Strictly business? Goals not love will be lost if Lukaku leaves

Whilst we had Lukaku in the side, we won... nothing.

See, that "staying at Everton next season is not an option" bollocks is what pisses people off about Lukaku.

That, of all his behaviour, to me, is the worst of the lot.

How can it notbe an option when he's contracted for another two years?

I know all about player power and blah blah blah but saying that really fucking annoyed me because he's saying it in public to make it difficult (or impossible) for the club to keep him.
I've nothing against ambition, nothing against honesty, but he has been way out of order and showed a distinct lack of class in getting his own way.

To me he thinks only of himself. I cite the attempted steal of Davies's goal against City, and the celebration after it even though he failed to touch it.

I cite him making a twat of himself with his remarks towards "I can learn nothing from him" Harry Kane and I cite a number of examples of his sulky non celebration after he actually DID score legitimate goals.

Aaaaaaagh! I was quite calm 'til I came in here but I'm pissed off now!!!!

Edit: Glad it wasn't just me that thought his latest video was sarcastic Lyndon. I actually wasn't at all bothered by him playing where there were Chelsea hoardings to be honest as I'm sure he didn't put them there, but he came across as a bit of a twat in his latest one.

Given his goal scoring record, it seems incredible that I should feel such indifference about him.

I cannot for the life of me recall one single player, with a record even approaching his, about whom I have felt such a lack of fondness.

Have as good a career as you can, Romelu, try and find some humility somewhere.

This situation seems to be dragging on and whether it's the player, the agent or Everton, I am not sure, but it would be nice if it were resolved soon.

Chelski would seem the obvious club to get him seeing how Costa may be on the move but he may not want to go back to the Bridge. However, money talks and the lure of Champions League seems to be foremost in his thoughts.

It could well be other top clubs want him also but Everton's asking price may be a stumbling block, although they are in the driving seat considering his scoring record at the top level and his age.

Perhaps and hopefully so, Koeman has eyes on a replacement already given Bolasie's situation and the comparative youth of Calvert-Lewin.

The important games will be on us sooner than we think and it would be nice to have the ducks in a row before the first game and not have to deal with last-minute shenanigans.

Or, as your pithy posts suggests do you put the lack of trophies over the last three seasons down to Lukaku?

The fact we didn't have the proverbial pot for most of that lengthy period has surely got to have played into it though.

Since we broke the British transfer record to sign the tubby little flat track bully, the only other striker we paid anything like top whack for (before splashing out on Lukaku) was Yakubu, who himself came pretty damn close to pulling off the same feat. Serious injury cut short his time as a serious goal scoring threat, of course.

Virtually every other striker purchased during that period was either past their best, injury prone, unproven or had previously flattered to deceive (honourable mention to Peter Beardsley who was like a little diamond encrusted leather jacket slipped over a rancid, stinking, log in that lame early 90's side).

More often than not, you get what you pay for and a measly few million with third row seats for 'Tango and Cash: The Musical' (starring Michael Crawford as 'Tango' with Bob Carolgees & Spit The Dog as 'Cash') thrown in as a sweetener was never likely to cut it long-term.

If, or when, Lukaku finally gets the move he's longed for, we should certainly have sufficient funds to secure an adequate replacement for a change. Walsh and co doing their homework and choosing/spending it wisely will be the key.

For me personally, he has never exited me as a player in the way Ferguson or Latchford did. His willingness to sulk and disappear in games show that he will never become a great player only a goalscoring journeyman.

We see constant posts of fans demanding 'loyalty', 'respect'. We constantly see fans saying they want players who 'feel proud to wear the blue jersey', who 'get Everton'.

Why is this? For 3 decades we have had average to poor players, with the occasional sprinkling of short-lived quality. So having a player 'sweat blood and tears' for the club and the fans was all we could hang to.

