Lukaku and Besic go head-to-head

Besic has been quite impressive again, the more I’m seeing of this lad the more I’m liking his enthusiasm.

Sadly Lukaku has been pretty gash again. Whereas Besic is running lots, Lukaku isn’t; what’s new there lately??

He played really well in a marking job on Bale the other night.

Definitely a very good player... if we get to the bottom of what his Everton role is.

Even the Belgians must be wondering what the fuck is going on with him now.

Shit at a World Cup that was meant to be his big stage and just hasn’t got going this season.

I don’t think its a question of fitness just a player so short of confidence, he’s frightened to do anything. The Belgium manager stating he’s had a nasty foot injury this season and just hasn’t got going yet.

Not rocket science why he is not at his best.

If Lukaku has had a nasty foot injury this season then he’s been very poorly managed by both his club and national bosses.

When you consider Martinez was giving the likes of Chris Long a go in pre-season, then he could have well left Lukaku out and promoted the young lad for two or three games... but he just hasn’t; that’s I’m slightly loathe to believe this "nasty" injury is all it’s meant to be.

As I stated on another thread last week, Martinez clearly doesn’t rate the youngsters, only Garbutt and Browning have come through. The likes of McAleny, Lundstram, Kennedy, Hope, haven’t shown enough and I think Long and Ledson are just too young as yet.

Pity as at least Van Gaal has given youth a chance this year with multiple youngsters been given a chance.

Maybe it’s just a confidence thing though he has never seemed lacking in that department.

Maybe it’s his toe/ fitness in which case rest/train him till it’s better.

What’s most concerning is maybe he’s just not that good.

FFS, he is 21.

I just hope he doesn't go down the same way as many players in the second season at a club, it happened with Yakuku, despite rupturing his Achilles (horrible injury) he was known by fans of his other clubs as being a bit of a one season wonder and losing interest after that.

You'd just like to think after the faith Martinez has shown in Lukaku, plus the continued love and support from the fans, then Lukaku would be really wanting to bust a gut to show us the faith and loyalty hasn't been misplaced.

I want him so much to be our big success story this season, I'd love it I would but sometimes at Everton we can start blowing too many trumpets and singing too many praises long before they are due.

Let's hope things get better.

I was shocked when we splashed out that huge fee on him and, regardless of the length of the payments, itÂ’s still down as 㿈 million and our record signing, dwarfing the previous record. IÂ’ve seen nothing to convince me so far this season that heÂ’s going to be a success but, as I keep saying, letÂ’s see how he fairs when Barkley is up and running. HereÂ’s hoping...

IÂ’ve seen nothing to convince me so far this season that heÂ’s going to be a success but as I keep saying. LetÂ’s see how he fayres when Barkley is up and running. HereÂ’s hoping...

And, er, wtf has happened to the OS? There are some highlights of the Man Utd game and one 30s "clip" of the Crystal Palace game and nothing else but some pre-season and U21s?

Have I fucking missed something??? Has Blue arsed fucking Bill cancelled the Sky subs? Or have the fucking useless Everton IT dept bolloxed something else up (like the old iPad connection)? Seriously, what the fuck!!!!!!????

Maybe he needs to hound defenders more. But did that work for Jelavic? If I were Martinez I'd be criticising other players for not creating enough.

More importantly, where are all the match highlights on the OS?

Until Barkley and Mirallas are back, we need a creative midfielder just behind Lukaku and I'd be tempted to try Pienaar in there for 45 mins with Oviedo out on the left.

The thing with Lukaku at the moment is he does not seem to put in the effort; it may be a confidence or injury problem but that is not a reason for not showing any improvement.

The problem at this time is that he should be dropped instead of playing him and hoping he will get back to last season's form; however, we don't really have anyone to take his place.

When Lukaku signed in the summer, people were rejoicing, in the fee paid as much as the player purchased. 'It's a statement of intent'. 'Best news in years'. 'We mean business'.'Everton are back' and other, over the top, oral orgasming at splashing out an obscene amount of money.

Seven games later, in which he's been asked to help out the team by playing while not fully fit and filling in out wide, he's suddenly fucking shit because he's only scored twice, and the fact Everton paid 㿈M for him sickens everyone to their stomach.

He gave an interview yesterday, in which he praised the club, said how he had made the right decision turning down Juventus and how he was desperate to succeed at Everton and all he got on here was shit for it. 'Gobby twat wants to shut up and concentrate on his game' etc. Like footballers aren't obliged to answer questions put to them by the press.

Then he plays for Belgium in a game that has no bearing at all on Everton and he's berated because he was subbed before the hour was up. Big deal.

He's in a rough patch right now but, at this early stage in his Everton career, he should still be entitled to expect the fans to show some patience and stand by him while he regains form and full fitness, rather than prematurely fucking him off.

Also got to love the way people claim it's nothing to do with fitness and make out the injury to his toe was some kind of cover story to conceal the fact he's just 'fucking crap'.
.........
" I'm slightly loathe to believe this "nasty"injury is all its meant to be".
.........

He must have roped a few of the lads in to lend legitimacy to the convoluted conspiracy then, because his team mates, manager and national coach all seem adamant he's not fully fit and have been saying so for a while now.

