Longest Thread For Drivel (or the Romelu Lukaku thread)

[Shukes]

 

we're shooting higher than 4th mate. if that's your "trophy" then no wonder you don't like lukaku.

Not possible. We're heading for seventh... trying our hardest for sixth. Anything else is dreaming.... and dreaming big.

 

Which I do myself... but Lukaku isn't stupid... he knows where we're likely to finish.

 

Fact is we are we're we are with his goals.

 

And we were, where we were with TCs goals!

Those are facts...undeniable facts.... not selected stats... facts!

 

Damn I am being an arse today... sorry don't mean to be.

Long day at work today haha! Roofing in the rain.

[markjazzbassist]

Not possible. We're heading for seventh... trying our hardest for sixth. Anything else is dreaming.... and dreaming big.

 

Which I do myself... but Lukaku isn't stupid... he knows where we're likely to finish.

 

Fact is we are we're we are with his goals.

 

And we were, where we were with TCs goals!

Those are facts...undeniable facts.... not selected stats... facts!

 

Damn I am being an arse today... sorry don't mean to be.

Long day at work today haha! Roofing in the rain.

 

this season, not in the future though. haf wants a striker that doesn't score twenty saying you can get 4th with one of those. i'd prefer a 20+ striker like the top 3 sides usually have (and the champion always has).

 

with that i will be leaving this thread. can't take the rom-deniers anymore. peace out.

Edited April 28, 2017 by markjazzbassist

[Hafnia]

 

this season, not in the future though. haf wants a striker that doesn't score twenty saying you can get 4th with one of those. i'd prefer a 20+ striker like the top 3 sides usually have (and the champion always has).

 

with that i will be leaving this thread. can't take the rom-deniers anymore. peace out.

The champion doesnt always have a 20+ striker.

 

Only 46 per cent (26) of Premier League sides to finish in the top four since 2001-02, when four Champions League places were awarded to England, have had a player who scored 20 or more league goals during the campaign.

 

Just over half of all the Premier League champions since the start of the competition in 1992-93 have had a 20-goal-a-season player, 52%.

 

"IF" Rom scored a third less goals but contributed to the team by pressing, holding up the ball, linking play, making intelligent runs then id break the bank to keep him.

 

He doesnt. He's a striker in the mould of Tony Cottee - a finisher. Cottee rarely if ever contributed to the team ethic and it pissed graeme sharp off immensely. Heres sharpies wuote about the worst partners he had:-

 

Mick Ferguson, Alan Biley, Rob Wakenshaw. There were a few lazy ones including Tony Cottee if we'd lost and he'd scored he felt job done whilst 'muggin's' here was running all over the park. In his book he says people did not pass to him at Goodison, load of tripe, it was him who did not give enough to the team.

 

 

Maybe watching sharp and gray give centre forward masterclasses in "team play" etched a sunstantial footballing principle into my mind.

 

If anyone wants to watch the bayern munich game from 85... its a great reminder as to how centre forwards can give their team a serious platform to dominate a team.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Hafnia

[Paddock]

Not possible. We're heading for seventh... trying our hardest for sixth. Anything else is dreaming.... and dreaming big.

 

Which I do myself... but Lukaku isn't stupid... he knows where we're likely to finish.

 

Fact is we are we're we are with his goals.

 

And we were, where we were with TCs goals!

Those are facts...undeniable facts.... not selected stats... facts!

 

Damn I am being an arse today... sorry don't mean to be.

Long day at work today haha! Roofing in the rain.

If we had a top class goalie, central defender and winger we WITH Lukaku we would be pushing for the title. The players around him aren't good enough- one man wont win you anything. Lukaku is the leagues top scorer, he's doing his job- those around him aren't good enough to propel us into the top places.

[Shukes]

If we had the best players in the league we should be pushing for the title. But we haven't.

 

Is Haf saying he doesn't want a 20 goal striker,

Or is he saying we don't NEED one?

 

Lukaku may be the best striker in the league. I don't know if he is, only saw him play for us and West Brom.

[Hafnia]

If we had the best players in the league we should be pushing for the title. But we haven't.

 

Is Haf saying he doesn't want a 20 goal striker,

Or is he saying we don't NEED one?

 

Lukaku may be the best striker in the league. I don't know if he is, only saw him play for us and West Brom.

