55 minutes ago, Hall said:

They scoring that but after 5 that went out of the park 😞. So if you give that 5 to Lukaku i bet he will get alteast 3. And from the positions they are playing , they will have more freedom and time then a striker position.

look at Pulisic when CF how good was he then? Of Kai when up frond and ball ate coming to your direction. I rest my case

Kai up top facilities fluent football which is largely enjoyable to watch even when we don't win (Burnley for example). He should be scoring more but what he offers outside of goals will always give him a bit of leeway.

With his cost, what he lacks in overall play and the fact he would rather be elsewhere goals and more goals (including against City, Liverpool and the UCL late stages) is the only way Lukaku's presence becomes a net positive.

Lukaku should definitely start on Saturday. Also, the sooner we stop pretending Havertz is good as a 9 the better 

4 minutes ago, Argo said:

Kai up top facilities fluent football which is largely enjoyable to watch even when we don't win (Burnley for example). He should be scoring more but what he offers outside of goals will always give him a bit of leeway.

He was terrific in the Champions League last season and a few Premier League games (Palace away and Everton at home comes to mind) but this season he's mostly been very frustrating wheter he's played as the 9 or as an inside forward. So let's not pretend he's offering a great deal. Lukaku have at least won us a few games almost singlehandedly (Arsenal away, Villa x2 and the point v Brighton).

The game we played v Tottenham at home last week was one of the best performances of the season in terms of overall play and that was with Lukaku up top for 90 minutes. So it's not true that Lukaku alltogether alters our way of playing either. Okay, weren't great yesterday but Mount, Hudson Odoi and Werner were all far worse than him on the occasion yet they all seem to be escaping criticism.

 

From the clubs perspective, we do need Lukaku to work out because there’s no way we’re recouping much of the £97m we shelled out. 

4 minutes ago, Sindre said:

He was terrific in the Champions League last season and a few Premier League games (Palace away and Everton at home comes to mind) but this season he's mostly been very frustrating wheter he's played as the 9 or as an inside forward. So let's not pretend he's offering a great deal. Lukaku have at least won us a few games almost singlehandedly (Arsenal away, Villa x2 and the point v Brighton).

The game we played v Tottenham at home last week was one of the best performances of the season in terms of overall play and that was with Lukaku up top for 90 minutes. So it's not true that Lukaku alltogether alters our way of playing either. Okay, weren't great yesterday but Mount, Hudson Odoi and Werner were all far worse than him on the occasion yet they all seem to be escaping criticism.

 

They ain't escaping it where it matters though. Werner and Mount were awful but got held to account and hauled off, the former will very likely pay by losing his starting place on Saturday, the latter probably would have too if Gallagher was here.

The best way to use Rom on Saturday would be on the bench with him coming on fresh to stretch City if we're chasing the game. I fear he's going to play the 90 again no matter what (which i was genuinely hoping was a thing off the past when he was eased back in last month).

I thought Werner was quite good actually yesterday. What Lukaku does bring to table is his physicality. IMO he's, not solely ofc but still, one of the main reasons we're scoring lots of set pieces. Always keeps 2-3 defenders busy and occupied just by his presence already. Still can see the pairing of Werner and him work out - they just need some time. Covid and injuries and no pre-season interrupted/delayed that heavily. 

58 minutes ago, JM7 said:

From the clubs perspective, we do need Lukaku to work out because there’s no way we’re recouping much of the £97m we shelled out. 

If PSG come knocking we will. Lukaku's been good when he's played. He's just had injury problems. I bet we can get 85m easy.

1 hour ago, Argo said:

They ain't escaping it where it matters though. Werner and Mount were awful but got held to account and hauled off, the former will very likely pay by losing his starting place on Saturday, the latter probably would have too if Gallagher was here.

The best way to use Rom on Saturday would be on the bench with him coming on fresh to stretch City if we're chasing the game. I fear he's going to play the 90 again no matter what (which i was genuinely hoping was a thing off the past when he was eased back in last month).

I think you are wrong. Because I don’t think any of their defenders will have a sweat guarding our other attackers. So if you bring Lukaku on after 45 min their defenders will be fresh. If you using him from the start and send him running after the ball in a physical fight with their defenders they will start to make mistakes.

you can change him with werner when their best defenders are tired. Last time Lukaku wasn’t bad and gave Dias hard a time.

46 minutes ago, weetee said:

I thought Werner was quite good actually yesterday. What Lukaku does bring to table is his physicality. IMO he's, not solely ofc but still, one of the main reasons we're scoring lots of set pieces. Always keeps 2-3 defenders busy and occupied just by his presence already. Still can see the pairing of Werner and him work out - they just need some time. Covid and injuries and no pre-season interrupted/delayed that heavily. 

Finally someone that understand why Tuchel use him 👏🏽 If that was a Werner or a pulisic they won’t put defender on them for guarding duty. Lukaku block their defender so that Sarr almost scored. And he pull 2 defenders with him bringing opening but we don’t have a decent one right now that can score or  cross.

2 minutes ago, Hall said:

I think you are wrong. Because I don’t think any of their defenders will have a sweat guarding our other attackers. So if you bring Lukaku on after 45 min their defenders will be fresh. If you using him from the start and send him running after the ball in a physical fight with their defenders they will start to make mistakes.

you can change him with werner when their best defenders are tired. Last time Lukaku wasn’t bad and gave Dias hard a time.

That's the point the system with Kai at false 9 is so fluid and interchangeable you can't really man mark. Prime example would be the goal in Porto when Dias tried to stick with Werner but got dragged wide with him giving Havertz the freedom of Porto.

