Hafnia

Suarez is unstable, loon.

Is Townsend gonna slate sterling like he would Barkley....

It's not reason, it's to tell me that he offers more than goals with a ball played for him to run into or operate in the penalty area.

"More complete" does not mean better "striker". Naismith is arguably a more compete player than Lukaku. Lukaku is the better striker,

Ah now you've said it... Kone!!! He missed an open goal and hit a post in less than 90 minutes play plus he played for Wigan... he cost £6m and we have no resale value... I actually think he will be a good player for us.

Agree with this, he actually does look like he's got lead in his boots. I'm not too sure where all these superb attributes are coming from, he's like a tank when he gets momentum - the thing is defenders have cottoned on to this. He went on a run of scoring 1 goal in 11 games... the 1 in 2 ratio etc etc doersn't pick up on this. At the stage when he went through this drought we were 9 points off 4th place having been in there up till then. We drew 1-1 away to stoke with a last minute pen from Baines, he was awful in that game, he was awful against WBA when we drew. Thing is in this drought he really did offer very little. In the crucial end to the season where we had 4th spot in our own hands he produced two of the worst centre forward displays of the season against Southampton away and Palace at home. Its amazing how people forget such performances, sure he's not the only one to have the odd bad game but we are talking about blowing a ridiculopus amount of £££ on someone who for me is no where near where people think he is as a player.

I've given us options of Remy, Welbeck, Bony, Origi, Batshuayi, I repeat "options". Bony looks lazy? Really? Not when I have seen him, he works his socks off, really gives defenders a tough time. Lukaku actually miscontrolled a simple pass on the half way line against WBA and they equalised - it really is an important factor to have more than just a poachers instinct.

http://frenchfootballweekly.com/2014/06/10/divock-origi-arise-the-new-prince-of-les-diables-rouges/ Toby Alderweireld has been stated as being blown away by the lad in training... http://www1.skysports.com/FIFA-World-Cup-2014/news/29908/9318522/scout-divock-origi

Yes, I seen Rooney and it took 10 minutes to realise he was special, the same with Barkley, the same when I seen Suarez, Shearer. He is a "footballer" - with tremendous athleticism. You don't need numerous games to see what a player has in their locker. He will be a very good footballer, absolutely no question at all.

He doesn't use his strength at all for me. Example being is that he gets easlily nudged off balance, his feet stay rooted but his upper body gets knocked over his centre of balance way too often - meaning he has to regain balance. His size creates an illusion of strength - his dynamic strength is not very good, compare that to suarez, when he isn't looking for a foul his ability to resist sudden impacts and shoulder barges is exceptional. The same goes for his leap, not good enough he doesn't win any where near as much in the air as he should. I'm being serious.

There isn't, its a simple fact that you see a different player to me. I really do not rate him as a footballer - as you may have guessed. He is a goalscorer yes, when things are on a plate for him its in the back of the net, when players stand off him he does damage. When this doesn't happen, he's as much use as a chocolate tea pot. Will he get better as a footballer? yes, but not not by much. You could say he's very similar to Gary Lineker in those respects, the direct ball over the top and falling in for him around the box is his way. For me that breed of player isn't what the modern game accomodates anymore. Need far more to their game.

I think Hodgson is more implying that players should not retirefrom international football. To be honest I agree with that. If you are 38 and playing and you get called up, you should go, simple as that, its the manager who decides. The whole "retiring from international football" has been abused by egotistical footballers. The only one I kind of agreed with was Paul Scholes, he should never have been treated the way he was. Plus Wayne Bridge - purley to highlight the disgrace that was John Terry (another who spat his dummy out) However... Ben Foster, Wes Brown, Paul Robinson, Luke Young, Chris Sutton, Jamie Carragher, Michael Carrick... all using the media as an opportunity to highlight their dissapointment and throw their big giant dummys out the pram was a joke. Attitudes like this is what makes England a "poor team". Its all about them isnt it.

