Lukaku: 'I am getting better at everything'

But who knows how things will change between now and September.

I'd love to see the fruits of the development when the four all hit 23 next season.

Much as he is my favourite player I think Stones would be a much easier player to replace than Lukaku who we rely on hugely.

Much will depend on how we end the season. If we keep up the levels of the last few games, qualify for Europe and win the FA cup then Romelu may well stick around one more year. If we go the other way and end up 12th then I suspect he'll be gone. His agent will be touting him round either way...

You certainly are, young man. Just the one thing left: You need to appreciate the brute strength you have. You then need to get more angry and utilise that strength to intimidate defenders.

When the penny drops, you will be the complete centre-forward.

I'm watching the news on BBC1; that Einstein was ahead of his time. Can he be our manager?

If the super rich clubs decide to revive their super league then good riddance, they can bore each other to death.

Correct, but if it wasn't for Roberto Martinez he would never have signed for Everton in the first place.

I think the players (possibly minus Stones) are happy to stick around beyond the end of this season, especially if we finish strongly and who knows, maybe bag the FA Cup? European football would certainly be a big plus if we get there.

We need to progress however - Lukaku won't be here at 26 saying that the next season will be the one to break through.

Rom is the jewel in the Everton crown and he's grabbed that title with both hands, carrying us this season.

One more season is on his mind by the sounds of it, that is at least if a huge club doesn't come calling.

Real Madrid, Man u/city, Bayern etc and he will jump, and rightly so, he's a top class forward and he has to look after number 1.

If we are lucky enough to keep him beyond this season we will have an absolute animal on our hands and some amazing young talent around him.

2016-17 could bring us Champions League football if Roberto sorts his defence out, and weather Rom stays or goes after then we could still be in an amazing position.

A good end to this season,a half decent European Championships and something similar next season goal wise and Rom could be worth crazy money.

Besides, if we're talking about a Premier League move, who are the top 4 now? Are they any better than we are going to be? So why move on?

I really believe we are on the verge of being a great, great team, with the players maturing and developing; it's just an evolution thing that is slowly starting to happen.

Additionally there is the potential takeover and it will be an exciting time for the players, fans and club alike. Relax dudes, have a Chang and enjoy the ride. We are Everton and we're coming to get you!!

Gerard: Not everyone has to be "nasty" in a good footballing team. We had Reid and Van den Hauwe, but also had Sheedy (wouldn't look at a tackle let alone make one) and Trevor Steven (not renowned for his nastiness but brilliant on the ball). All about balance.

Max: Some people will always blame the manager for everything (as is their right); be that Martinez, Moyes and those who have gone before them.

John: I agree but in the modern game with the TV / Media pumping so much money into the game they demand (is it contracted?) that players and managers conduct interviews. They get chastised if they don't.

Colin & Tony. Quality. The purist in me is with you and has been for a long time. I sat at City home a few years ago, 1-0 down at half time but having been absolutely, outclassed sat their dejectedly thinking what's the point? We actually won 2-1 that day but it didn't mask the gulf created by hobbyism.

Eddie: Now mate, I'm a heavy critic of English football and the reasons it is in the state it is. Firstly, he's a striker, not a midfielder - I want him to stick a foot out, not leave one in as he should be getting tackled, not tackling. Asking a young striker who will only get better to "leave a foot in" is out of the Mike Basset school of management. He's already scored 20 goals (for the second season running; something we haven't had since Graeme Sharp), so the lad isn't doing much wrong in my opinion.

As always, like yourselves, just my opinion!

Whether or not it's Phil Jagielka's return and return to form and full-fitness, a reliance on two-centre backs whose first focus is defence, having left and right mid-fielders who understand when to track back and who will do it for 90 minutes who can say?

I suspect that it's a combination of all three.

In selection terms it comes down to:

Miralllas vs Cleverly
Deulofeu vs Lennon
Stones vs Funes Mori (and Jagielka playing on the "wrong" side)

I'd argue that in the first of those its Cleverly for me all day. However RM has consistently looked to have a player left who will go wide when we have recovered the ball but then drift to support Lukaku, sometimes going wide right to overload that side.

