Lukaku: I've made my decision

I wish I could tell Lukaku how disappointed I am in him! I guess, the hype gets to some people. Whereas others are willing to work hard to prove themselves. With the right attitude and work ethic, he will be magic!

Vincent Janssen - 21years old from AZ. He is in the Netherlands national team already. He is ambidextrous like Ross, with his left foot slightly the preferred one.

Good in the air, strong, can hold up the ball, run, dribble & he can put a ball in the back of the net!

What I like most about him, which Lukaku lacks - is his attitude! He works hard, not only on attack, but puts a shift in on defense.

Infact, I'd choose him over Lukaku!

Lets say thank you for the supposed £37m profit we will make & buy Jansssen, Milik & Yarmolenko.

Buy Elis as well & loan him out.

Taxi for Kone & Niasse as well.

Although if I were him I'd hope to move sharpish before Origi upstages him in the summer.

Let's hope it's someone with a little more respect for the people, many of whom are on minimum wage, paying for his and his agents Guccis and Ferraris.

I am sick of hearing him moaning. As long as we get the right money and invest it wisely (ie. no more Niasse buys) I cannot see the problem.

At Palace away you had the gumption to have a go at the fans - when you were truly abysmal.

Go to your greener grass and take your awful first touch with you.

Take the money and run better off without him and his entourage. Far better players out there to replace him.

I've got no problem with Lukaku leaving.

Good riddance! Happy to take anything over 50m for him!

Heard enough from him and his dad; do one, Rom.

You are not worthy of the shirt.

Loads of us loved him at the start but he's never committed himself even when we were all dreaming of wonderful things two years ago........

May sound over the top, but we paid a lot of money for this guy. It's unacceptable the way he is disrespecting the club, and it would be fantastic if we took a stand and made a point that we will NEVER allow a contracted employee to treat us like shit. Make it hard and make a point to stop it happening again. There will still be some idiots prepared to pay crazy money at the end, so it's not the gamble it seems.

If you were a football manager of a premier league side would you have paid £45m for Raheem Sterling?! City did. Rom's much better and gives a 20+ goals a season return.

Don't run our players down so much. People on here talking of £30-40m are talking rubbish. We won't sell for that kind of money. The newspapers by and largely get the fees right. We're not going to sell a player for half the estimated value just because they've spat their dummy out.

We made up our minds with you a lot longer. Most Blues fans had accepted that you only turn up when you feel like it. The semis was the final nail for me. You had three or four clear chances and bluffed the lot of them. Martial gets one and it's game over.

I wish you good luck and have sent to Goodison a pair of tweezers to remove the splinters from your fat arse. You're deluded, Rom, to think you'll grace Real Madrid's frontline or even Bayern Munich. We'll see you back in the Premier League in a couple of years, playing for Hull City or Crystal Palace.

He played Cleverly at LW and Lennon st RW, with 2 defensive midfielders!! What decent striker would want to deal with that? He's under contract. We should get a top class manager and the word should come from the top that he is not being sold and we aim to win the league. But of course, our Board are silent.

He will leave and we'll get the £56m-65m he's worth. Everyone's a winner. There's no need to start getting bitter just because he has the audacity to ask to leave a club that has had 2 consecutive bottom half finishes. The cheek of the boy.

Everton put you on the map Lukaku; apart from Rooney no one else has managed anything better since they moved on from our fantastic club.

We appreciate what you have done because we are not just Everton fans – we are true, genuine football fans.

You need to be like the true sports pros of this world, ie, shut de fuck up when it comes to media statements and be known only for your sporting talent and not your utter shameful lack of respect for the fans and clubs that pay you fortune for putting your hands over your mouth for missing yet another chance. Slagging off your team mates is a stoop too low. If you are with us for preseason I hope Funes Mori splits you in half with a crap but intentional slide tackle.

Like you tweeted when you joined our famous club – time for a new era.

Good luck with yours, you ungrateful twat. How dare you slag off our great club despite all they have done for you.

So bye bye. By the way, neither Chelsea nor Man Utd are in the Champions League next season.

And hopefully we can get 50million plus.

If he was such an " incredible " talent I would be watching my beloved blues in the cup final I watching now but the fact is he not good enough to make a top top striker because his flaws are all there to see .
After we sell him for £50m + watch a replay of the semi final we will all sleep better !

Must be a different Lukaku

I'm not a fan of keeping an unhappy player. I say sell him, and let Frank De Boar buy 3-4 quality players from the Dutch league. Milik, Jannsen and Hakim Ziyech will all cost anything between £40-50m. And all 3 are quality.

I just don't like what seems like denigrating our best striker in decades because he wants to leave.

So coming out with a statement that 'I' have made my decision, unless the decision is to stay. it's out of his hands.

This is true in all walks of life not just football. Root out the disruptive elements early as possible.

He needs to go and all the promise you see in him will mean we get new and significant funds to invest in equally worthy prospects.

We should not fret when players move on and I agree with you completely that our club needs to be more ambitious.

The signs right now are that they will be. Let's hope that's a reality.

I don't know, why did Mourinho fuck De Bruyne off, only for him to go to Wolfsburg and then City and dominate? Not to mention Lukaku was a teenager when Chelsea let him go, as Chelsea continues to do with all their youth players. Have you not been paying attention to their failures? You don't think they might have wanted his goals?

Belgium were a waste at the last tournament and it was actually Hazard that was very poor, playing selfishly and hurting his team. Do you not recall that? You're more than happy to see our top goal scorer in decades leave with no guarantee of what type of player we will get. Money doesn't guarantee success. Just look at Niasse, and the millions spent by Newcastle. Christ, Benteke cost an arm and a leg and is garbage. But yeah, let's get rid of 25 goals a year for a player just in his 20's. That's how top clubs operate.

Couldn't agree more. Sixty five million is pure pie in the sky. Clubs want players who can control a ball for that sort of money.
I cringe when I see people putting 20m on the value of our players, then taking a similar amount of the the value of a player they think we should get . . then telling us how much money we will have left to buy some more superstars.

And what exactly was Lukaku to do while the team played with no shape? What was he supposed to be doing while the back four just passed it side to side, up to McCarthy and back to the keeper?

Look at Vardy and Kane's work ethic, neither are constantly sounding off about bigger clubs either. Lukaku has done nothing since the Chelsea game hardly the mark of a 65m player.

His goal-scoring contribution cannot be disputed, but his inconsistency will leave him short in a top four side in the likes of Spain, Germany, Italy and England. I'm hearing rumours that a deal for 50+ million with Dortmund and if we can get that kind of cash we should be wearing masks.

How many goals do poor teams score against the top 5? Do you not think that the top 5 are generally in the top 5 because they are good defensively?

And how many goals in the last 11? Do you mean when the club was in free fall and the manager had lost the team, and the entire 11 man squad had no shape or system? Do you not know that football is a team game and a striker is to some degree reliant on the support and play of the other players on the pitch?

And Mirallas getting blamed, for what? For Martinez refusing to play him despite him getting 2 goals in the only 2 games he was allowed to take part in at the end of the season?

Maybe this is all Everton deserve, since so many supporters just seem to want hard working English players to huff and puff. No, we don't want talented players with ambition. We'll take players happy to see out season after season of failure, but they'll run a lot.

If that's what you want then go support a track and field team. I want talented players who want to win and compete against and with the best. We should be demanding the same of the club. But we accepted a relegated manager for 3 seasons. We've expected decades of no silverware.