The local City mouthpiece paper has caught on to how much better they coped facing us with a vocal point compared to the fluid f9 system.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-romelu-lukaku-tuchel-22704759.amp

They are practically praying he starts on Saturday.

1 hour ago, Argo said:

They ain't escaping it where it matters though. Werner and Mount were awful but got held to account and hauled off, the former will very likely pay by losing his starting place on Saturday, the latter probably would have too if Gallagher was here.

The best way to use Rom on Saturday would be on the bench with him coming on fresh to stretch City if we're chasing the game. I fear he's going to play the 90 again no matter what (which i was genuinely hoping was a thing off the past when he was eased back in last month).

Interesting take on our substitutions last night. My reading was more they were strategic apart from Christensen with Saturday in mind.

1 hour ago, evissy said:

If PSG come knocking we will. Lukaku's been good when he's played. He's just had injury problems. I bet we can get 85m easy.

If that happens the club should accept the offer because Tuchel has failed in the transfermarket in the summer so the sooner the club repairs that, the better we'll be.

For 85m we should be able to find an inside forward that is capable of scoring goals.

2 hours ago, Gol15 said:

If that happens the club should accept the offer because Tuchel has failed in the transfermarket in the summer so the sooner the club repairs that, the better we'll be.

For 85m we should be able to find an inside forward that is capable of scoring goals.

I wouldn't put that to Tuchel. There were probably 3-4 strikers the club was after. Haaland too expensive. Lukaku was available and we went for him.

To me he is far from being a flop. He just had one very idiotic incident in the media + injury and Covid.

11 hours ago, Gol15 said:

 

For 85m we should be able to find an inside forward that is capable of scoring goals.

Forget 85, let's say 100 m. Give me a name ? 

Edited January 14, 20224 yr by Bob stark

2 hours ago, Bob stark said:

Forget 85, let's say 100 m. Give me a name ? 

A guarantee? No one and that includes Lukaku himself.

A decent probability? We arguably have one on the books already.

33 minutes ago, Argo said:

A guarantee? No one and that includes Lukaku himself.

A decent probability? We arguably have one on the books already.

There is no guarantee but it need to make sense otherwise you are just gambling. So give me a name ?

If you say Mount, then you don't understand Mount at all

Edited January 14, 20224 yr by Bob stark

3 hours ago, Bob stark said:

Forget 85, let's say 100 m. Give me a name ? 

For a significantly less amount you can find a talented attacker, if you want some names that have shown to have the end product in their domestic leagues I can give you some names.

- Gnabry from Bayern. Last season 10 goals, 5 assists in 27 games. This season so far 9 goals and 3 assists in 18 games.

- Nkunku from Red Bull. Last season 6 goals, 7 assists from 28 games. This season so far 8 goals and 9 assists in 18 games.

- Diaz from Porto. Last season 6 goals, 5 assists in 30 games. This season so far 13 goals and 5 assists in 16 games.

- Bowen from West Ham. Last season 5 goals, 5 assists in 38 games. This season so far 5 goals and 9 assists in 21 games.

- Berardi from Sassuolo.  Last season 17 goals, 8 assists in 30 games. This season so far 10 goals and 9 assists in 19 games.

- Antony from . Last season 9 goals, 8 assists in 32 games. This season 6 goals and 1 assist from 14 games.

- Sarr from Watford. Last season 13 goals, 10 assists in 39 games (Championship). This season so far 5 goals in 12 games.

- Silva from Benfica. Last season 5 goals, 6 assists from 29 games. This season so far 7 goals and 13 assists in 16 games.

- Elis from Bordeaux. Last season 8 goals, 6 assists in 31 games. This season 7 goals in 12 games.

Our best winger with some goals this season is Pulisic with 3 goals in 11 games in the league.

Edited January 14, 20224 yr by Gol15

1 hour ago, Bob stark said:

There is no guarantee but it need to make sense otherwise you are just gambling. So give me a name ?

If you say Mount, then you don't understand Mount at all

No I was talking about this guy

35 minutes ago, Argo said:

No I was talking about this guy

Not excactly an inside forward though.

As a matter of fact he's a focal point type of striker (similar to Lukaku) which you've "campaigned" against for a while now.

11 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Not excactly an inside forward though.

As a matter of fact he's a focal point type of striker (similar to Lukaku) which you've "campaigned" against for a while now.

My bad I didn't read Gol's post properly (hungover).

But the point remains no one's really a guarantee, on paper Werner and Ziyech solved all our attacking problems.

If pushed to name one IF suited player I'd say Karim Adeyemi from Salzburg, caught some of their games specifically to see him and I'm very impressed.

Edited January 14, 20224 yr by Argo

If PSG come in with an offer of 85m, I’ll be outside Cobham waiting for Lukaku.

17 hours ago, Argo said:

No I was talking about this guy

Ah Borja. I can't comment since I have never watched him play. 

6 minutes ago, Bob stark said:

Ah Borja. I can't comment since I have never watched him play. 

Armando Broja Mr. Stark, remember the name. Going to be a top player.

5 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Armando Broja Mr. Stark, remember the name. Going to be a top player.

Only if he works on his goal celebration. Those hand gestures are beyond silly. Didn't even like them from Anelka.

1 hour ago, Valerie said:

Only if he works on his goal celebration. Those hand gestures are beyond silly. Didn't even like them from Anelka.

He has a nipple disorder, he gets nipple erection everytime he scores, he’s just embarrassed and hiding them.

Stop being so judgemental Valerie!