Deulofeu is a magician, no doubt. Ashley Williams discussion of his talents on MOTD2 after the Swansea debacle was very insightful. He talked about his ability to both beat a man and cross and his ability to dig out early crosses of equal threat, almost from between his feet. He didn't even mention his eye for early, well-weighted crosses and tremendous vision.

Aaron Lennon is a player who, in my opinion, never hurt teams enough when he was at Tottenham. He doesn't have the skills or the vision of Deulofeu to the same extent bur his current run in the team is impressive, in both aspects of the game.

When they lose the ball the reaction is different. GD will try to recover it sometimes and will drift in the general direction of our goal, AL always tries to recover the ball and his judgement about when it's a lost cause and sprinting back to defend can't be faulted.

At centre-back? The last time we had good a young centre-back of potentially international quality was when Kevin Ratcliffe was moved from his initial right-back berth to left-side CB. Those of us who remember this lightening-quick legend will, I think, acknowledge that he could certainly play a bit and, crucially, he knew when to do so and when to get rid. I'd swap him for Stones in a heart-beat. Funes Mori doesn't have KR's pace or anything like Stones's ball control. Whilst Stones always looks good and comfortable on the ball, and he has made some excellent saving tackles, he is neither a second Radcliffe nor a second Alan Hansen. He makes too many costly mistakes not out-weighed by much creative input. FM generally knows when to get rid and he has an eye for goal. Defenders who regularly get on the end of chances at set pieces are generally good at defending them too. It's the same skill-set

I accept that JS is young and will improve but positional sense, like vision, is innate. You can improve both but it will never be instinctive.

After all that, well done if you've stuck with it, my first team would be the one which started at Stoke. Don't care which keeper though; I've long argued that keepers look better behind a team that defends like it knows what its doing. Robles has had that for the past 3 games Howard hasn't had it for over 18 months. If pushed I'd go for Robles because he represents the future and he won't develop with the team sitting on the bench. I'd certainly stick with him this Saturday because he'll play against Bournemouth.

And finally ...

Talking to a member of the 86-87 team about defending/attacking in relation to our disjointedness for most of the season. He was diplomatic but said that it was necessary to both defend and attack as a unit. Implication being that we didn't do that. We have been nearer to that ideal in the last three games against pretty poor opposition though.

As for Rom he must be the best young striker in Europe, surely?

There have already been and will continue to be exciting times ahead with these players and this manager. Patience and a shared belief by players and fans alike needed.

At the moment John Stones reminds me of Rio Ferdinand at a similar age. I remember Ferdinand playing for West Ham against us in February 2000. He was awful that day, getting caught in possession for one of the goals we scored in a 4-0 win. Like Ferdinand I think Stones will eventually come good once he gets his head straight and focuses first and foremost on defending instead of practising to be the new Beckenbauer.

He used to frustrate the hell out of me with his lack of ball control, mixed finishing and seemingly dodgy commitment. I now have no doubt of the latter and the two former have improved significantly.

I truly hope he, Ross and Stonesy see the long term promise the team has and decide to invest another year where we duly reap the benefits. (I can't see Barca coming back in or Gerri).

Say what you will about Roberto - but surely even the most pessimistic Twebber can see that we are potentially on the cusp of something special - and his signings and philosophy have added something to this mix. (No argument - he needs to look at his defensive strategy)!

Add to this the TV windfall and the very real investment interest (if Bill picks the right one for the club - one who get us a new stadium and are not short term speculators) then we have a powerful brew simmering in our cauldron of dreams. Fingers crossed.

I agree, there's this weird negative obsession with players leaving - if you can't enjoy anything in the moment when it comes to football, where does your pleasure come from?

If Lukaku leaves... there is one person to blame: Lukaku.

He'd want to be getting one (from play) at home tomorrow.

"By that I mean closing the game out, making fouls in midfield. Game-management” Lukaku continues. "Be rude to the opponent. Play on the edge a little bit. That's what you have to have, I think. And if we add that to our footballing qualities it will be good. I think players with the most desire to win are the players who are playing almost on the edge"

Kind of makes me think he should go thundering into the box whilst trumpeting out the loudest fart he can muster. Never mind saying "excuse me", "soz", or any other superfluous socially expected apology. Just steam toward the opposition goal with the ominous opening music from The Shining originating from his shorts, sting the nostrils of everyone in the six yard box with the scent of 'suspected shart' and watch the marking go from 'grappling and shirt-pulling' to 'hand wafting and dry heaving'. Job done. Seven to eight extra goals for any striker prepared to give it a go, I reckon.