And the best players will only be happy to play for a club that shows they are trying to win titles. Is that to much to ask? Why the hell aren't we demanding that from the club?

Do you think Real or Barcelona would be filled with those players if they just set out every season to finish in the top half of the table and hope for a cup run?

I know you're always a glass half empty kind of chap but that's the transfer market.

Raheem Sterling is only worth £20m tops but he went for £45m and if you use that deal as a benchmark you think a striker who has just turned 23, who has scored consistently over 3 seasons and has a better goalscoring record than some of the biggest names in world football at that age. Who also has 3 years left on his contract so we don't need to sell. You really think we'll only get the £40m you're inferring?!

Don't be so negative man. Trust me. He won't be going anywhere for that kind of money.

You are a lazy greedy self-centred and, by the way, you are useless at penalties, you big dope.

Take note, you'll need to improve your attitude to work for the team and massive improvement required in your first touch.

Also, gamble on runs into the box and give pens a miss in cup semi-finals...

All the best, Rom. Cheers for goals...

What a disappointment. Robbed us of our success so he'd be able to trigger his probable clause... He can fuck right off. Fat sulky bastard.

"The best striker we've had in decades" isn't that much of an accolade when you consider most of the others were either bought on the cheap, injury prone, other clubs cast off's, players way past their prime, untried youngsters, limited workhorses willing to sacrifice their own goal return for running the channels, or a head butting prick packing back neck bulge like five jumbo hotdogs jammed in a plastic bag and a pair of chesticles like John Candy before he went on a crash-corpse diet. For £28m it should be a shoo-in that he's the best striker we've had for some time (although I'd still take a pre-injury Yakubu one on one with the goalkeeper over Romelu any day of the week).

Lukaku is, by some distance, the most expensive player in the clubs history. Everton put their faith in, and a massive fucking wedge down, for him when other clubs were only prepared to whisper passing words of flattery on their way to signing someone who wasn't quite so expensive or raw. They made him a regular Premier League starter and their first choice striker, when other clubs weren't convinced he could cut it just yet. At West Brom he was often considered a better option from the bench, whilst Chelsea weren't even curious enough to give him a proper chance to show his worth. Not one other team, in the Premier League or elsewhere, were willing to match the fee Everton were prepared to pay for him.

Martinez, for all his faults, backed him to the hilt, bigged him up at every opportunity and played him in almost every game for which he was eligible even when he was off form, putting in half-hearted performances lacking in effort or showing all the lethal shooting ability of one of The A-Team breaking out of a bog cubicle that isn't even bloody locked.

No one at the club has ever chastised him for constantly chatting shit to the press about wanting, needing....nay, deserving....a bigger stage, or those close to him publically pimping him out, naming other clubs who are supposedly desperate to secure his services and suggesting it was a mistake for him to ever move to Everton in the first place.

People aren't saying we should get rid simply to make themselves 'feel better'. They're just saying enough is enough. We've heard this talk ever since he walked through the door and if a move is what he wants then it's probably for the best and we're ready to help him pack. That's not the sulking, smarting, reaction of "a bunch of teenagers". It's the reaction of experienced (perhaps world weary) people who have witnessed similar situations unfurl way too many times before.

Everton have seen far better players than Romelu Lukaku leave for pastures new and managed to roll with the punches, no problem. It's certainly not the end of the world. It never is.

Why fight tooth and nail to try and keep hold of someone who has always thought he's the one doing the club a huge favour, despite them going out on a financial limb for him? Someone who is under contract, earning a fucking fortune, has received nothing but unswerving support, yet still spends half his time telling anyone who will listen that he's slumming it and yearns to be somewhere 'bigger and better'?

Bollocks to that.

I had enough trouble trying to convince you we wouldn't get half of what we paid for Niasse.

You seem to think there is some sort of going rate in the transfer market right across football. Let me tell you there isn't, never has been. Your repeated references to Sterling show you haven't quite grasped that yet.

Dream on if you think we will get 65m for a guy who can pass or control a ball

I'd like the new manager to come in and play to our only striker's strengths. If he can get goals in that team playing that way, what will he do with manager who picks a team that gives a striker some service?

I have a feeling he'll be with us at the start of the season.

John Daley's right. I'd take a fit Yakubu any day.

He single handedly cost us todays final missing at least 3 sitters in the semi so, while he knows where the back of the net is I suspect most Evertonians won't mourn his departure.

Come to think of it, they wouldn't want to spend a further £50 million on another defender who can't defend... would they?

Can those who say Rom was so lazy for the last 10 or so games honestly tell me that Ross Barkley wasn't?

In my opinion a lot of what David Barks says above is true. I fail to believe that anyone will pay £65M for Rom although I do believe he is replaceable. He has shortcomings, but has been our best striker for years and we'll miss him if he goes.

In spite of his limitations, he's a proven successful striker in the Premier League for the last four seasons, playing in average teams. I hope he stays – with better service and stronger management, his performance will improve.

I don't believe we've ever had any kind of discussion on that subject. If we had, it would have been before he started a game and I would have said that we don't know either way until he'd had a run of games. Now he has had a few games and looks a dud we'll be lucky to get half the money from a Russian or Turkish club this summer.

I don't see what Niasse has to do with Lukaku though. I think you've shoehorned that one in to try and fit your argument, Darren. It's apples and oranges. Lukaku is wanted by some of the biggest clubs in the world. He has a world class goalscoring record. It doesn't matter if you don't like his style of play, or whether you think he's a gobshite for getting his dad to manipulate a move.

£65m is the fee the papers are hawking him at. Tbh I don't think we will get that much. But we get more than £40m Darren. I think double bubble at £56m is a fair price and in the region of what we'll get in today's inflated market.

I've missed you Darren. You went MIA when everyone was on the same page about Roberto. I guess you didn't have anyone to debate with ;)

Let the new manager get his feet under the table before we start selling anyone. FDB speaks the same lingo as Rom so I'm sure they'll be able to come to some understanding to benefit all concerned.

If at the end of the day the manager agrees to let him go, we get a shit load of cash and funds to replace him (difficult as that may be). If he stays, we get a potentially 30 goal a season forward. What's to lose? It's a win-win situation in my opinion. And, as others have said, we hold all the cards and they're marked!!! So calm down ffs.

Both of them should be so grateful to Everton for offering stability, respecting and promoting a player that was passed from pillar to post. We all know Rom wants to move on, and we understand the reasons why. But why are both of them bleating on like traders on the stock market floor? So disrespectful... So taking the piss. Just let scumbag agents deal with things football.

Don't know what happens in the dressing room week-in & week-out, and I'm only guessing, but I can only imagine Rom must be one of the most miserable, negative individuals around that camp; if things are not going his way, it rubs off. You only have to look at Stones... I mean what makes this boy smile for fuck's sake.

I think he's a fantastic striker, first touch shit, but he's only going to get better. I think Everton will be a much better place to be once he's gone. A lot of the squad looked up to him as some sort of leader in a way, but when his head's down and not at the races, it definitely affects all around him.

Everton will be a new animal moving forward, I think the days of always looking at, what IF should be back packed off and sent south. For me, it's a full rebuild, top to bottom. Moshiri seems to be fully on board. I'm convinced he will appoint the right man to take our great club onwards and upwards.

I'm still undecided on new manager. Mancini has a winning mentality, passionate, educated in the Premier League...

I think Rom will regret any decision to leave, but hey, we'll be fine.

I hope this doesn't mean we'll have calls for breeze block head to be our next boss now.