But football has moved on, and players have changed. If you want to win, you need to have arrogant, selfish, up-their-arses players. Because it is the arrogant, selfish and up-their-arses players who win. It is the players who have been told from 15-17 years of age that they are demi-gods that win.

These players don't need to play the 'loyalty card', because their talent alone is what makes them.

Lukaku is a Belgian of Zairen descent, who grew up watching the Premier League just as Chelsea began to dominate. Why anyone expects he should have some innate loyalty to Everton is beyond me. And we all know, Lukaku has an equal thirst for silver as we do, and we all know that Lukaku currently has no silverware because he plays for Everton, and not the other way round (no matter how many times people want to regurgitate the FA Cup semi-final).

And I actually don't at all care about his statements. Many a player will state 'I love the club' etc etc, just to put them in good stead, as marketing gimmick, Lukaku has never done that, he has been honest. 'I want to score goals', 'I want to win', 'I want to play with the best'. And be honest, this is what all fans want. I didn't see anyone moaning that we got rid of Kone cause he was respectful. I don't see anyone say 'Niasse is loyal and respectful, he should be our Number 9'. We say, 'not good enough, get rid'. Well, that is what Lukaku thinks about us. It's true. Get over it,

I still hope he stays, but I accept it is unlikely. If he does, I will celebrate every of the many goals he will certainly score. If not, I can only hope we can find a player to replace him.

And when we replace him, I will worry about the talent of the player, and their ability to score goals and not about whether they are set to tattoo the Everton crest on their forearm.

Chelsea, for whatever wrong purely money-splashing reasons to buy success, got him as a fan after the old Chelsea we loved to hate ceased to exist!

So we all realized early on that he's a Chelsea-supporter at heart (and as such a mercenary at EFC); but I still think he quite clearly realizes that he will swap the adulation of EFC supporters for the much more fickle approval of any new ruble-souled fans he might aspire to play in front of after EFC!

If he goes, I'll wish him luck! If he stays, I'll expect him to become even better than he currently thinks he is!

As for those who criticise because he does not kiss the badge, all I can say is that he did what he was employed to do..score goals and did his job better than most. The rest of it is just distraction.

Rom will leave Everton when it suits Everton and not before. However, it is likely his imminent leaving actually suites both parties at this point in time. It could be his undoing. He is a great centre-forward in certain types of games and against certain types of opposition. But his cost was becoming prohibitive. No other player scored or had an acceptable return because Rom was the scoring outlet. He wont have that luxury anywhere else.

Meanwhile I hope (expect) Ron will improve our league position next year and if the momentum evidenced under Moshiri is maintained we could be seriously in close contention for Champions League footy within the 3-year program.

And at last we have a great one in Lukaku but now he is moving on so we now need to go and buy another great striker, whatever it cost. One who is young and hungry for success.

All this talk about signing this player, that player but still we wait. Time is ticking and, with the start we got this season, we need to pull all the stops out and get the players in.

Bloody hell, you'd think with all that money and adidas sponsorship, the least they could do is make him a pair of boots that fit for size. Imagine how good he'd be he wasn't limping round like a year 6er in the same shoes for 2 years.

Lineker was a Leicester City player and fan. He left his hometown club (who he still supports) for us. He happily went to Barça, and later Spurs.

Lukaku is no worse than Gary. We will have a job to replace his goals, but spread throughout the side, it can be done. Let's face it, we are happy to see the back of players that we deem "shite", and good players see us as a means to an end. At best, the relationship is symbiotic.

I will miss Lukaku for his goals, and assists, but nothing else (if he really leaves).

Oops, sorry, had a Tina moment there...

Lyndon, I think you've steered a bit off the reality rails with this: "There is a very strong argument that, had Ronald Koeman been able to guide Everton into the top four in his first season and having persuaded the Belgian to stay for one more season, Lukaku would be putting pen to paper on a new contract at Goodison Park this month."

First, let's face it... Moses, Jesus and Buddha working the touchline together couldn't have guided Everton into the top four this season. There just wasn't enough talent in the club.

