It is looking increasingly as if Jose has made a major blunder not keeping Lukaku in the team. He scores international goals, PL goals and more often than all our strikers put together. Wouln't suprise me if he snubs Jose and goes elsewhere next year.
Next season he simply has to be brought back and made first choice. If he isn't he will be sold and we will lose potentially the best striker in the world.
I think it was partly Lukaku himself that wanted another year out on loan from what I remember, so perhaps he wasn't quite confident enough, and as we all know without that confidence it doesn't matter how good a player you are. The trouble is with Torres now injured it makes the situation worse. I have yet to be convinced that Ba or Eto'o can do the job.
you could well be right as he certainly did not look confident when he stepped up for the crucial penalty, i joked at the time that he failed jose's little test and it seems that i am not the only person to of thought that.
Venables, Chelsea apprentice and went on to be captain, went straight to Spurs though. Tommy Doc threw him and the title away at Burnley.
With you re Ba and Eto'o, they both look ordinary, with occasional glimpses of skill. Eto'o probably deserves another month to achieve full match fitness, but then he needs to put in. Ba just not good enough.
Ba needs a run of games, he is not poor by any means, the reason we signed him was because he could score goals in the Premier League, and he has done it against most of the big teams, including United, City, Spurs and Arsenal. The problem is strikers, not just ours, need confidence and when you are not sure that you will play for a few games let alone in the next one, then performances are bound to drop. On the other hand, none of our current 3 strikers have justified the right to be called numero uno
100% agree. All our strikers seem to need to play themselves into form but none of them are sure they are number 1 or getting a run of games. Just as much their fault for not taking their chances when they come though.
Eto'o is the only one of our strikers able to play within our "new" style, whatever it is. Torres 1 out is not the answer, Ba either, Eto'o is more adaptable. When we get a midfielder capable of running the show and splitting defences, then Torres and Ba can score. Until then, it's a lottery.
per you we have hit lottery twice with Nando in 5 days.. not too bad eh? to the op - kid got another one against Villa yesterday.. watched on MOTD and he looked ok.
Kid had rather unremarkable game or two over the past few weeks except for that one goal he scored. Starts against Spuds, guess he would be up for this!
Romelu was anon for the past few weeks.. I didn't watch him during the course anyway. he starts today against Pool. had a wonderful opportunity around 10 mins - one one one against simon after neatly put through on by Pulled a Nando-esque finish and wasted a golden opportunity
goal aside - have to disagree, had more than 3 clear cut one on one and had good composure on 0 occassions!
I still don't know why Mourinho hammered on getting Eto'o when you got this brilliant young lad playing everywhere except for Chelsea.