You spent two years defending Martinez because you were convinced he was a top class manager who was destined for greatness. . .now your doing the same with Lukaku.

World class ? you could have dragged anyone of a hundred people from the crowd and none of them would have offered less than he has these past few months.

World class goal scorer ? where does that leave Kane, Vardy and Aguero . .they all pissed all over him this season. Two of them cost nothing

Given what we paid for him and how much we pay him, the club need to get 40m just to break even . .a lot of money for very little return in big matches.

We finished bottom half again, We couldnt have done much worse if we left him at Chelsea and played Mirallas up top

Never mind what's in your head, Romelu. You made a decision to play for Everton for the next 3 years. We have that in writing. It's called a contract.

Here's hoping Moshiri has brought some better back office staff with him.

Man U has lost Fergie and like a lot of teams that have been successful for a number of years is going through managers like a rock star goes through groupies.

Chelsea have lost that great spine they had and look decidedly average.

But both teams and Citteh are rebuilding and as such the future's uncertain. Bringing it back to Lukaku it's only Chelsea that seems the probable destination for Lukaku in England. Can't see him Being ahead of Martial and Rashford and Man U or Aquero at Citteh. In addition does Mouriho fancy Lukaku because he's on record questioning both his attitude and link up play.

So looking round Europe IMHO is PSG or PSG. Bayern have Lewndoski who is in a different class to Lukaku; but who knows maybe a team has lined him up. And sadly I'm past caring.

Who knows, you could be a bench warmer next season, something to look forward to eh!!!

I didn't say Lukaku was world class. I said he's got a world class goal scoring record for his age. There's a difference there. He's a striker and the ability to score lots of goals is a big deal for that particular position.

Where does that leave Harry Kane and Vardy?!

Well, they haven't pissed all over him as you say. What they haven't got is the same record over the course of 3 seasons. If they had, I'm sure Harry Kane would be touted at 65m if he put a transfer request in. Vardy has had one exceptional season after looking like something of a journeyman before. I've seen several people on this forum say we should bid for him. He's got a few years on Rom but as he's English, who would be surprised if he was sold for £30-40m with all the money that's around the game. Its an inflated market Darren. That's why we'll get more than the £40m valuation you've put on Rom.

As for Roberto, I said when we had the slump in the 2nd season in the games against Hull and Stoke when there were calls for the sack I'd give him the 3rd season. After one exceptional season and one bad season I think a 3rd season in charge was reasonable for a manager who was wanting to build something long term. We'd been doing that for 11 years under Moyes, without little thought towards utilising the youth team for long term success.

But I was wrong and I'm happy to admit that he should have gone during the 2nd season. You were sage like on that particular subject Darren.

He'll stay with us or go to PSG. Someone should tell a few people that Chelsea and Man Utd aren't in the CL.

What is it about Belgian players? Might explain why their national team always flatters to deceive.

No contracts aren't meaningless. Just ask Ossie, Hibbs and Gibson who are likely to be picking up job seekers allowance while taking odd jobs as brickies or rag and bone men in the next few months.

When will we get our new boss?

We put Lukaku on a contract to maximise his sale value. Let's see if anyone 'suitable' actually cones in for him. I have my doubts.

And Mourinho said the same about De Bruyne and look how well that worked for him, all the way to the sack at Chelsea.

But this one is different. Completely unprofessional and worthy of a club fine. It impacts us because there's a different market for players who are for sale compared to players who aren't. Everton need to make it very clear that any sale is on our terms and we want to keep him, while disciplining him for his big mouth.

3 year contract Romelu, that means whether you've made a decision in your mind makes no fucking difference. You'll do as Everton says.

Martinez chose to ignore his last outburst but I hope the Club now show some Cojones and fine him (Publicly) as well as making it clear that he leaves in Everton's terms when we are good and ready.

Having said this, with 3 years on his contract, we are the ones with leverage and should demand silly money, especially if he does well at the Euros.

Read it and weep.

Seen all I needed to see after a few months. Barring the odd game where he seemed to remember his job, he's a very very average footballer with athletic genetics but with no courage.

That's it.

Everton has more options than that.

1. If the numbers are right, and Everton cut a deal with another club, he can go.
2. If the numbers make sense, but the new manager wants to keep him, he stays.
3. If the numbers don't make sense to Everton, he stays.
4. He stays anyway.

The Kenwright years are over. All Rom can do to force a move is flat not play. Which he won't do.

Contracts ARE worth the paper they're printed on. Especially contracts with duly-noted, legally-binding ink signatures.

"In my head, I have already made ​​a decision." Let's see what that is.

Claudio Ranieri when asked by a journo, "will you be able to attract bigger names to the club now?" Responded :-

"I don't want big names - I don't want to break that dressing room".

That is the crux of the matter. Therefore I wouldn't hesitate to sell him. As Harry Catterick once said - "That's football son".

Fuck you Romelu. It's a good job I'm not Everton's billionaire majority shareholder because I would let you sit and rot for the three remaining years of your contract.

Your transfer fee would be a small price for myself, as a billionaire, to pay to teach you some fucking respect.

I will be so glad when this pessimistic bastard fucks off... what a horrible fucking family. Can't play in Italy? Defence too tough. What a moby. Get rid asap.

He is spreading so much negativity around the club, it is becoming pandemic. I'm beginning to hate this boy.

Wondering what his olde man would say then?

Claudio Ranieri when asked by a journo, "will you be able to attract bigger names to the club now?" Responded :-

"I don't want big names - I don't want to break that dressing room".

That is the crux of the matter. Therefore I wouldn't hesitate to sell him. As Harry Catterick once said - "That's football son".

Throw his ego in and you cant help nut think you can do better.

As well as the goals he has scored how many did he create for the opposition due to poor control or passing.

Get shut for whatever price and build a team not a one trick pony show.

Poor season in a team where he needed to score three to guarantee three points

We all knew it was on the cards; take the fantastic transfer money on offer and move on.

OK Gavin.... I await the day that this lad goes from 18 and scores 60 goals a season before I declare amazement at how someone with such a shite touch, one foot and abysmal aerial prowess could be compared to the greatest goalscorers of all time.

At the same time I will write a piece comparing the goalkeeping attributes of Steve simonsen and Paul Gerrard with that of Neville Southall.

Till then.... rest assured this lad will not be missed.

Based on some uttering in the Press by Lukaku?

Haha. No. Players know they're nothing more than meat on the hoof; dumped the instant they can't produce.

With all this Laurie, you, me and everyone else have no idea what will happen given the shambles left Moshiri by Kenwright and Martinez.

He wants out, nothing new here. Get a decent price and move on. Same goes for Stones. Neither player has any ties to the club and both (and/or their agents) obviously think they are too good for us. Sell both for a truck full and reinvest.

Hopefully FdB will be announced next week and the rebuilding can begin.

Let's hold out and get as much as possible for him even if it means he has to sit on his hands until the January transfer window. He has not scored in the past 10 league games, still has the touch of a baby elephant, and really only plays when he is in the mood. We will get over him very quickly!

If Rooney can give half of his football brain to Barkley the fee will be worth it.

Everton hold the cards on what happens to Rom – not his arl fella or that fucking mercenary, Raiola. I would personally sell the obstructive, pessimistic bastard for magic beans. If we can get £50 mill north for the player, I would gladly spend every penny on Alexandre Lacazette or Mauro icardi, these two boys are amazing strikers any of them would be fantastic for Everton, winners both of them, a real desire to win, eye for goal...