And second, Rom has always been very, very clear that he had "big club" ambitions... and even a top 4 finish wouldn't have elevated Everton to that status in the eyes of the world. He wants big-stage glamour, and we ain't it.

So I don't think there's any argument at all to be made that Rom would ever sign another deal with us. I'll bet the mortgage that even if he stays this season and we earn a Champion League berth, he'll still want a ticket on the first train out.

I don't begrudge him his ambition but it's the disrespect of his current employer that does it for me. After all, I moved companies to further my career but I'm pretty certain that I didn't slag my current employer off in public (if at all) until well after I'd left.

With two years left on his contract, the comment that it "isn't an option" to play for Everton this season is just pure arrogance. Que sera, sera. So long and thanks for the memories!

Exactly! EFC were very much a one-trick pony these last seasons with Lukaku! If he stays to improve on his (dare we hope?) assists made for the team, instead of only thinking of glory for himself; then he might very well become the player his youthful perspective has falsely convinced him he already is.

I honestly think we will be a better team without him; why keep him when he wants to go? Get the money and move on.

We should remember that this is still about a 23-24 (?)-year-old football player who still get ambushed by real-life... Ofc, at that age he should totally expect his non-English interviews to be (badly?) translated, though...

As EFC supporters, we know one thing that no-one else knows: EFC will become a regular Top-4 team in the Premier Leaguevery soon!

As an employee of a foreign football club, how much would anyone buy into that? ;P

Rom had six assists last season, more than any other top striker in the league except Sanchez. And they were all beautiful passes... look 'em up on YouTube.

He also created eight more big chances for teammates that were trashed by poor finishing (Barkley, Bolasie, Valencia on through-balls are three I remember specifically).

For all his glory hunger, he's already a fine passer.

Oh, and he is the laziest twat ever and doesn't give a shit about Everton. Can't wait for him to go, we'll be better for it!

From Day 1, he has been talking about moving to a big club. This is unsettling and bad for morale – not only for the fan base but his team mates and prospective new acquisitions.

Get him gone and lets move on!

So you want to get rid of the best goalscorer we've had in over 20 years? Fair enough, watch us struggle for goals next season.

I think he is over-rated, ungrateful, and thinks he's better than he is. I want him gone, but I want to get market value for him.

It's business. Nothing personal. Money, and the Champions League is what it is all about these days.

I loved Big Nev, the Rat, Reidy et al. I still do. They brought us success, and gave their all to us. I don't know if we will ever see that kind of closeness between fans and players again, unless the money drains out of the English game.

We will miss his goals – it is madness to say otherwise. We can improve in other areas but top goalscorers are rare in football.

Sandro, if we sign him, will give us someone who works far harder, who makes space but who is nowhere near the goalscorer Lukaku is. I expect that frustration will tell sometime next season, whoever else we replace Lukaku with.

Lukaku would never have had to become 'the bloke with the Beacon tattoo' for the vast majority of Evertonians to wish him nothing but the best. Nor would he have needed to whisper sweet nothings about how playing for Everton gets him proper engorged.

He could have just maintained a more professional, candid stance when confronted with a camera and a mic and maybe showed a modicum of modesty and gratitude. That would have gone a long way toward ensuring the wearisome 'scores goals' / 'but what a gobshite' debate never got going in the first place.

Not all 'top' players treat interviews as a chance to put forward their credentials for future 'world great' status, or a virtual chumming station to try and tempt bigger fish into taking a bite. Some understand you don't shit where you eat.

Everton are the club who stumped up a fee nobod;loy else would back then, gave him a guaranteed place as first choice forward when that was what he was pining for and who continue to pay his wages. As an employee, he represents the club both on and off the pitch and will (or should) be expected to at least endeavour to portray Everton in a positive light when prompted to comment on matters concerning the club in public.

