Rommuhloo is f**king back baby

He was great but.....

Only joking, absolutely sensational cameo, I'll always give credit when and where it's due. Most pleasing of all for me above his performance was he looked like he was doing his level best to fit the system aswell, his off the ball work is better than I remember it before.

Crucial thing now is consistency, believe it or not I would be delighted to be proven wrong. Chilwell made most of my complaints about him obscelete, hopefully history repeats itself.

1 hour ago, jack_super_class said:

Remember when people thought we were a better team without him 😂

And the most predictable post of the night goes to...

This isn’t an ‘I told you so’ because he obviously needs to do this on a consistent basis now that he’s nearing full fitness, but it does show counting him out after like 11 games was very premature given how good of a player he actually is.

Fantastic. Come on, give the man credit where it is due. He changed the game for us and kept us in title race today.

Great performance, he and the team really needed this. Hopefully, its upwards from this point.  

Did a good job, exactly what I expect from a player bought for big money, now he has to keep it up.

1 minute ago, STATS said:

Fantastic. Come on, give the man credit where it is due. He changed the game for us and kept us in title race today.

Absolutely he deserves all the praise for today and I tried not to get drawn into it but these one game based I told you so's are so tedious.

1 minute ago, Argo said:

He was great but.....

Only joking, absolutely sensational cameo, I'll always give credit when and where it's due. Most pleasing of all for me above his performance was he looked like he was doing his level best to fit the system aswell, his off the ball work is better than I remember it before.

Crucial thing now is consistency, believe it or not I would be delighted to be proven wrong. Chilwell made most of my complaints about him obscelete, hopefully history repeats itself.

I think that Mount changing to the left side and James playing further back also helped the whole team in the second half, you can make an argument that Tuchel fully adapted the tactics for the better and as a whole, much more happenings than just putting in Lukaku I mean.

Consistency is the key like you say and as long as Lukaku scores from the chances he gets he's still being the most clinical in the squad. He showed how he used to run the counters in Serie A when he won the penalty and him holding the ball with his back towards the goal really enables other players which almost reminds of Giroud's ability to make players around him better. But he was fresh while Mings and Konsa weren't so there's that as well. Still hoping that it all works out.

4 minutes ago, Argo said:

And the most predictable post of the night goes to...

Merry Christmas 

46 minutes ago, Argo said:

Absolutely he deserves all the praise for today and I tried not to get drawn into it but these one game based I told you so's are so tedious.

Yep agreed. I mean I defo are not one of those who will say “I told you”. But while he has not exactly been a shining light so far, I do feel he has been getting way too much criticism and constantly bashed and people have already made their minds up. There is still a lot to play for and I still think judgement needs to be reserved before people decide he is a flop.

 

You don't always notice how rapid but he was really flying when he won that penalty.

Our season depends on him in many ways. I am convinced we would have secured the wins v Burnley, Everton and United with him on the field and we would have been level with City right now if we had done so. So while we are six points behind them right now and they look quite rampant it's not a lot in it really. We've been way worse off with injuries and Covid as well.

 

2 hours ago, Gol15 said:

I think that Mount changing to the left side and James playing further back also helped the whole team in the second half, you can make an argument that Tuchel fully adapted the tactics for the better and as a whole, much more happenings than just putting in Lukaku I mean.

Consistency is the key like you say and as long as Lukaku scores from the chances he gets he's still being the most clinical in the squad. He showed how he used to run the counters in Serie A when he won the penalty and him holding the ball with his back towards the goal really enables other players which almost reminds of Giroud's ability to make players around him better. But he was fresh while Mings and Konsa weren't so there's that as well. Still hoping that it all works out.

James looked out of sorts first half, possible fatigued. Moving him back definitely improved us. Takin Pulisic out of the forward line along with a physical presence upfront swung the game. Suddenly we looked more balanced. Credit though to Lukaku ,took his chance well and helped swing what was a tricky game in our favour.

He’s far too good not to play. At first it looked like he didn’t fit in at all, but maybe all he needed was time and he’d come good eventually.

We’ve struggled for goals for the past year and half, probably even longer. We were screaming for a deadly goalscorer and there he is. That header he scored, I’ve not seen a goal like that for a long, long time. It’s been too long since we’ve had a striker with a killer instinct.

Play him, we need him.

An excellent 45 minute display and had one player in particular looking for him and supplying him (CHO).

The two of them, along with Jorgi, won us the game.

Now Rom needs to produce that type of display game in, game out against every style of opponent and defence we face.

If he does I will gladly join @Argo at the humble pie table. 