I personally think EFC are going through a change that none of us have ever witnessed before. The whole structure and philosophy of the club is now being run by an enthusiastic appreciative business man.

By the looks of things, this fella has grabbed Everton by the bollocks and said this is how to do it. For the first time in 30 years, things feel more realistic, than optimistic pipe dreams.

When he isn't, like the last couple of months - He's just a very expensive Anichebe.

Still, as has been said, with 3yrs left on his contract, we don't have to sell...but if he wants out, we can listen to offers - on our terms.

But we do need the Manager thing sorted out to have somebody in place on the football side of things to actually listen to any offers that might be made...My tip is he will go but not until after the Euros.

But, as has been said

Nobody would notice.

Mancini tipping the scales for his passion and experience. Something in the De Boer story, linked with two favorites of his, maybe it's a done deal!

Money from Lukaku, spend every penny on Lazzatte or Mauro Icardi, Emboli, or Barbosa from Santos. Although I would love us to take Alvaro Morata from Juve.

I think the new man will be in place by the end of next week.

I don't expect loyalty from players nowadays. People on here saying that he doesn't want to be here are missing the point - that would be true of most of our squad... Plenty of them would rather be playing for twice the money, greater opportunity to win something, and Champions League football. I don't really blame them.

I do expect professionalism though, and the club has to take a stand on his comments. We're still paying his wages and should have expectations of anyone being paid to represent this club. It's up to the club to decide now which route to take - I hope they'll choose to enforce a reputation as a big club through their actions.

I think Stones will move on pretty quickly unless we get a top class manager.

I did say you said world class goalscorer, but by using the words world class, you were clearly trying to put him in that bracket. Kane and Vardy did piss all over him, they are both miles ahead (thats why Spurs would be entitled to expect 65m for Kane).

I'm convinced if we had either the Leicester striker or his counterpart at Spurs for the semi final, we'd have been all getting up early today in anticipation of seeing the boys bring the cup through the city.

Lukaku has his shortcomings, he also has his strengths and on his day he can be very effective. If he had pledged his commitment, or even just kept his gob shut, people would not be so quick to emphasise his shortcomings . . . but the fucking cheek of the man ? . . He's made HIS decision ???.

He may have scored 17/18 goals prem goals but everything was geared towards him and I doubt there is a professional player in England who missed more sitters than him last season

I didnt value him at 40m. These are crazy times and somebody might be stupid, or desperate enough to pay more, BUT 65M ? . .It's not happening.

Vardy may have had a colourful past, but the guy is trying to put it behind him and right now he is better than Lukaku ever will be.

Lukaku, IMO, won't bring a fee anywhere near £65 million.

Probably wise to court big clubs now as I think this is the pinnacle of his career. Did I like him? To be honest, I dislike 90% of Premier League players these days. Petulant pains in the arse.

He seemed to be forever blaming team mates as he stood upfront not chasing anything and not making good runs... apart from after the ball he couldn't control. Team player? Nah.

No-one is irreplaceable; sell and buy, move on.

We will see what this new Everton era is all about through things like this...

I don't blame him at all for wanting out of a club that has yet to show any real ambition.

He has his shortcomings and has an inflated opinion of himself but we will have done well out of him on the whole.
I like him when he is on the rampage- then he reminds me of Drogba, but all too often he reminds me of Hesky.
Who knows which striker he will eventually be more like!
He has struggled to gel with various strike partners, and struggles to hold the ball up on his own. He was best on the break, on the run, and perhaps the possession based play didn't suit his style.
If he goes, it will be interesting to see how he does.

I won't miss him. His attitude has been poor at times, and the defects in his game are annoying when he is the first to complain to teammates about a poor pass.

Good luck Rom.

If it was me I'd ask you, your Dad and Agent what you think you were worth, put £28m on top and put you in the shop window. Within a week you'd get a bit bored, blame our marketing strategy and realise that you were only going for silly money, partly engineered by your own collective 'come and get me' chat.

My bet is he will stink the Euros out (teams / managers fault) and be training hard at Finch Farm come Autumn, running off the cold slice of humble pie which went straight from his lips to his hips. And if he doesn't and has a blinder every goal he scores will but £5m on his asking price. Sweet.

Rom - a word to the wise, if you want to go, go. But if you want the move you want you're going to have to play yourself out of the club as well as talk yourself out of it so get mobile, get sharp and get with it.

Rom Rom Rom A Lu, Rom Rom Rom A Lu, Rom Rom Rom A Lu, Romalu Lukaku...

£65 mil may be to a non-Champions League team such as Chelsea or Man Utd; around £40 mil for a Champions League team, I would suspect. Everton do not hold all the cards at all...

I sometimes think Lukaku, can be a good player, but I've never felt he could be great. He suits the ball over the top, obviously, but Peter Roberts 155, and his last paragraph, sums up Lukaku, best to me.

Agree with Darren, and would be very surprised if someone paid the fee getting suggested. I come to this conclusion, because I watch him most weeks, but I hope I'm wrong and someone gets really fleeced.

Pick him before Kane or Vardy? I don't think I would

As far as the mess Kenwright and Martinez have left behind for Moshiri, I have got an idea what is going to happen:

1. Moshiri will appoint a new manager.
2. The new manager will meet with the players and figure out who is committed, who is good enough, and who he wants to keep.
3. The new manager will unload some of the squad (as you suggested)
4. The new manager will identify which positions need strengthening and bring some new players in.
5. The new manager will bring in his assistants.
6. The new manager will start coaching them in how he wants the team to set up and play.

I think Joe Royle and David Unsworth will provide input for steps 2 and 4, if the new man is from outside the club.

If it turns out Moshiri decides he can trust Royle and Unsworth to take the club forward then steps 2, 3 and 4 won't take long - Unsworth sent us a big message on that score with his team selection for the Norwich game.

Last but not least Moshiri will sell Lukaku to the highest bidder (or send him out on loan) if anyone comes in for him or if Lukaku puts in a transfer request.

"Young man, you are under contract to Everton Football Cub. I will decide when you can leave!!! Not you, not your agent, not your father, not the press."

So shut the fuck up and show some respect!!!!!!

This morning, I have just learned that a friend of mine of some 40 years plus standing has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancerous tumor and probably has only a year or less to live.

A dose of reality. That's what we all need in life is an acceptance of reality or, at the very least, a perception of what may become reality for us.

In Everton's case, much speculation has appeared on these pages over the past days. Yes, Mr Moshiri will appoint his own man. I believe he has made his choice and will let us know when it suits and that will be when a situation arises that will be advantageous for both the incoming manager and the club for that person to be named.

I also believe that the new manager will have already targeted his selected personnel, both staff and players, and is working on that as I write. And he will not want Lukaku or anybody else who will not give 100% to the Everton cause – and that is clearly Romelu's position. Cry no tears, just let him go, and lets get as much as we can for him.

Our new ground: the decision has been made and probably architects sought and advice already taken as regards the East Lancs Road site.

Mayor Anderson has never impressed me as a forward-thinking person (true, I am on the outside looking in) but bare with me and I shall tell you what I think...

Mr Anderson is probably a decent man. Even a conscientious and hard working councilor. But councilors seldom make good politicians for they don't often possess much in the way of foresight, and just such a man is the Mayor. He has told us that Everton will have a new ground in three years???

• Purchase and/or land lease legal agreements acquired;
• Outline Planning approval on site obtained;
• Plans drawn up, agreed and submitted;
• Final planning approval got;
• Contracts drawn up, tendered and awarded...
• Then – and only then – will site work commence.