If we got a 20 goal striker who didnt pass 5 or 6 out of 10 passes to an opponent and maybe just lost 2 or 3 out of 10 like most good footballing forwards do then id be ecstatic.

 

We really do need a forward who is rounded. We have 3 attacking midfielders who need bringing into the game.

 

Here's a question.... If lukaku was worth £80-£100m he wouldn't he have been bought by one of the likes of Bayern, Barca or Real?

 

I mean a 23 year old with 10 years left... where is the hold up? What is stopping them buying the top goalscorer in the prem?

 

I honestly believe that we will not get an offer of anywhere near that. "IF" for example he had shown a bit more big game pedigree.... the ability to bully the better defenders then I believe we would do.

[Matt]

If a team scores 35 goals over a season... they are getting relegated. If one player scores all those goals... hes a hero but ultimately the team are still relegated.

 

A highly improbable scenario. But conversely we got 4th place with tim cahill our top scorer with 11 goals. RVP the same tally with arsenal.

AJ with Palace?

[Matt]

Oh shit I didn't see the rest....

 

 

Walks out

[MC11]

You stand a much better chance of winning the league with a 20 goal a season Striker. I'm pretty sure every title has gone to a team with a near 20 goal a season striker or two strikers totalling 20 goals.

[Hafnia]

You stand a much better chance of winning the league with a 20 goal a season Striker. I'm pretty sure every title has gone to a team with a near 20 goal a season striker or two strikers totalling 20 goals.

Up till 2016 Only 12 of the 23 Premier League seasons have had champions whose top scorer bagged 20 or more goals, leaving 11 campaigns where the winners' top marksman bagged 19 or fewer goals.

 

 

France won world cup in 98 without a goalscoring striker. Spain in 2012 often played without a striker... by all accounts a.c. Milan won the league in 78 without a striker...

 

Football is unique in that it's possible for players from any position to become reliable goalscorers.

 

I would love to have a striker score at the same rate as Rom but it's key that they can play for the team, link up play and battle for us.

[Paddock]

Up till 2016 Only 12 of the 23 Premier League seasons have had champions whose top scorer bagged 20 or more goals, leaving 11 campaigns where the winners' top marksman bagged 19 or fewer goals.

 

 

France won world cup in 98 without a goalscoring striker. Spain in 2012 often played without a striker... by all accounts a.c. Milan won the league in 78 without a striker...

 

Football is unique in that it's possible for players from any position to become reliable goalscorers.

 

I would love to have a striker score at the same rate as Rom but it's key that they can play for the team, link up play and battle for us.

How many have finished outside of the champions league places?

[Aidan]

Up till 2016 Only 12 of the 23 Premier League seasons have had champions whose top scorer bagged 20 or more goals, leaving 11 campaigns where the winners' top marksman bagged 19 or fewer goals.

 

 

France won world cup in 98 without a goalscoring striker. Spain in 2012 often played without a striker... by all accounts a.c. Milan won the league in 78 without a striker...

 

Football is unique in that it's possible for players from any position to become reliable goalscorers.

 

I would love to have a striker score at the same rate as Rom but it's key that they can play for the team, link up play and battle for us.

Play for the team? No out and out striker in the league has got more assists than Lukaku.

 

I'm not saying he's Luis Suarez, but attitude aside, no striker in the premier league is better than Lukaku.

 

All round ability wise only aguero is better, but doesn't stay fit long enough to be better.

[Shukes]

What we need to do is sell the other ten inferior players.

If we sell Lukaku and keep them, then they will look like championship players next year.

Lukaku has made them look good this season.

Seventh is a false position for our one man team.

[Paddock]

What we need to do is sell the other ten inferior players.

If we sell Lukaku and keep them, then they will look like championship players next year.

Lukaku has made them look good this season.

Seventh is a false position for our one man team.

Shukes you're missing the point. If we had say Silva, Mane Alderweld and De Gea in our team we would probably be champions. I know it's easy to say that but the point is Lukaku IS doing his job he's leading scorer. If we had those other players with their performances this year that would be the difference

 

Of course we're not a one man team I've already stated that but we should be looking to add players of Lukakus calibre and stats not take him away and add to what we already have.

[Shukes]

I'm not arguing that Pad.