The emergence of Origi at this world cup should be a lesson to anyone wanting to put all their eggs in the Lukaku basket. Origi was taken ahead of Batshuayi to this world cup and clearly deserved to be taken, not only that, his inclusion and subsequent replacement of the static and surly Lukaku has seen him grasp two wins for the Belgians. I seen enough in those two games to conclude that this lad is going to be a top forward/striker. Foir me when I see Rom I see a player who will frustrate and amaze a team who buys him. His inconsistency is all down to his erratic touch and footballing ability. When he is "on" he is confident, he wants the ball, he feels good - he doesn't fear the ball, he shows for his team mates. When he is off, he gets down, he fears the ball, he doesn't want it, he doesn't make runs, - you just can't have that. It is as simple as that, when Lukaku is on form he is a £40m player, when he isn't on form he should not be near a football pitch - that is the issue, the difference in his good games and poor games is too great.

He is very one dimensional in the sense that he is a "poacher" not a player. Yes he can score the odd dynamic goal when getting a run on his man, however barring that he is very much an 18 yard box operator. I will use Giroud as an example, previously very much maligned - because he wasn't Thierry Henry, Ian Wright or RVP.... typical Arsenal elitest mentality. The lad is a far more complete striker than Lukaku, tremendous touch, great ability to hold up the ball and link up play and he scores goals. Nigh on a 1 in 2 striker - he cost Arsenal £9.6m at the age of 25. I expect him to bang in 20 goals next season. His assist record for a striker with a good rate is excellent 4 highest assists in prem last year. But we are looking at spending £20m plus on a player who does not have the consistency of touch that Giroud has, the ability to take the ball when marked. My point being in short is that Lukaku is being seen as such a depseration buy like a bloke viewing a half fit bird at ten to two on a saturday night. The reality is that the night is young, and there are plenty of fitter girls.

No I'm not talking about strikers running channels and tracking back, I'm talking about strikers being able to mix it up. Ultimately I want them doing damage in the box, but I expect them to be able to get involved in holding the ball up and linking play like shearer did, like Suarez does. Lukaku is very one dimensional.

The last time I seen an England "team" was Euro 96, the togetherness in that group was immense.

I agree with that, if Remy came to us and banged in 20 goals - which I believe he would do his value would be £25m and we would get offers for him. I like the look of Origi - I know he has had 2 games but he looks an immense athlete and has a better touch and link up play about him than Rom IMO. His value will be £15m+ no doubt after this world cup.

Nik, I don't think anyone actually believes we are superior to any other teams, not that any of our players are the best. We certainly don't sit so low on the quality stakes though. We just need to be more of a "team" not a collection of players.

This is where football is a very strange game indeed. I'm going to use Tugay as an example... Everyone is now subscribing to the whole Andrea Pirlo is a master without many actually really knowing why, (I guess it makes them sound good in the pub) - but he is a very good footballer, brains, technique, vision. Now Tugay... just doesn't have the same glamour does he... however, as it was brought to my attention, get some footage of his games - exceptional talent. I'm not here to say Tugay is better than Pirlo - but I am here to say certain players prosper and some suffer by reputation for reasons other than talent. Lukaku is the new emperor without clothes - Michael Owen was that man a while ago. Players who bump up their stats scoring braces in games where they get the run of the green but go missing and offer very little when marked smartly. They end up with plaudits when some sees 1 in 2 on a piece of paper. Give me the 1 in 3 Peter Beardsley - a forward who rarely had a bad game and never went missing - who could do it all.

enjoy mate, exciting times!!! Harry is 6 months this week and it gets better and better, took him swimming to water babies yesterday and he goes underwater, splashes around the lot. Its just amazing.

Years ago when we were shite I was desperate to sign branco, ravanelli the sort of players who are proven.... I'll be honest lukaku pisses me right off. He's in that bucket as far as I'm concerned. He has very much to prove imo. 1 in 2,.21 years old yeah yeah yeah. Too many get carried away by his goals scored, I recall the games where he went missing and showed naff all.

His ball retention is shite, sorry but it is. £20m my arse...

Has my opinion on lukaku started to hit home at all? the lad should have the attitude and fire of Origi but plays with the attitude of ibrahimovic. Sorry romelu, you are not convincing me to change my view on you.

Costa Rica drug tests??? If there is drug that makes you 100% committed to playing for your country and forget about your own ego then they may have taken that.

Sounds like he's almost a drenthe in his ability and attitude.