Now as regards the Dockland site, I believe that perhaps four or maybe five years timescale but certainly not in three years. But for the Mayor's site, it's council-owned, pre-prepared for site work (rivers diverted etc) with already outline planning approval. So it's 12 months plus ahead of any rival site.

Mayor Anderson thought he was telling us what we wanted to hear (ie, a new ground in 3 years and we would jump at it). He would be seen as a hero, but what he hadn't taken into consideration was the collective inquisitiveness and driving ambition of Everton supporters... who not only want a new improved modern stadium with money-making facilities such as its own bars, restaurants, social areas, corporate boxes etc etc within its walls – we want the best, we want better than the next guys... especially those at Anfield.

As a consequence, people like folk who write on these pages went into overdrive and found Mr John 'RS supporter' Whitaker's Peel Holdings property in the docklands, then put two and two together and came up with 44.

No, friends, I just don't believe the docklands site is on. Locally, I think that, if you applied pressure on Mr Anderson, he would verify that he was speaking with reference to the East Lancs Road site when he was talking of Everton being in a new stadium in three years.

Furthermore, he now knows that he has opened a can of worms for the Everton hierarchy in his jumping the gun in relation to our new stadium and I would think that they are not best pleased yet again with Mayor Anderson.

Now friends, that's probably reality... but I could still be wrong???

He won't be too hard to replace anyway. He doesn't have the desire, aggression, or ability to be a really top striker in the CL.

He's the Frank Bruno of football.

Sick to death of unthankful, dishonourable players like Lukaku speaking so disrespectfully of the club that feeds and clothes them.

If we can get anything up of £40million let him go. We need players who want to be at our great club and we need winners who won't blame their colleagues for their poor performance - is he as quick to praise them when they are laying on chance after chance that he is squandering.

The club should demand a transfer request and flog him before the Euro's; in case he gets on.

We have already invested £40 million in Lukaku, £12 million or more in wages this last two years on top of his transfer fee is £40 million, probably more.

It's not like we are trying to offload him. I reckon it will take a bid of £50 million or more for him to move.

Priceless

We've made our decision. FUCK OFF.

He can get away going missing at Everton for 15 games but he will be found out at another club.

My money is on him going to PSG and bagging 40+ in the joke of the french league.

He had one big game this season and bottled it from kick off.

He's been disrespectful all season and Martinez never pulled him up on it. I hope someone gives him a verbal rocket on the way out.

Firstly, I would be staggered if Rooney goes anywhere until he has scored 5 more goals for Man Utd and beaten Bobby Charlton's record (really hope he does – love the idea of their top scorer ever being a Scouser)

Plus what fee would we (or anyone else) be expected to pay? (nb: yeah he's 30 but most blues are looking at £50m+ for Lukaku).

Oh and keep in mind, for the next two years at Man Utd, he's guaranteed £31m+ in wages (deal signed when he was 28).

If we could have him as captain in our midfield for the next two years, great, but can't see it.

Let's get the deal done as soon as possible if he doesn't want to be here. I've enjoyed watching Lukaku at times but I am sick of him disrespecting the club and the fans.

Goodbye, Rom; thanks for the goals but please be aware that they will be replaced by somebody who will undoubtedly show more consideration and respect towards the club and its great supporters.

Anyone who this he's going to go for more than that is deluded.

Re Lukaku, I'm fed up with him and his auld fella. Pair of jumped-up dickheads. I don't think for one minute we ll get £65 mil for him. I think it'll be more like £50 mi. No matter what, it's win-win for us.

Prices this transfer window will be inflated anyway, because of the new tv deal; and if Man City paid £50 million for Sterling then some sort of benchmark has been set.

However, I hope that the Club will already have discussed this and will likely wait to see what our new manager wants to do before deciding to sell Lukaku or not.

If he wants to go, I'm all for selling him but I hope our club will only sell him at a price that they think he is worth. I think gone are the days of "I won't sell Rooney for £50 million" and then ended up selling him for bugger all plus add ons. This tiome I'm hoping will will only sell if the club believe it is right.

Personally, I'd say "Thanks Rom and goodbye." and I hope we'd go for those two lads from Holland Milik and Janssen; but this time, We will have a realistic chance of going for them>

If Niasse can settle in then Everton will not miss Rom as long as a class supporting striker is found. What Everton have at present in Mirallas and Deulofeu is not good enough and Dowell may need a lot more games.

But how much money have his goals saved us by keeping us in the Premier League?

If an acceptable bid doesn't come in (and it's quite possible we will want more for him than any club is willing to pay) then, like it or not, he'll have to bear the torture of being paid millions to play for us next season, regardless of how much he wants to play in the Champions League.

Anyone who is disrespectful to Everton should be stuck in the reserves until sold. I hope we get a strong new manager who won't accept any this chap.

You think Sturridge is better than Lukaku?

I see the point you're making. I'm not sure I entirely agree with all the names who you've put forward though.

That's a good point. Dependent on the new manager's preferred style of play.

If he is a manager who likes to press from the front, it will have to be a player who plays like Vardy, Suarez, Kane, Rashford etc. Players like Lukaku, Bony, Benteke etc can't put the effort in to play that type of game.

Also, Mirallas is our best finisher and should be one of the first names on the team-sheet. Martinez should have been sacked ages ago for his treatment of him.

Matt @ 241 – how can a striker (Sturridge), who's never fit on an enduring basis, be one of the top 10 in Europe!?

In the words of Anne Robinson, you are the weakest link... Fuck off!

Maybe in time, young players like Kane will end up with a better goal haul by getting the right service... but, given the right service, Lukaku would leave them all behind.

Personally I've never been one who's been obsessed with a strikers technical ability. I don't really care as long a they do their primary role which is to score goals. In the case of Lukaku he's more than proved himself as a goalscorer. He's also chipped in with a healthy number of assists too. The results justify the means for me.

The irony is that many of the posters who are the most vocal in their criticism of Lukaku's ability are the ones that were crying out for a Tony Pulis / David Moyes type manager who would grind results out when Martinez was obsessed with style over substance.

For the record, I think that £65m is a high end estimation and Rom's failure to hit the net in his last 10 games and talking out of his arse in interviews like this potentially mean we're more likely to get a little less. I'm going for £56m which is very fair in the current market.

I thought I'd best get that out of the way as quite the majority on this thread seem to be using it as some sort of therapy to unload some 'issues.'

On the question of Romelu's football ability, his tendency to be caught offside annoys me; the desertion at times of a sure touch and control of the ball bewilders me when on many other occasions he shows great ability of the same in tight, challenging situations; he should not be on penalty duty when we have such a competent reliable exponent of the art as Leighton Baines on the books.

To read some of the above posts any one who did not know the player would conclude he was a complete incompetent. After all, any goals he scored are 'mishit or scuffed'. any headed goals 'come off his shoulder', and of course he is frequently 'lazy and disinterested.'

A tad (and then some...) exaggerated, but to reinforce their burning dislike for the player, the man, there is no limit to how far some posters are prepared to go to denigrate him.

Romelu Lukaku is exactly the sort of footballer Everton FC should be recruiting and retaining. He is - historically, on a world level - up there with the very best for his position, for the age he is.

Check out this link as evidence:

Link

And yet ... some liken him to Heskey and would trade him for Benteke, two years his senior with less career goals.

Then there is the question of 'respect', or rather, the lack of it, by Romelu to the club.