Pissing on their chips, by saying he hopes to get back to playing for a 'big club' one day, that he knows certain other clubs are interested in him, that his agent is going to sort his future out in the summer, that he already knows where he will be playing come August, that the only way he would stay another season with Everton was if someone did a BA Baracus on him, spiked his Machiatto and he woke up a month later going absolutely mental and 'pitying the fool' who dressed him in the wrong blue shirt and put him on a bus bound for Finch Farm, is pretty far removed from what one should rightfully expect from a richly rewarded employee who the club have pandered to at every opportunity.

Nobody has a problem with Lukaku's ambition, but him continually stating said ambition, suggesting it can never ever be attained at his current stomping ground so he'll really have to get off sooner rather than later, and that the number of top clubs spreading their legs just waiting for him to jump on in are legion, with Everton having little to no say in the public rutting about to take place, is the point where some start to think Rom has persistently taken the piss.

So, in precis, unless I've misconstrued... "decent player, passing through our club en route to a perceived better platform, more deserving of his talent, product of the times, would NOT crawl up the M6 to play for Everton" Okay... Second word is "off", perhaps

Rooney the local lad left us when he was just starting his career. We actually as fans got very little from him, the club pocketed the money. Barkley another local lad has not signed a new contract and wants out. Now Lukaku who is foreign is being pilloried for not being a fan. Of these three players only Lukaku has come up trumps for the club. Rooney left a poor side and headed for Man Utd and trophy's. Barkley would love to follow suit but I do not think he has the ability or value. Lukaku is the only one of these three to be openly honest about his ambitions.

I truly hope that Lukaku stays !!!!

Can you care please explain to me who was to blame for the previous 18 years prior to Lukaku joining Everton, why we won nothing?

Inference being Lukaku alone hasn't/won't make the difference necessary.

We have to threaten in all areas defenders scoring midfielders scoring and forwards scoring. Lukaku's goals didn't win us that many points as he scored 2s and 3s in games we had already won. Also goes missing in the big games.

Absolutely terrible with his back to goal and cant trap a bag of sand. At the end of the season normally 8 games from the end he loses interest.

We've had Rom for nearly 4 years and certain parts of his game we haven't been able to improve; also his disrespectful arrogance is something he should not be proud of.

About time for him to go as, wherever he goes, they will wonder what the hype was about.

He's not paid to keep goal, or be an out-and-out defender or midfielder. No, he's paid to score goals, and at the moment he's up there with the best.

He's also lazy, selfish, and his public persona comes across all wrong. He can trap it further than I can kick it, and he can't head a ball.

Apart from that, I don't mind him!

I know some seize on his stats to say otherwise but the evidence of my eyes is that he pretty much disappears when the going gets tough. He's the epitome of the sort of self-absorbed legend that Nicolas Anelka was and, if he's not careful, will end up being remembered to the same non-existent extent.

So if / when he does move to Chelsea, then good luck Rom. You don't deserve fans that supposedly call themselves Everton fans who do nothing but slate you.

As for all this rubbish about wanting to move to a so-called bigger club, play in the Champions League, or whatever, so what's wrong with a bit of ambition, if indeed he said all this? After all, it's all foreign journalism who can quite easily misinterpret words, or say things how they want it to sound.

Yet he still managed to score a lot of goals. He did his job the vast majority of times. Can we say that about any other of the players?

Most of the rest is pure Silly Season media! The club is in the business of professional football. They'll kick anyone not fancied in the nuts, after all! And look for cash to off-load them...

Lukaku is unfortunately a human person that got blinded by the flash of modern-day Chelsea at a very young age. He doesn't understand that that club have very little respect among European football fans in general for buying their eventual success. Or, he just wants the money, like all say...

I'd have preferred Lukaku not to have been a lazy twat, but since he is, getting him out of the dressing room, and trousering £75m or so is very much a net plus to my mind.

I admit, I speak as an unashamed Steven Naismith fan.

There is a distinction between a "top" club (which Chelsea currently are) and a "big" club (which Everton have always been).