No need to thank me Rom. Just don't come running over and jump into into the crowd afterwards.

He says:

‘There is still room for improvement because I am young and I know it's not perfect. But I am getting where I want to be and I want to keep up the same consistency and to do better next season'

To me, he will only consider leaving if he can walk into and be first choice at the club he's joining, which I don't think he would for Clubs which can afford him. Therefore, I believe he will still be with us next season unless our board chooses to sell him.

I don't believe Niasse is a future replacement for Lukaku. Niasse will play on the left and replace Kone. I can see Cleverly and Niasse alternating for the left side of midfield role, depending on our opposition.

Lastley, Lukaku talks about us being more organised of late, is this due to a change In the managers approach or because certain personnel are back. Possibly a bit of both, but more the later for me. When we have our first choice eleven play I never feel we are disorganised, but when we have injuries and we have people playing out of position, because we don't have like for like replacements in all positions, then we do look a little disorganised.

Every interview I've seen with him, he's come across as mature and intelligent. Definitely not the sort of player who will let his agent tell him which club to sign for and when to move. If Lukaku leaves (and one day he will) it will be when he feels he's accomplished all he can at Everton or when he doesn't feel like he can because of those around him/our position/management. I think he'll give it one more season, as will Stones.

I don't get all this "They should keep their mouths shut" nonsense – they are paid footballers who are obliged to give interviews. We would be complaining if, when asked questions, they said nothing and refused to do any interviews!!

He points out his age together with Barkley, Stones and Deulofeu. Fair point. I just hope they all also work hard to improve their most glaring shortcomings (and I've ALWAYS recognised their talents are special) which are in my opinion, respectively; not doing anything like enough to win the ball back, not always remembering that the big boot is sometimes the best option, and mysteriously running out of legs well before the 90 minutes are up.

All four are potential greats; the observations are meant in an entirely positive way to their, the club's, and the fans' benefit.

I don't know what sort of strategies come in to play in the six yard box waiting foe the corner to come over nowadays, but I remember the centre half of my school team shouting comments like "Your willie's hanging out" or poking a wet finger into the center-forward's ear when he was about to jump for the ball.

Seems incredibly childish now but very effective on the day. I suppose it's called ungentlemanly conduct these days.

Isn't that exactly what Vinnie Jones did to Gazza. Poor bugger he was never the same after that!

Comments like this one above make me smile and my brain hurt:

"If only he added anticipation to his repertoire he would have had 10 more goals by now, gets let down by ball watching in the box too often instead of using his acceleration to wrong foot defenders. It's all about opinions and that's mine."

OK...sure. He'd have 26 goals in the league right now which would put him on a pace of 42. Considering the record for the Prem League era is 34, 30 has only been topped 6 times, and 26 would have won the scoring title 13 times I'd say, sure he's young and there are areas of his game he can improve, but let's not criticize Lukaku because he's not the greatest scorer in Prem era history by a mile.

However, it's all about opinions and that's just mine.

I still subscribe to a commenter from Manchester when he "those Toffees are hard to please."

To Max Murphy, who said "If Lukaku leaves there is one person to blame: Roberto Martinez".... I would point that Martinez is the one person to CREDIT for Rom being here in the first place, and that if he stays, Roberto should get all the credit for that too, because 65 would be a hellacious number to turn down.

Gotta be fair, mate.

And given his commitment to personal improvement, I have no doubt that the next time he sees one of his mates pull a foot back for a cross, he'll be more likely to immediately crash for the far post.

I'll go straight to the Lukaku/Drogba comparison which I have never made. Lukaku is ahead of Drogba's goal scoring in the Premier League. Lukaku has 41 goals in 92 appearances while Drogba had 104 in 254. Of course the real test will be if Rom can lead a line on a great team and win something big.

I agree with you two that Lukaku is not perfect and can improve – just as every footballer in the world can improve. Despite that, Rom is set up to be one of the all-time great Premier League strikers.

A few posts up there is talk of anticipation.... I call it not being brave enough to get in amongst centre halves who fancy a scrap. 3 or 4 balls fired across the box.