In each and every interview I have seen and listened to with Romelu Lukaku, he speaks softly, humbly, timidly even, often with his head bowed. He speaks eloquently and intelligently (multi-lingual as he is). He speaks in praise of his team mates, of the club and - indeed! - his (then) manager.

The opening post with his latest comments neither explicitly nor implicitly 'disrespect' the club. And yet, more than 200 posts later, that is the assumption by many.

He has made no secret of how serious a student he is of the game and the art of scoring goals. He has made no secret he is ambitious and wants to play at the highest level, in the best competitions, his profession offers.

I would hope Barkley, Stones, even the likes of our (next) golden generation, Davies, Dowell, Walsh etc, have the same drive and ambition. It can only benefit the club.

Given the poor performance our league position in the last two seasons, like it or not, but any talented player (and Romelu Lukaku is a talented player in the most challenging role in the team) with ambition would be considering his options.

"In my head, I have already made ​​a decision."

So do all of us, even on a daily basis. But then, there is some slippage between thoughts, words and action.

Whilst the club seemingly hold all the cards as he is still contracted to us for another 3 years, it may well be too late for the new manager to convince him to stay. Equally, it may not be.

After all, according to many, he is kack, not worth the money being touted, not rated by managers at clubs likely to recruit him, so in 'truth', there are no suitors for his services and he is just as likely to stay as go.

In conclusion, I would say the following: there 'appears' to be a very fresh and new wind blowing through the corridors at Goodison with Moshiri 'seemingly' flexing his muscle.

I await concrete proof this is in fact the case. The managerial appointment will inform us a great deal of what to expect for Everton's immediate future and prospects.

I have no idea who the new manager will be. I have no idea whether it will be someone to impress the fans, the players, the media. I have no idea of our transfer budget and targets this summer.

But if Farhad Moshiri can recruit a marquee manager; if the transfer budget and targets are impressive; if the manager is allowed to assess the existing squad and identifies Romelu as a huge asset he wishes to retain, then I for one hope we will still see him turning out in a blue jersey for Everton next season in a much rejuvinated team.

To willingly unload the known quality he brings to the team in exchange for a punt on a presumed 'superior' untried alternative does not make sense on any level for me.

So, basically like Martinez, the blame lays elsewhere then and, anyway, it only RECENTLY went pear-shaped. Nice.

Once again, just shows that thin line between class and a lazy, selfish fucker! Bye Bye.

It doesn't just mean, "I getta the bigga money and the pretty-a ladies and the nice-a cars", it means you behave with some professionalism, honouring your employer (in this case our club) and the vastly overpaid contract you signed up to in order to perform an essentially simple and ultimately pretty arbitrary entertainment task.

If you want some more perspective, you are not a vital part of society or the existence and betterment of humankind, you don't even provide good value labour for your work - you kick a ball around a pitch with highly variable degrees of quality and commitment around 40-50 times a year for the enjoyment (or consternation of thousands and occasional millions who seek some distraction. You are a luxury on this planet, and like many of the luxuries (Luis Vuitton bags, super yachts, penthouses) you are 100% dispensable.

Zero-ing back into footballing reference, Romelu you are frankly a better than average forward player, at best a very good player, at worst a dead weight. You have admittedly managed to score goals, some very good ones, but you've done this in a VERY attack minded team (at the cost of any defensive ideology - thanks to Robbie) where you were the sole target for the majority of opportunities.
You have equally missed a hatful of great chances (the 6 or so in the Cup semi final for instance) partly through poor control, partly through lack of effort and partly because I suspect the pressure told.

From a temperament perspective you look VERY suspect with a tendancy to throw up your arms and mooch about when it's not going your way in regular games as well as bottling it in the crunch matches.
E.g. You bottled it in the Champions League for Chelsea (which is one of the reasons why Mourinho let you go) and it felt like you bottled it in the FA Cup Semi Final for Everton. How much have you done for Belgium on the big stage? .....Exactly!

If you think you're bigger than the club, then you're wrong.
If you think you've done anything in your career yet that deserves special or legendary status, then you are also wrong.
If you think you have earned the right to mouth off at every opportunity (is this a Belgian thing?) then again I'm afraid you really have not (I suspect this is even written in your contract - the one you expect to be honoured but you're about to walk out on).

Before you depart Goodison for the last time, I suggest you walk down the hallowed halls and take a look at the photos and memorabilia of some of the true legends that have deservedly worn the jersey and earned our love (and their wages).... Reid, Steven, Kendall, Dean, Southall, Sheedy, Cahill, Ferguson, Rathbone, Gray, Hickson, McKenzie, Horne, Watson, Young.... there is a long list.

You are frankly not fit to clean their boots and will not EVER be afforded a place in our hall of fame (or I suspect that of any other club's).

You are a mercenary and tour attitude (and that of your vile agent + father) to the game, to the club and to your departure sums up so much of what is wrong with our game and arguably our society as a whole today. Self absorption, greed and a lack of real commitment when the going gets rough.

In summary then, whilst we may miss the player's goal-scoring record in seasons to come, we most certainly will not miss the man.

Get as much as possible for him and move on. Great in spells and absolute dog shite in others. We need players who are willing to get stuck in when things aren't going our way and he isn't one of them. £50 million plus or let him rot in the reserves.

The new coach has a hell of a lot of work to do and we can't hang around making the decision as to who it's gonna be. Come on, Board... stop dicking around and appoint our next boss!!! With lots of money to spend, this is one of the biggest decisions our Board will ever make. Let's hope it's the right one...

I love Rom as a player but his downside is his self-centredness. Perhaps that is what drives him to be as good as he is, I don't know, but I do know he has not been conducive to team spirit (one of the traits that elevated Leicester to the status of champions. It is a team game and Rom is just another of the parts. For him to single out his future club, and surmise he was let down by the players around him just shows the impossible arrogance of the man.

How he can say he has chosen his next team, when he is under contract, and any prospective buyer may not be willing or able to pay the transfer fee is just ridiculous behavior. Like father like son I'm afraid.

I always take note of what Jay Wood as to say, as he is always worth reading, in this instance I am more inclined to go along with Chris James, as always it is just opinions.

In conclusion I think the lad will be gone very soon but I cannot say he will be missed by me, he is self serving and only really interested in himself, the team is secondary In his mind and his efforts are all aimed in what is best for him, he will have to change that selfish attitude if he wants to become the player he thinks he will become.

Strikers believe they are a different species, and ego and self-centredness is a part and parcel of their DNA. As for team spirit, I often see Rom giving the thumbs up to team mates even after passing the ball 20 yards from him.

The service to him dried up from February onwards and hence his goals. I'm not making excuses for him but he has been let down by his team mates (passing) and manager (tactics). Starve any striker of decent service and they will suffer and wilt.

As you say, there are polar opinions on TW on every aspect of the club.

I don't claim to represent any group or clique. I only offer my own opinion.

And my opinion of Chris' post @ 257 is that it is typical of many a post in this thread, just an angry (largely incoherent) rant.

In threads of this nature, I sometimes sense there is a 'race to the bottom' by some posters, tripping over themselves to deliver the most scathing insults as some kind of 'proof' of their credentials of being a 'proud Evertonian.'

As such, any balance and perspective is completely lost.

I repeat, I don't agree with the hysterical condemnation of Romelu Lukaku, either as a footballer or as a man. He has the kind of profile we as a club with genuine ambitions should be seeking to recruit and retain.

