Romelu Lukaku

Originally Posted by Tiberian

His movement is crap too often. Goes passive/static, relies on perfect service and his first touch working.

Comparing him to someone like Cole is an insult. Cole was an erratic finisher but his movement was sensational, nightmare to mark, always on the move, quick, clever feet and creative mind. Hughes was peerless with his back to goal bringing others into play.

Lukaku is too one dimensional, will always get a decent goal tally but his all round game is lacking.

Loved Cole. And supported him through thick and thin. He divided a lot of fans in his early days though

It took a good 18 months before Cole looked comfortable in that red shirt.

He was quite fortunate Fergie didnt bring in a world class striker at the time in Shearer or Batistuta...alot of fans were pining for

Originally Posted by utd99

What?

Great strikers and gave legendary service to the club

But let's be honest they weren't world class...ie top 3/4 strikers in the world in their era

neither is Lukaku atm

Swap him for Benzema.

Awful today so lackluster. The missed header when he was offside was like watching Mickey Silveste head the ball.

Originally Posted by Red Santos

Loved Cole. And supported him through thick and thin. He divided a lot of fans in his early days though

It took a good 18 months before Cole looked comfortable in that red shirt.

He was quite fortunate Fergie didnt bring in a world class striker at the time in Shearer or Batistuta...alot of fans were pining for



Great strikers and gave legendary service to the club

But let's be honest they weren't world class...ie top 3/4 strikers in the world in their era

neither is Lukaku atm

They weren't world class but they were what the team needed to aid the overall style and allow others to function at their highest level. The same as when we swapped Saha in for Van Nistelrooy and were a much better team for the change. It is not just about numbers or individual performances but how a player in a key position influence the whole.

I doubt Utd would have been better with a Salas, Shearer or Batistuta during Coles' time. Having a striker who could play with anyone, adapt his game, form partnerships, more value in that to me than a scorer alone. Lukaku still has time to improve and his attitude has won me over to an extent but he is unlikely to get the time that Cole got.

Originally Posted by Red Santos

He's on the same level as Andy Cole, Sheringham, Hughes, Solskaer was for us.

Top striker but not world class like Rooney, Van Nistelrooy & Van Persie

would strongly recommend you get someone to hold your hand when you cross the road.

Originally Posted by windy waffles

Swap him for Benzema.

would strongly recommend you don't.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

They weren't world class but they were what the team needed to aid the overall style and allow others to function at their highest level. The same as when we swapped Saha in for Van Nistelrooy and were a much better team for the change. It is not just about numbers or individual performances but how a player in a key position influence the whole.

I doubt Utd would have been better with a Salas, Shearer or Batistuta during Coles' time. Having a striker who could play with anyone, adapt his game, form partnerships, more value in that to me than a scorer alone. Lukaku still has time to improve and his attitude has won me over to an extent but he is unlikely to get the time that Cole got.

We definitely would've got to another Champions League final or two.

How we didnt score in those two Champions league semi-final ties against Dortmund in 1997 still beggars belief

Originally Posted by jem

would strongly recommend you get someone to hold your hand when you cross the road.

would strongly recommend you don't.

Originally Posted by Red Santos

We definitely would've got to another Champions League final or two.

How we didnt score in those two Champions league semi-final ties against Dortmund in 1997 still beggars belief

Agreed.

I loved Cole, but anyone that thinks United wouldn't have been better with Batistuta needs their head testing. He's one of the greatest strikers ever, ffs.

Don't buy the whole "Shearer would have made us too one dimensional" argument either. The bloke was an absolute monster of a goalscorer, and had a die-hard competitiveness that would have seen him shine in the squad we had at the time.

Originally Posted by Neo

Don't buy the whole "Shearer would have made us too one dimensional" argument either. The bloke was an absolute monster of a goalscorer, and had a die-hard competitiveness that would have seen him shine in the squad we had at the time.

I think that is said partly because there was something of that effect when we got RvN, incredible though he was for a few years.

There is a good chance that coming here would have made Shearer an even more complete player rather than limiting United, though.

We will never ever ever win another major trophy with this £#%&!ing carthorse up front. Dreadful, absolutely dreadful footballer.

Originally Posted by Red Santos

He's on the same level as Andy Cole, Sheringham, Hughes, Solskaer was for us.

Run headfirst into a brick wall

Originally Posted by sa7

Run headfirst into a brick wall

Reminds me though. Cole, Sheringham, Yorke, Ole.

Lukaku and ... Lukaku. He creates nothing, stays on. That's your lot.

Add a functioning striker to the long list of players we need.

Shite

One of numerous disappointments today/the last 6 years.

Someone to chuck on in the last 5 minutes at best.

Originally Posted by Buck

Probably dye his hair blonde next. Wtf is that about in our squad?

For the first time ever we've drawn a game coming off the back of an away euro tie

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa end of the world £#%&!ing Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Originally Posted by rubbernecker

For the first time ever we've drawn a game coming off the back of an away euro tie

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa end of the world £#%&!ing Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

We're shite. Not Moyes/LvG level shite but shite nonetheless. It's not an overreaction to be pissed off that we're already 8pts behind the leaders. P6 W3 L2 D1 is a very poor record when you see who we've played.

Lukaku isn't really the problem though.

Originally Posted by rubbernecker

For the first time ever we've drawn a game coming off the back of an away euro tie

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa end of the world £#%&!ing Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

It’s not the end of the world - just recognition of where we are at.

Which is: We’re a top 6 side with no chance in the cl and a bit of a chance in one of the domestic cups. We have an abysmal set of owners who know nothing about the game, have little interest in it but do recognise the power of the brand and it’s franchise. We have a miserable negative manager who’s primary tactic is to try to knock it up to the lump of a striker named in this thread who more often than not, looks like he’s playing football for the first time. The squad is littered with average joes and the ones that aren’t average decide when and how they will perform - their primary motivation ensuring that their personal brands are not overly damaged through association. Oh, and our two biggest rivals are currently enjoying a very successful period playing a style of football widely admired around the world.

This all comes off the back of twenty odd years of unbridled success in which we dominated every facet of the game playing great football all over the world winning every competition we could.

A draw against wolves in the context of a more positive back story would be fine. A draw when we are desperately trying to drag ourselves up off our knees after an appalling start is a big set back - especially when we are battling all those issues mentioned above. That’s perhaps why mou mou is as upset as he is?

Originally Posted by My Name is Keith

It’s not the end of the world - just recognition of where we are at.

Which is: We’re a top 6 side with no chance in the cl and a bit of a chance in one of the domestic cups. We have an abysmal set of owners who know nothing about the game, have little interest in it but do recognise the power of the brand and it’s franchise. We have a miserable negative manager who’s primary tactic is to try to knock it up to the lump of a striker named in this thread who more often than not, looks like he’s playing football for the first time. The squad is littered with average joes and the ones that aren’t average decide when and how they will perform - their primary motivation ensuring that their personal brands are not overly damaged through association. Oh, and our two biggest rivals are currently enjoying a very successful period playing a style of football widely admired around the world.

This all comes off the back of twenty odd years of unbridled success in which we dominated every facet of the game playing great football all over the world winning every competition we could.

A draw against wolves in the context of a more positive back story would be fine. A draw when we are desperately trying to drag ourselves up off our knees after an appalling start is a big set back - especially when we are battling all those issues mentioned above. That’s perhaps why mou mou is as upset as he is?

Nailed it