I just agree with Haf that a 20 goal striker isn't needed. You can reach top four without it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I also agree that a 20 goal striker would help greatly and I would rather have him than not.

 

I just don't hold him on a pedestal like some. I think our team help him greatly and don't think they get the credit they deserve. We have some very good players that provide Lukaku with the amunition he needs.

 

If he leaves, which it looks like he may....it's not the end of the world to me.

 

In any case... wtf you doing up this early as well haha!

[Hafnia]

Play for the team? No out and out striker in the league has got more assists than Lukaku.

 

I'm not saying he's Luis Suarez, but attitude aside, no striker in the premier league is better than Lukaku.

 

All round ability wise only aguero is better, but doesn't stay fit long enough to be better.

Lukaku doesn't have all round ability never mind being the second best! Aguero isn't the best all round striker either IMO... sanchez is.

 

Aguero, Kane, giroud, Sanchez, firminho, Costa,zlatan, king, llorente - all far more rounded players.

 

 

How can you call lukaku rounded? His control of a football is a lottery and he passes it to an opponent more than a team mate in many games.

 

Hes a goal scorer... a great finisher. Stop trying to paint him as something more. Alexis Sanchez has 9 assists. 33% more than Rom. Kane has the same in far less games. So does costa.

 

The most concerning stat is lukaku has a 66% pass completion this season... the lowest by far of any out field player.

 

Kone 96%, schneiderlin 90%, lookman 89%, gueye 86%, mirallas 83%, Valencia 81%.

 

His nemesis Harry Kane has a 73% pass completion so does Sanchez and they have a longer average pass length too (isolation my arse)

 

 

 

Hes only won 46% of his aerial duels. Jags won 67%.... little iddrissa gueye won 53% of his! Inexcusable for a 6ft 4 'beast'.

 

 

So let's stop trying to make out that poor Rom is a one man band. Goal stats aside it paints the picture of a player who is just a finisher. His team mates deserve a lot of credit for getting the ball to him in the box.

 

These stats are pretty cutting. When he takes his ego and attitude to a club he feels is big enough for him... he's in for a rude awakening.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Hafnia

[StevO]

Kone 96% haha from the time he's had on the pitch that's about 20 passes!

 

Compare his headers with Jags? The defender should win most duels in the air. The ball is coming into them with a forward to climb on, if any of our players won more in the air than our centre halves we would need a new back line.

 

Some of the garbage I'm reading here is blowing my mind. Let's keep scoring goals and winning football matches.

[c1982]

If you look that closely at any player in the Everton team you will find plenty of faults every game. Luckily, they're a team and the quality usually outweighs the faults hence why we've won more than we've lost. Inevitably, there'll be less faults when we bring better quality players in. Lukaku is near the bottom of the list of players we NEED to replace to progress. We may get an offer that forces our hand but we shouldn't seek to replace a key component of this progressing team. He needs support in attacking areas as a priority but we also need a 1st choice GK, partner for Williams, potential successors in both full back positions and competition and support in attack. Selling Lukaku or Barkley, Gueye, Davies, Schneiderlin, Williams, Baines would weaken us as that there is the core of the 1st team - obviously Coleman would be on that list too. I want a summer where we don't have to replace core players as we already need enough as it is.

[EFC-Paul]

The bottom line is he will be leaving fairly soon

 

Will we miss his goals... Definitely

 

Will he be easily replaced... No

 

I appreciate that he's a superb finisher you can't deny the lads ability to find the net and he has improved in certain areas that Haf myself and others have questioned in the past, is he a great well rounded player no and I don't think he ever will be but he's a striker and his job is to bury the ball and he does

 

I don't think he'll be replaced with a similar player who will walk in and pick up were he left off you'd be naive to think it'll be that easy but I do "hope" that we bring in various players that will change the dynamic of the side and help us bag goals from other areas

 

When he goes its all in the hands of Walsh and Koeman to find the right players so I've every faith we will move on and become a better side

[StevO]

This guy gets it.

[c1982]

Has anyone else noticed how many defensive headers/duels Lukaku and Barkley win a defensive set-pieces? Qualities like that often go unnoticed.

[Shukes]

Has anyone else noticed how many defensive headers/duels Lukaku and Barkley win a defensive set-pieces? Qualities like that often go unnoticed.

Yes definitely.

Lukaku is usually our near post wall.