Tom (240) 'when Niasse settles in...' ?you're joking, right? Thank goodness you're not manager.

Matt (241) you think Costa is better than Lukaku? Ridiculous. Mind you most on here thought he was way better last year.

I don't have a problem with him wanting to leave it's just how he is confucting this process - in a disrespectful manner. Keep your mouth shut and discuss with Everton behind closed doors. He owes us?; it'd have been Chelsea reserves or West Brom without us.

If we can get 65mill for a player whose first touch is not quite as good as Steven Hawking we should sell.

There can be no more terrifying site in football than Lukaku rampaging towards you with the ball at his feet. Ask Chelsea? But that seemed to be a rare occurrence this season.

However, for every goal we scored, we conceded as well. Lukaku may fair better in a team of highly priced Prima Donas, But didn't Mourino show him the door.
He will always score goals because sometimes you just cannot stop him. Its the cost to the team of getting those goals is a price we can't afford to pay.

He is not being well advised in his dealings with the media. He talks as if Everton were an impediment to his rise to the summit of football and "He's decided what he's going to do in the immediate future!"

For a 22yr old man mountain, who is too gentle for his own good, I wish him luck.

I'm sure we can effectively replace him and a few other first team luxuries with half the money we get for him!

Remember he has pace power and an instinct to score goals. All those on here slagging him off just remember it was the clueless Martinez he was playing under and isolated up front.

I think he has been honest with his ambition. Do you reckon he would be looking to exit if we were playing Champions League next season? Players come players go.

I think Lukaku, would equally get in to the England team along side Kane and Vardy.

what you have to remember is Leicester (1st) and Spurs (3rd), were playing with intent all season. Their teams simply gelled and ours didn't. We saw Vardy and Kane score some great solo goals but in the main they were assisted by fellow team mates.

I think Lukaku has a point when he was quoted as saying he simply didn't have the support of his team mates at times.

As for him disrespecting the club, well really? I mean surely he was just answering questions put to him.

Many above have said that he as damaged the team spirit with his remarks. Team spirit, that's a joke, did you watch this shower last season? There was no spirit insight that I could see.

I was a Bony fan and would have preferred him over Lukaku. But Lukaku has done the business this season: 25 goals in the Premier League and Cup and that speaks for itself. And just think how many he could have scored with just a little bit more support from his team mates.

As for him wanting to move on, well I'd hold him to his contract, because believe me he will be so hard to replace. As for him wanting to move on, it's called ambition. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Would still prefer him to stay and prove that he can be the best for Everton but what will be will be...

this is a terrific thread, but you are spoiling it by spouting nonsense you have dreamed up to try to give your argument some credence.

"The irony is, that many (many?) of posters who are the most vocal in their criticism of Lukaku's ability are the ones who were crying out for a Tony Pulis / David Moyes type of manager who would grind results out when Martinez was obsessed with Style over substance" . . .kin ell.

Do you really believe that ? Is that what happened in your world ? Do you ever remember ANYBODY crying out for either of them ??? How do you expect anyone to take your comments seriously If you are going to make this silly nonsense up ?
Show me anywhere and I mean ANYWHERE, where an Evertonian "cries out" for Tony Pulis ?

"I think people who are taking a third off the estimated value are the most cynical amongst us" . . . .Really ? I think the people who think we can get a player they would like us to sign for next to nothing are the most stupid.

You see it is all about opinion. Valuation is in the eye of the err valuer. People are not taking a third off "the valuation" they are simply offering their own and no matter how many times you come back accusing them of "crying out for" for Tony Pulis. They aint changing their minds

Almost word for word what the women of Wisconsin used to say about their neighbour, 'that nice Ed Gein'.

My post #253 wasn't specifically aimed at you, but if the cap fits it's obvious that you think people see you as an admirer of the David Moyes & Tony Pulis style of management, even though you protest you aren't

I think the only irony here is that you have the gumption to say that this is a forum for opinion when you're normally someone who isn't accepting of other peoples opinions Darren.. Oh the irony.

As far as valuations go. It's fair enough for people to have the opinion that Lukaku will go for £30-40m and call other people starry eyed and deluded for valuing him closer to £65m. It's okay to have that opinion Darren. It's just wrong in this instance.

As always , you are forced to make more nonsense up in order to try to substantiate the lies you have already told.

I didn't think it was aimed at me because you actually said "many of the posters" . .the clue was in the word "many" I don't have to justify myself to you. friends who know me and people who read my posts about people like John Stones know how I like football played.

Why don't you man up and admit you are lying about many of Lukaku`s critics were "crying out for Pulis or Moyes" ... better yet. Why don't you admit neither manager had anything to do with the debate.

I'd have thought you'd have learned that you fool nobody with these porkies... clearly not.

Purely because his stinking attitude would never fit into a team built around hard work and team spirit.

Thanks Rom. Enjoyed you for brief spells.

Now jog on.....

I have 2 of Rom's most vocal critics in my mind who are massive Moyes fans. The point of the post was that IMO (onus on this for clarification) is someone who likes results over style - the Moyes approach would to my mind would be a fan of striker who is guaranteed to score 20+ goals a season.

Daniel, £35m-£40m?

I'll repeat some parts of a post I made a short while back. We paid £28m for him in addition to the £5m loan fee for his loan season, a similar amount to that which WBA paid when they had him on loan.

So, if he has only 8 years left, at your valuation that would work out at approx £4.5m a season, less than we paid for his loan, and that is to OWN his registration which also means that he can be sold for a profit if he continues to score goals, something he'll do in a team not managed by Roberto Bellendino.

Maybe we should keep his registration and just loan him out...

If there are no porkies, back the statement up. Show me one single critic of Lukaku who "cried out for Pulis" ?

You wont be able to of course because its utter made up pap.

These two managers had nothing to do with the debate. You thought you could discredit those who disagreed with you by trying to stupidly claim they were crying out for them

Thats not giving an opinion

I'm still stuck searching for the suggested irony.

So, supposedly, the same people who previously stated they wanted "a manager who could grind out results" are now criticising Lukaku's ability and saying, rather than looking world class, he's actually been putting in performances closer to Clyde from 'Every Which Way But Loose' after Clint confiscated his lagers.

Ignoring whether that's even true or not, how the hell is it ironic in any way?

This isn't a grand jury and I can either go into this further with you but I know you you will continue to reply until the thread is closed.
Or I can leave it has it is and you will have to accept that this is my opinion.

I think you are taking my post far too literally. I was posing a question, Darren. It was more of a generalisation based on a couple of posters who like the Moyes/Pulis style and called for either of them to be manager 2nd season in the Xmas slump pre Moshiri. They are also very vocal Lukaku critics. I do find that ironic because the percentage style under those 2 managers lends itself to results over style.

Yet so vocally critical of a strikers first touch who has a fantastic goal ratio. It doesn't really marry up for me. That's my opinion Darren...And I'm not going to trawl throu

You're making me feel like Alanis Morissette now. I know how I meant the word ironic and I'm sticking to that.

First there was many, then there was two, yet you still can't show one.

"Crying out for Tony Pulis"... Yeah it stands to reason, if you criticise Lukaku, you must want Pulis to be the manager.

I was going to say you couldn't make it up, but clearly...

It was a generalisation. In this case a fan of regressive football like that of Moyes and Pulis shouldn't be asking for finesse from a striker who does his job and knows where the onion bag is.

What's so difficult to get your head round Darren. You don't believe there are people who frequent this forum who like the Moysie/Pulis brand of management who are also vocal about the intricacies of our CF's style of play?!

