Lukaku looking forward to Wembley outing

I have never seen a more complete number 9/10 at Everton since 1973 than Romelu.

I have laughed – sorry – at his first-touch detractors on here for ages – as I laugh now at the Barkley detractors.

Two goals. Ross & Rom's link-up play, though Number 1 was pure Lukaku brute strength and skill and first, second, third, and fourth touches.

I think Lukaku loves Everton – I see it above. I think he loves the new investment. He and Ross are the only two players in a good team that we cannot replace.

Much maligned Martinez got it spot on today and I wince looking at the vitriolic fight on one thread after another to paint the gaffer in the darkest possible velours.

Two semi-finals. Pretty good eh?

League, I know, but we were never gonna win it.

I want a cup!

Martinez showed today – in that 2nd half – why he can still be a very good Everton manager,

Farhad is going to Wembley.

I'm so loving this!

Anyone know what's happened to Del and why he's fallen out of favour?

Wembley is made for Lukaku, and our type of play; let's hope he stays sound.

Let's enjoy this victory and look forward to Wembley, and leave the inquest about Roberto and his management for another day.

I must admit that I was hyper-critical of Martinez up to yesterday's game. Last night , behind the joy, I felt a lump in my throat with guilt... after all, Martinez probably eats, sleeps and breathes Everton, just like us!

Err, does anyone know which wine accompanies humble pie?

Like all young players he needs more consistency and technically he has some work to do.. but wow what a player he will become if he keeps developing. His goal scoring record in the top flight is superb.

I also like his personality – he continually talks about winning and improving. Of course, we may lose him one day. But my guess is that he has added a good £20-30 million to his value this season. We have not had a striker like him since the '80s in my opinion. So let's back him.

Being strong, holding the ball up, winning headers and being on your toes is just plain and simple striker play and he should do those things game in, game out. You don't have to be the worlds best talent to do those basics during a game, look at the likes of Cameron Jerome & Troy Deeney etc!

But yesterday he put all those things together and put in a complete performance to take us to Wembley so fair play to the lad, he was excellent, and hopefully he takes that performance in his stride and does it more!

Well done.

Watching him lately, I don't think it has. Rather his use of his body has improved. He's starting to shove his arse into defenders early and buying himself time and space to take simple first touches.

Great that we have a top, top centre forward now. Any club in the world would take him... scary stuff.

Great to knock such a nasty club out, great to be going to Wembley, and great to show our new owner what a great club he's bought into.

I would take anyone other than Arsenal in the semi – but with a favourable draw this could finally be our year.

COYB!

He must be worth £100M+ if Raheem Sterling is worth £45M

We have the best squad of players since HK Mk 1, yet we are struggling to make the top half of the table. If I'm honest I didn't think we could win the Premier League, but a Champions League spot was well within our reach.

There aren't many squads in the Premier League I'd swap ours for, so what is holding us back? Only one answer – the manager. After yesterday, I'd like to think the penny has dropped, but I somehow doubt it.

£49 million for Sterling actually... Raheem Sterling, the poor man's Aaron Lennon.

I said weeks ago I'd rather have Lennon every time ahead of Sterling; I'd push ahead even further on that statement now.

Lukaku is a 25-goal-a-season striker, he's got power, pace, can head a ball, shoot with both feet...

He's a striker that should in this day and age be worth £70 million.

But that's irrelevant because I don't want to lose him for even that because those goals in the Premier League would be virtually impossible to replace.

Martinez has deserved every bit of the criticism he has taken, few managers could have contrived to have cost us so many points and those coming on with their I-told-you-so tone would be advised to take a look at the league table. Last night's performance PROVES we can defend; if anything, it serves to highlight his shortcomings. However, he did sign Lukaku – everyone else had the chance, but nobody else dared stick their neck out and meet Chelsea's asking price. So fair play to him for that.

I honestly believe the criticism of Martinez on here would be halved if his supporters did not come on here trying to bait his critics every time we win. Posts claiming Evertonians want us to lose the semi-final are just... half witted.

I don't understand how people who say they love this club can find no better way to celebrate such a fantastic night.

We can't get back the squandered opportunity in the league, but we have a chance of winning the cup; every Evertonian will be desperate for that to happen. Those who are trying to claim they were right all along are simply embarrassing themselves. They can never be right, that ship has sailed.

How about we enjoy last night?

I'd prefer Arsenal. We'd be slight underdogs with the media, and bookies, and those are the games that seem to suit us. And besides, from what I've seen, Arsenal are very beatable.

(Remember 1981 as well! – it was us who stopped them reaching a fourth successive Final – they're on a hat-trick now so...)

Cleverley works tirelessly but is just a little off the pace to get his tackles in. I don't care if Rom's first touch is poor and in fact even if his second touch is poor – with 25 goals to date, he'll do for me.

Two semi finals this season now and hopefully a trophy and those who have been around a while like I have need no prompting to see how similar this is to 1984. For the younger ToffeeWebbers that season we were awful in the league till around January (defence wasn't bad but we couldn't score goals and the team was timid). We ended up losing in what is now the Capital One Cup Final and winning the FA Cup. That transformed the team into the best in Europe and the parallels to this season are remarkable.

If only supporters could make that atmosphere every week. I know we need a performance or incident to galvanise the crowd and if we play tippy-tappy then it is difficult to get excited but all credit to Costa for sparking it off. His aggression and the way we stood up to it (and then some) ensured that the crowd stayed "on it" throughout and our defending was excellent.