And I have said before that Barkley is pretty good in the air and wins more than he loses....if he jumps.

[Hafnia]

Has anyone else noticed how many defensive headers/duels Lukaku and Barkley win a defensive set-pieces? Qualities like that often go unnoticed.

Lukaku averages 1 defensive action per game. Barkley averages 2.

[Romey 1878]

This is not what I wanted to read with a hangover. What was I thinking?

[Hafnia]

If you look that closely at any player in the Everton team you will find plenty of faults every game. Luckily, they're a team and the quality usually outweighs the faults hence why we've won more than we've lost. Inevitably, there'll be less faults when we bring better quality players in. Lukaku is near the bottom of the list of players we NEED to replace to progress. We may get an offer that forces our hand but we shouldn't seek to replace a key component of this progressing team. He needs support in attacking areas as a priority but we also need a 1st choice GK, partner for Williams, potential successors in both full back positions and competition and support in attack. Selling Lukaku or Barkley, Gueye, Davies, Schneiderlin, Williams, Baines would weaken us as that there is the core of the 1st team - obviously Coleman would be on that list too. I want a summer where we don't have to replace core players as we already need enough as it is.

Not every player is supposedly worth £80m or is wanting to move.

 

My argument for selling lukaku is that we can use the money.

 

At the very very least we could get Defoe in as a "finisher"... you can argue that they are extremely similar. Forget the stature difference... they are similar. Defoe isn't the solution but nor is having a striker supposedly worth £80m who loses the ball a lot.

 

Forget the pipe dreams that his size etc will make him the next drogba - he hasn't got the fire in his belly to be that type of player.

 

Yes... most players have some weaknesses. If lukaku wasn't a finisher he would be No where near a premier league team. The fact that he's a finisher but is very rough in other regards is why he will not play for the elite level team he craves.

 

Simple as that really. If we never had lukaku but had £80m to spend.... there is no way whatsoever that i would want to sign him. £30m? Yeah fine but that would be on the proviso that the rest of the money or a chunk of it was used to buy a complimentary player.... essentially someone who can do the team work of two men.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Hafnia

[c1982]

Lukaku averages 1 defensive action per game. Barkley averages 2.

Averages - there are games when there's very little to do defensively. For me it's been very obviously that defensive duels won is something Lukaku and Barkley have added to their games this season.

[Hafnia]

Averages - there are games when there's very little to do defensively. For me it's been very obviously that defensive duels won is something Lukaku and Barkley have added to their games this season.

If what you are saying is true then Those stats indicate that we have had loads of easy games bar a handful of difficult ones?

 

Yeah I would agree with that. The majority of the league is utter dogshit if I'm honest.

 

Probably 10 - 14 games at most that have a edge of "hmmm this is gonna be tough".... most of which we are shit in.... as is the man in question.

[c1982]

My argument for selling lukaku is that we can use the money.

 

 

 

The fact is, as already stated by Moshiri etc, is that money is not an issue any more. Okay, if a ridiculous bid comes in say £80m+ then that's just business sense but to seek to sell him is necessary this summer. We'll still get £40m+ next summer but by that time his goals could have helped use secure Champions League football or even a trophy. Defoe is a bloody good poacher but he needs to play with or as back-up to Lukaku - Lukaku may not be anywhere near Drogba in terms of using this physical attributes and hold up play but he can often take the attentions of 2 even 3 opposition players - something you won't get from Defoe.

 

The way I see Lukaku's future is he either goes this summer for £80m+ or he signs a deal once the transfer window closes with a release clause based on Champions League status.

[c1982]

If what you are saying is true then Those stats indicate that we have had loads of easy games bar a handful of difficult ones?

 

 

I'm just saying what I've seen, especially since the turn of the year - no stats involved here.

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

I'm not arguing that Pad.

I just agree with Haf that a 20 goal striker isn't needed. You can reach top four without it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I also agree that a 20 goal striker would help greatly and I would rather have him than not.

 

I just don't hold him on a pedestal like some. I think our team help him greatly and don't think they get the credit they deserve. We have some very good players that provide Lukaku with the amunition he needs.

 

If he leaves, which it looks like he may....it's not the end of the world to me.

 

In any case... wtf you doing up this early as well haha!

 

Can you name one person who holds Lukaku on a pedestal?