Are you sure this doesn't describe you Darren. It seems to have made you more argumentative than usual. Have I touched a raw nerve?!

Btw, I kindly ask you not to call people liars for having a different opinion to your own.

I was actually thinking of Jay Harris & Peter Carpenter when I made the post you jumped on Darren. Sorry Lads. Darren is worse than a Jack Russell once he gets his teeth into something.

I think he's acting very disrespectfully and needs to keep his thoughts to himself, or his grievances in house. That doesn't stop me from being grateful for his league goals (even though it needs other players to provide him) and without them, it could have been more than a 'bad' season.

Working hard on your first touch would be a good place to start, Rom. Two gilt-edged opportunities when through on goal spurned in the semi because your first touch went further than I can now kick it. And after being put clean through by your team mates.

And do you not think that he knows that, and will work to improve that? Just as every good player just entering their 20's will continue to work on their weaknesses.

Again, and I'm not saying Lukaku is going to be of the same level of these players, but did Bale not improve his game as he got older? Or has he stayed the exact same player since his early 20's? Did Aguero improve his game? How about Ronaldo? Ronaldo was raw as hell when he came to United, far too often a one trick pony with step over after step over. He greatly improved his game.

Vardy, improved as he got older. Arteta, much better player in his late 20's than 22. Schmeichel, has greatly improved as a keeper.

This constant knock that his touch isn't good enough is flawed because it assumes he won't improve. And that makes no sense. What we should have is a manager who makes him improve. But I fear we've missed that opportunity and now another club will get the best from him.

He might well know it but I think it's bad form to blame your team mates for whatever difficulties you've had over the last few weeks of the season. Maybe he was misquoted or quoted out of context. But on the face of it, there seems to be some blame shifting going on. He didn't score in the semi but could have scored three and his failure to score had nothing to do with his team mates

And yes, he had a poor game in the Semi, no doubt about that. But he was working his ass off in that match as well. He just had one of those matches that happens every now and then, but it happened to him and us at the worst possible time. But again, he's young and I think we'd be far better off next season with him than without him.

He was awful in the last few weeks of the season and seems as though he's not part of the team, or at least doesn't fit well. Him and his circle using the media as a mouthpiece just adds more fuel to the fire. It is pointless in my mind to keep players who doesn't really play well for the team and wants to leave for "greener pastures".

We will struggle for goals but I'm equally sure there will be an outlet where we can find our goals, with or without him.

David, Lukaku is 23. Not 19, 20 or 21. His "first touch" should have been sorted out by now. For a player with Champions League aspirations and an inflated opinion of their own ability, his talents are lacking in some areas.

Just like some players will, no matter how much training they do, never be fast, or good in the air, or have great "vision", maybe Lukaku is a player who will never have the sublime touch of, say, Henry or Bergkamp.

Lukaku... Sometimes is unstoppable and sometimes unstartable. A shy diminutive giant who follows but dosen't lead. He asks politely for the ball but never demands it. Can anybody change him?

But seriously, don't we want to see what another manager would get from him, free of the weird utopian perfect world football of Roberto Martinez and with a bit of meaningful support on the pitch? Wasn't his best spell last season when Kone played close to him and his worst when he was playing up front on his own? Anyone would get fed up of that.

Rom is a 'decent striker'. Is he 'oustanding'? No. This is because of his poor attitude and inability to trap a football. He'll always be a million mikes away from Ronaldo, Susrez, etc KG of Sevilla is far better.

He's king of the hill for goalscoring and for that reason he is in great demand. If his all-round game matched his goalscoring ability he wouldn't be an Everton player in the first place.

Until a bid comes in and we accept it, where he wants to play is irrelevant. I'm sure he will go in the summer for, I'm guessing, about £50-55 with add-ons. But it's not up to him to decide... yet.

This guy has no class and I would really appreciate him shutting up and concentrating on his football; something he has been sadly lacking in for the last 3 months.

I really did like Lukaku but he needs to be allowed to leave once the money is right. Please Everton, don't let this run and run throughout the summer.

Let's stay focussed on the positives that are surrounding the club at the moment and remove any negative noise away from our great club ASAP.

I'm sure he will do well wherever he goes but we will replace him and his goals; that I am sure of.

He thinks that he has given Everton three years, can play at a Champions League level and has shown as much loyalty as can be expected. He is nevertheless under contract to us for three more years and actually we don't want to sell him. And hey we don't need to sell him as we now have a billionaire owner. We are a wealthy club.

Sadly he will leave but it wont be for a penny below £55 million, which can buy a pretty decent replacement. He has to go down as a great piece of transfer business overall.

Definitely looks like you were one of the few players who was still trying for the manager, bigballs!

And this guy expects to get to the very top. What an absolute muppet.

HIs mind is made up, anyway. England is his league... but Spain, France, Germany... and a special place in his heart for Italian football.

Does this sound like a man whose mind is made up? Or a rather desperate individual.

Rom, if you want to leave, pal, just go; we won't stand in your way. But at least show some respect for the fans and the club that gave you a shot a first team football.

“Wherever I go I want to win prizes,” he added. “During Leicester’s title ceremony I was standing just 10 metres from the trophy. I just stared at it for two minutes, forgetting to get on with the warm-up. I thought to myself, I want that.”

Does this guy ever shut up? Ulhoa picking up a winners medal obviously got to him. Leicester are a lesson to all in team spirit and work rate.

We are Everton, we don't need you.

Err no Gavin. It would take more than a half witted claim that "MANY of Lukaku's critics were crying out for Tony Pulis" to do that.

Your porkies have been exposed no matter how hard you try to back peddle. with silly claims that it was a generalisation.

You have spent the past three seasons defending one of the poorest managers in the league against the harsh truth . . in the face of overwhelming evidence. How could anything you say touch a raw nerve ?

Your claim that Jay Harris And Peter Carpenter were fans of "regressive" football would have been insulting, if it wasnt so ridiculous . . sure that wasnt just another Porkie ?

That's my opinion. You asked for names, I gave you names (and it was Peter Roberts if you bothered to read the amendment) you don't have to agree with me Darren.

I like it how you have the brass neck to talk about TW being a forum for opinion Darren when you have so little respect for other people views calling them liars, deluded and half-witted. I think you'll find, that for you, this site has opinion... and then it has the facts according to Darren Hind.

You claim you dislike David Moyes but you've been like a one man cheerleader over the last 3 seasons using Moyes as a template to use for everything you disliked about Martinez. Why talk about him all the time if you don't rate him?!

There's a dark horse contender for the Everton job who also doesn't know the difference between fact and opinion. Maybe he's your kind of manager Darren.

You seem incapable of debating using facts. You have never seen me say anything good about Dave Moyes. . I have repeatedly challenged you to show me a comment, but you have been unable to do so . .yet you have constantly offered up this untruth ?

Thats not debating or even opinion. its a lie.

This seems to be your go-to argument. I remember another poster pulling you up for it, saying you are using Moyes's unpopularity on this site to try to discredit my argument. . . now you are trying to do it with "many" posters.

There is a very clear difference between giving opinion and making stuff up to try to give your argument some credence. . .You just don't seem to know what it is.

You nailed your colours to a rotten mast for three years . . Live with it, because all the silly accusations you can muster wont alter that fact

"Fans of regressive football" . . .dear me

Reading between the lines I think most of us actually like the guy and are disappointed he wants to leave.

If Stones and Lukaku want to leave lets get the best deal and move on.