Mirallas:

"..he had a problem with his toe and that made it hard for him. He's a big, strong player and when he goes to accelerate he is in pain."

Martinez (after the Arsenal game):

"Romelu has been struggling with a knock on his toe and he did incredibly well to be available today.The fans need to know, and it is an example of our football Club that he did everything to be available for the game to help the players.I couldn't be prouder of his attitude and the way he represented our Club today".

Martinez (after Weat Brom game):

"Obviously, Rom has been struggling with that toe and he's done magnificently to be on the pitch and helping us on matchday."

Wilmots (this week):

" Due to a foot injury Lukaku had a difficult preparation at Everton. He is not one hundred percent, and admits it."

No one has said it was a "nasty" injury. It's just a particularly difficult one to put a timescale for recovery on. Put sudden pressure on the foot and there will be pain, jump and there will be pain, kick the ball and there will be pain. Not excruciating, agonising pain but the sort that provides constant discomfort.

Basically, you try to ignore it and play through it or you partake in total rest for a period. The medical staff, the manager and the player himself obviously opted for option one. He won't have been able to train at full pelt and he will have been feeling it during and after games.

For a player who relies on power and a burst of pace it can be particularly disruptive.

But a 㿈 million pound player shouldn't let something like a Tom and Jerry style throbbing toe, a lack of creativity in the team at the moment, or being told to play out wide by his manager, stop him from hitting top form and smashing goals in every week, right?

For that sort of spend, Lukaku should still be able to pull off lethal finishing moves with one good leg and one gimp leg. For 㿈 million quid he should be doing fucking quality crane kicks like that little quilt from 'The Karate Kid'. That lazy fucking Lukaku needs to be a lot more Larusso if he wants to be 'the best... aroooouuund. Nothing's gonna ever keep you down. You're the best... aroooouuund. Nothing's gonna ever keep you down.

[cue inspirational guitar solo]'

Jim Bennings:

I fucking love that film! The Karate Kid!! Second best display of martial arts in a motion picture ever...after Roadhouse. The bit where Paddy Swayze rips some blokes throat out with his bare hands for messing up his mullet just pips Mr Miagi for pure hard arsed authenticity. Love that little Miagi, me."

Disembodied voice:

"What about Karate Kid 2....Jim?".

Jim Bennings:

"Absolute shite! All the Katate Kid's are shite! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and 'Part 4: The next Karate Kid'. They're all pish. I've always maintained that that Miagi was nothing more than an absolutely sickening example of racial stereotyping. Him and that Paddy Swayze ponce out of Roadhouse wouldn't last sixty seconds in a ruck with Steven Seagal. 'Under Seige' mate! Fat bloke flapping his hands about on a fucking boat? Best display of martial arts in a motion picture, ever.'

Think I'll go into self-imposed exile until Everton get two wins on the bounce and Bennings and co suddenly start bigging them up as Champions League 'bankers' and Lukaku magically becomes one of the best young strikers in the game again.

Until then, it's becoming fucking unbearable.

So let's hope for a few wins to have you back commenting some sense on TW.

A number of those commenting on here and other sites are all too ready to simply assume stupidity / lack of ability / conspiracy etc on the part of management and players.

It’s rather like reading a series of comments from David Icke.

I look forward to reading the next thread where Messrs Benning, Walling etc inform those less well informed that Martinez and Kenwright are mischievous lizards leading us to enslavement and eventual doom.

Perhaps the site owners could enable their crayon drawings to be uploaded so that the less intelligent among us can follow their theories more easily.

The lad is playing with an injury, easiest thing for him would be to sit out until he was fully fit.

He is getting ripped to bits because he is having a go and playing through the pain.

You probably all know yourself, if you're going through grief with the other half, it's difficult to perform at your optimum in work or chosen activities. He's now 3rd choice striker for Belgium according to their press.

I would personally drop him for Villa and go with Naismith and Eto'o. Eto'o was pictured out partying with a rapper's wife at 4am Sunday morning in London though. Are we cursed in the striker department?

Besic seems to have his best games marking the big stars, Messi, Bale, can we afford to sacrifice one player. Just how many Bales etc are there in the Prem.

He has though put in full games versus decent opposition in the last few weeks and should be up to speed for us.

I was away for a few games in September and was frustrated not to be able to find the highlights easily under – would you believe – 'Highlights'! Eventually I found them under 'Latest'!

I know... Don't ask.

His work rate, movement, holding up the ball, being the focal point of our attacks, bringing others into play, defending from the front etc are seriously lacking this season! All that is expected of him by us fans, the manager and his team mates and tbh, IÂ’m not seeing any of it.

Where has the Lukaku of his first ever two games for us gone? The lad was a power house, his touch was good and link up play spot on, he even turned on the ball and took folk on, played through balls and was a real threat. Always got in the box, breaking his neck to get on the end of crosses and although he did score a fair amount of goals over the course of the season, IÂ’ve not seen him perform to that all round standard since.

ThereÂ’s a player in there, but heÂ’s just got to find his way again, needs to get properly fit and score more goals and then that hunger might come back and heÂ’ll show his true colours. Without the goals heÂ’s been pretty average in my eyes so needs to start showing some more.