Edited December 27, 20214 yr by axman2526

Immense. I want to see more of this, week in week out. Yes he has been injured and had covid, but when fit, he should play. Liverpool don’t rest Salah or Mane, Spurs don’t rest Kane - play your best hand and let them get goals. 
 

Absolute joy to watch today. Right up there with game cards Arsenal earlier this season. 

Villa game came at a good time, we all know Rom loves to play against Villa, with them being the EPL team he has scored against the most.

Credit to the big lad for turning the game around for us yesterday. Criminal how many times he made runs and our midfielders didnt pick out the runs. Similar story to Werner. Lack of vision and ability to consistently pick out forward runs is a real issue for our strikers.

32 minutes ago, nonotnowjim said:

Villa game came at a good time, we all know Rom loves to play against Villa, with them being the EPL team he has scored against the most.

Credit to the big lad for turning the game around for us yesterday. Criminal how many times he made runs and our midfielders didnt pick out the runs. Similar story to Werner. Lack of vision and ability to consistently pick out forward runs is a real issue for our strikers.

Yes we need to see more passes/crosses like CHOs.

9 hours ago, Sindre said:

You don't always notice how rapid but he was really flying when he won that penalty.

Our season depends on him in many ways. I am convinced we would have secured the wins v Burnley, Everton and United with him on the field and we would have been level with City right now if we had done so. So while we are six points behind them right now and they look quite rampant it's not a lot in it really. We've been way worse off with injuries and Covid as well.

 

His speed completely took me by surprise, I clearly have not been paying enough attention to this side of his game. Also, nice shrug off of one of the Villa players.

9 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Now Rom needs to produce that type of display game in, game out against every style of opponent and defence we face.

If he does I will gladly join @Argo at the humble pie table. 

I do enjoy this concession - 'if Lukaku puts in a match-winning display in literally every game I will admit he is good'.

3 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

I do enjoy this concession - 'if Lukaku puts in a match-winning display in literally every game I will admit he is good'.

One way or another he needs to. If he plays he is the focal point of our attack. Whether it is goals and winning pens as yesterday, or assists and winning corners and free kicks that lead to goals the responsibility falls on his shoulders.

He needs a consistent level of involvement, rather than to disappear in games and be a none factor, regardless of the style of opponent. Be involved, be a problem for every opponent and not a problem for us.

He was good against Villa. Will need to put in displays like that and I will be ready to eat humble pie come season's end. 

4 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

I do enjoy this concession - 'if Lukaku puts in a match-winning display in literally every game I will admit he is good'.

I know you said it in jest but shouldn't that be close to the standard for our record signing? We signed him to do what he did yesterday multiple times a season.

Liverpool, City and Spurs coming up, now's his chance to make a statement by coming up clutch.

Edited December 27, 20214 yr by Argo

1 hour ago, Argo said:

I know you said it in jest but shouldn't that be close to the standard for our record signing? We signed him to do what he did yesterday multiple times a season.

Liverpool, City and Spurs coming up, now's his chance to make a statement by coming up clutch.

Honestly, after our recent run of record signings I no longer know. He's passed the 'not being an expensive liability' test which puts him above most of our record signings from the past 15-20 years, but I suppose hasn't reached the heights of scoring the winner in a Champions' League final (after a mostly disappointing season) like his predecessor.

Under Tuchel we have been consistently well-structured, but poor at doing the hardest bit of the game - scoring goals. The idea with Lukaku was presumably to fill that gap, to convert those xG victories, in which we dominated but failed to win, into actual victories. Taken literally, yes, he would be the matchwinner, but in a more holistic sense the winning goalscorer doesn't necessarily have to put in the match-winning performance - Diego Costa was proof of that.

I can rapidly feel the point getting away from me, (especially as my amusement at the comment was basically semantic), but yes, you and ax are both right - we signed this guy to score goals and win games.

If I am to be completely serious (it doesn't happen often) when setting expectations for Lukaku, I would be wary of both our recent attacking standards, as well as the types of chances we create for Lukaku (Brighton had massive issues with this last season). Lukaku thrives when making runs in/from the right-hand channel, and especially excels when his team are in attacking transition. Our oft-lamented pondering in possession, particularly when the opposition have had time to reset their shape when sitting deep, is not going to help him at all. He's not really the big guy you can stick in the middle of a packed penalty box, punt balls at him and expect him to figure something out. (Drogba has really spoiled us in that regard).

Theoretically Lukaku should be great in the big games (or at least in the games where the opposition will commit players forward), so I agree - hopefully the next few games are his time to shine.