and full back are most important additions as with improvements in those areas we can control games better against top sides with better midfielders and also pin them back with better full backs and better pressing in midfield.
 
One of the players of the season for me. Just needs better consistent service. Appreciate his work ethic.
 
The all round game has improved a lot just think he needs some better service from wide areas and his numbers will get up to where they need to be.

He probably will end up with around 30 in all comps this season (20 in the league) which is fine but next season the bar will be raised again and we will probably need him to get closer to 40 (30 in the league) if he wants to establish himself as an elite level striker that can take Utd to titles not just domestically but also in Europe.

I don't think the counter attacking style suits him I think in a team that dominates possession and sustains attacks he'd be better and score more goals but he's at least trying to adapt to the role he has even if it's tough.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool - 10th March 2018

He was excellent in the first half. Top header for the first goal, his eighth assist of the season.
 
Yep second half was tough for him as he was so isolated but he battled hard up against the 2 centre backs and I think they finally got Can in front of him as well.

First half he dominated Lovren vital roll in both goals.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Login or Register

Forgot your password?
or Log in using
Don't have an account? Register now
Back
Top