Newty82

I think it brings expectation from fans. That's only natural. Besides, we haven't paid 28mill. I don't think we'll get to that point! Like I dont think we ever saw the full 29mill for Rooney (I don't think? !)

But he's had service???? Unless all his opportunities have been created purely by himself? I know you're pro Lukaku, but when a player isn't doing well...you can't just blame everyone around him. I bet he knows he isn't on top of his game just now. I suppose that's the most important thing.

No problem with price tag. Defo not his fault. Just a problem with performance.

I think his link up play is much better though. Reverse the roles for a bit...Eto'o starts, Lukaku comes on.

Ahem...17th.

You swine!!!

Exactly. You know, if you go far enough back in play, you could blame any player you want. The first thing I thought was 'how the hell has falcao yet again found himself unmarked?'

No. The thing is that he is off form and not performing. 5 million. 10 million. 59 million. 21, 25 or 55 year old. He ain't doing it just now. Whether it's confidence or the weight of expectation. I don't know. I've bit my tongue after a fair few games because I wanted to wait and see, while everyone else in the side gets criticised but how often do we see attacks breaking down with him at the ball? I ain't having a dig at his ability but something isn't right just now. http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2219244-belgium-striker-romelu-lukaku-is-still-to-reach-full-maturity-at-everton http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-analysis-greg-okeeffe-faltering-7885669 I think he needs taken out. Put Eto'o in. Lukaku needs to be taken out purely on current performance grounds. Get him out of the limelight. Refocus and get some hunger back. Hopefully he'll bounce back sooner rather than later. Then we can all clap our hands again.

That's as balanced and fair as it can be. Says it all really.

Im watching it now! They just mentioned it before. Ha...is scotland/Wales usually a bit behind or something?!!!

...I swear I seen Tupac & Biggie the other day.

Ha! No one's mentioned it was ligament damage? It's just been confirmed!

Ligament damage to his ankle. Will be out for at least a few weeks. Damn.

I just went through all the games from Opta stats. I counted 13 attempts inside the box. 2 long rangers vs liverpool. 3 long rangers against WBA. Scored one of them. So he's maybe had more shots than previously stated because I counted about 6 long rangers in total. Whatever, it's clear to see he's not on song. And that's all I'm saying. He's out of form and not above criticism. Part of it is possibly that we are not playing him correctly. But all this stuff that he needs players buzzing around him, chances put on a plate for him, clear cut chances created for him. Fuck me, so we have paid 28million for a player who needs to be spoon fed the ball?! Come on. That can't be right.

Yes. Nitpicking. Is this because he should have put the ball out for a throw in some minds? How far back do you go in play to find who's at fault? I seen Di Maria, their most dangerous player today, pick the ball up in a load of space. Howard fault? Falcao runs off Hibbert, past Stones and in front of Jags, no one picked him up. Howard fault? Falcao gets played onside by Stones. Howard fault? Against Chelsea, Howard went toe to toe with Costa because he was a twat to Coleman. He was bigged up for that. Today Van Persie was a twat to stones. Howard did the same. Now he's a villain for it?! Nitpicking.

Oh come on. He wasn't talking about anybody with a scouse accent. Just Rooney. And he's dead right. Poor bloke is a vulnerable old man.

15 shots in 7 games. 8 on target. 2 goals. It's not just the service..... Naismith for example has 9 shots. 5 on target. 4 goals. We've scored 13 league goals. Only 2 teams have scored more. It's not as if we haven't been creating anything going forward...well until the last 2.5 games. Look at Costa (apologies to use him again! Just bare with me!). 19 shots. 16 on target. 9 goals. He's only had 4 shots more than Lukaku! Although Costas probably just going through a purple patch. You'll also probably say 'yeah well, Costas better, cost more, has better players around him etc etc'. Ok. Fair enough. Let's look at Berahino at WBA. 16 shots. 10 on target. 5 goals. I think the main point is, Lukaku is not being starved of service. He just isn't doing too well just now. Nobody expects him to do all the jobs of a winger, attacking mid and the chef. Just to be the striker we expect him to be. That's not being harsh or unrealistic or over critical. That's reality. Like jags, Distin, Stones, Howard, Baines, Barry, Mccarthy have all been criticised for not doing their role properly...so to is Lukaku. Why is that so hard for some of you to understand? If I don't do my job properly, my Area Manager tells me so. Isn't that real life? I'm sure he'll come good. We need him to. But at the moment, it's uncomfortable to say that many of Haf's points are starting to gain weight. And I don't like that.

Oh did you? Sorry. Read it back...the final third thing, that's why? Not convinced to be honest.

But why is he tired??? At the end of the day, at the moment he needs to up his game. No ifs, buts, excuses. We say he doesn't get the service, but so many times this season he has given the ball away in the final 3rd with players around him. This is reflected in him having one of the lowest pass success rates in the team. It is maybe a bit unfair to go too hard on him as the team is doing poorly. And possibly the expectation is higher due to his fee. I want him to come good. Really really do. He's going to have to go on a real shit hot streak to be our 20 goal a season striker this season.

I think it just shows that sometimes we see what we want to see. That's not aimed as a slant against you, but all of us really

81% pass success rate. The team had 84%. So he did ok. Lukaku was 71%. Just saying. Haha...Turning into a bash now!!!

But to be fair...you right off a fair few of our players! Laws of probability mean you are bound to get one right somewhere!!!

Hahaha...He is a dick for sure! But it helps him be a better player. The experience thing. Well, ok. In the first 5 minutes against Utd today, I remember thinking that Lukaku looked like a boss. Control was sound. But more importantly, he was using his size, body, strength. He had his arms out holding McNair. I thought 'this is it today'. But it was McNair who took the plaudits at the end for doing a number on Lukaku. McNair is 19 with only a handful of Premiership starts. So where does the line get drawn with this experience thing?

Again. Totally missing the point of why I used Costa. I'm not talking about the players around him. I'm talking about Costa, as a single player, not allowing defenders to bully him. To mark him out of a game. He is aggressive and in your face. This was in response to 'star players being targeted out of games'. I'm not talking about his talent, only his aggression towards defenders. I'm trying to type this for the 3rd time in hope that it makes sense? If you follow posts, one after one, including quotes, it makes more sense than taking a comment on its own????

Yeah, definitely. Martinez needs to play him in the middle with balls through to him. Sick of him being out wide just because he had a good game against Arsenal last season. He does need more support, he also needs to use that support properly. Too often he gives it away. And that's not prejudice, it's fact. Before the 'pro Lukaku' bandwagon starts flaming me...I have no favourites in this team. I take each game as it comes. And he isn't doing it for me right now, today. He has to take responsibility because it is affecting his performance.