Could this just be the year when it all starts to fall into place...?

Gary – you might be right, isn't it nice to know a ball with our name on it is already in the hat though? They're not even there yet. Sit back and enjoy today's games. :)

In my opinion it's the way he's using his body. A year ago he was still playing as if he was a beanpole – trying to control the ball on the move so he was getting away from his marker. Now he's belting up the defender early and simply controlling it in front of him.

There's still development in Lukaku. The more he figures out how best to use his physical attributes, the better he'll be. He might have been working on his technique all his life but he's never been bigger or stronger than he is right now.

Long may he continue to score the goals in a Royal Blue shirt.

I am now a convert to the footballing giant that is Lukaku. I cannot argue with his goals. He just keeps on scoring. Just a wee thing that I noticed.....nothing terrible....and it is not a major concern....but he does stray into a lot of offside positions. Well most forwards do that...I hear you say. True... but watch how slow Lukaku is to get back on to an onside position. He strolls back. That will cost Everton goals. Yesterday he was screaming for Barkley to pass to him. Barkley shot wide instead. But had Barkley passed to Lukaku......the resulting goal would have been offside. Lukaku needs to get back on side quicker. But as everybody has been saying ......he is young, and still learning.

I am not trying to pick faults. Just watch for yourself, the way that he strolls about. Iron out his few little faults......and we have a beast of a player. Get in a midfield general, who can see a forward pass, and who can split a defence. And Lukaku will score 40 goals a season. Last point.....we need to get in also, proper cover ,should Lukaku miss any games. Not Kone. And I'm not sure about Niasse. ( don't think that any of us are).

And please. I am not criticising the big man.....just stating, that he can only get better. Then we really would have a player. Never thought that I would see another Bob Latchford or Gary Lineker at Goodison. Lukaku could be the best of the three. Not just yet. But he could be. Up the Toffees....

One thing about very large athletes is that is usually takes them longer to learn to efficiently coordinate their bodies compared to smaller, thinner athletes. We see this all the time in basketball and baseball in America where young players with bigger bodies are noted to take longer to fully develop – especially at the professional level.

It's easier for someone built like Messi, Aguero or David Villa to control their bodies at a younger age than it is someone built like Rom. He's only 22, he'll get there.

I think his size and physicality limit him in certain areas of the game. Because he is such a big unit – 6ft-3in and nearly 15-stone he will never be quick of the mark. Once he gets moving he is pretty rapid as we have seen on occasions this year. He will also not have the stamina of smaller players. You don't see many 15-stone marathon runners surprisingly.

And that I believe is the nub of the criticism he receives. He's expected to play like Vardy when he is not ever going to be equipped to do so. Therefore we get all the 'lazy' nonsense. Like another poster I had a proper tool sat behind me, consistently slating the lad as a 'lazy bastard'. I'm often told its all about opinions, which is fair enough. Of course opinions can be horseshit also.

I am still on the ceiling from yesterday. One of the best nights at the Old Lady for many a year .

As you've just said, David, we simply won't have a better chance to lift it now.

Now wouldn't that be nice...

You'll be lucky to get a third of that now.

What a difference a day makes.

People also complain about his touch on "hold-up" plays. If he can handle 50% of 30-yard balls booted to him by defenders he's doing pretty good. He provides an outlet that other forwards don't because they're too small.

Of course if Everton had Aguero or Messi leading the line, you can bet several Toffees here would slag them for not being "good enough in the air."

Has a nice ring to it...

A "Euro Super League" with no promotion or relegation. I wonder if they will have a draft like all the other US sports; that frankly the rest of the world has no interest in.

Sorry, though, Payet is also a top-class cheat. He should have been off for the blatant dive before he scored on that brilliant free, but Atkinson choked on his whistle and fled from the call.

West Ham Utd believe but their arrogance will seem them fall and Man Utd are enveloped in the fear of failure and past achievements.

If we really want this as a team, with no fear, we will do it.

You couldn't make it up.

Yeah alright Geoff, really getting us going here, lad haha...

The betting to win the cup:- 9/4 Everton 7/2 Utd 7/2 West Ham 5/1 Palace 5/1 Watford.

That betting is now, either Utd and West Ham will shorten when that tie is decided.
As you can see the bookies think we will beat Palace and Watford if we meet either in the semi.

They don't seem to share the doubters faith in Roberto!

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum means nothing satisfies but the best – so being satisfied about getting to a half-final is not in accordance with our motto.

Something about there is no glamour in being the bridesmaid.

In the Capital One Cup we had the misfortune of drawing Man City in the semi-final (we still should have won in my opinion), there is no team of their quality left in the FA Cup. COYB!

You're spot on with your analysis – I've been saying the same thing for ages.

Lukaku wasn't creating the space by backing in before moving towards the ball.

More often than not, what appeared to be a poor touch was caused by the defender nudging him in back, for nibbling the back of his heels.

A player of his strength and size should have no problem with these basics, and he seems to be doing the right things now. He truly is a best and can do anything he wants when he is on point.

COYB

That's the attitude and focus we need to keep, not being happy to be in a SF, however difficult or dour that may seem. I want to win the Cup, not get one or two trips to Wembley. and this is the best chance we have had in years. I hate being the favourites but I can't deny that we are! Complacency is the worst enemy of this Martinez side.

Time to celebrate is when Jags lifts old jug ears up at the end of the Final.