You can't even get my name right so why should I explain myself to you. However,

To you and Des Res earlier on,

I was merely saying what the record books will state.

Sorry if you feel offended, but if you can explain how I'm factually wrong I'm sure I and a lot of other people would love to hear it.

I mean I wouldn't for the love of God wish to sound... disingenuous.

I actually think there's a distinction between a "Top club"

and a "Chequebook club"

But there you go.

But as I said, please explain who was responsible for Everton not winning a trophy in the preceding 18 years prior to Lukaku joining Everton, as the record books will show he wasn't an Everton player, as you clearly think he was responsible for us not winning anything during his time with us.

You, and about 95% of people on here, clearly hate Lukaku. That's your opinion. But hey, if you don't want to explain yourself to me, then don't. Don't think I'll be too upset by it.

I was stating that, for the era of Lukaku, the record books will show that we never won a sausage.

Is there anything about what I've just said you don't understand because it's not rocket science. I'll try again and maybe you'll get it this time.

The whole time Lukaku has been at Everton Football Club, we have never won anything… so, at the end of the day, he's no different than a ball boy.

Shoot the messenger if you want, Rob, but the message stays the same.

Everton should not be selling 25-goal-a-season strikers on any other terms than those which suit us.

I trust we won't under this new management. Send out the Clowns.

It is a totally vacuous statement, with no basis in logic, rationale or simple commonsense.

You could substitute any player's name who has played for the club in the last 22 years who isn't blessed with an FA Cup winners medal from the 1995 final.

You frame your statement as though Lukaku is SINGULARLY to blame for 22 years of failure.

Rob makes a legitimate counter point to your own shallow one. It's not 'rocket science', to quote yourself. I'm surprised you struggle to comprehend that.

Way before social media I had the vicarious thrill of playing in just such a kick-about where a professional footballer took part but he was 100% insistent that nobody, but nobody, kicked him or blabbed about his participation. He said his participation would be deemed totally unprofessional by his club.

I also remember Moyesy saying he'd had to bollock a 16 year-old Rooney for playing street football in Crocky. But maybe it's different for the next top Champions League striker, eh?

"It is a totally vacuous statement, with no basis in logic, rationale or simple commonsense."

But my vacuous statement is true.

If not, prove me wrong. Like I say in this day and age, "What have the Romans ever done for us?"

It's not about whether it's true or not. It's about the conclusions you are jumping to. The same could have been said for Cahill, Arteta and Baines in their prime. They didn't win anything either. It's not a difficult point, mate.

It is also an 'indisputable fact' that the - what? - 150-200 players who have represented Everton in the 22 intervening years since last lifting silverware also failed to win anything in their time at Everton, many of them who spent considerably more years than Lukaku at the club.

Ergo, as already stated, you could just as legitimately substitute Lukaku's name for any one of those other 'failures' who pulled on the blue shirt of Everton since 1995.

THAT is why your statement is a vacuous one. It reveals or proves nothing.

Got it yet?

Great goal scorer - when he's arsed, but a bit of a twat.

Not as good as he thinks he is - yet, maybe not ever, but a bit of a twat.

Does go missing in some games and doesn't seem to try, hence the...a bit of a twat.

I too hope we spend the money wisely...and I hope he has a long and injury free career, but when it comes down to the crunch...in the knock out rounds Vs the big teams, he turns in his usual 'No show' performances and we pass him on the way up.

He has never really played for Everton; he is a bit of a goal hog who plays, albeit quite brilliantly at times, for the glory of Rom.

I confidently predict that Sandro will lead a fluid Everton attack next season. He will bag about 14 goals and Everton will finish in the top three.

It's TEAM, baby... TEAM!!!

It would be nigh on impossible to replace Lukaku's goals by simply bringing in another striker. I can think of few strikers who are both available and affordable who could step in and do the same job, especially if he was expected to plough a similar lone furrow.

This team is screaming out for a change of style. Lukaku's goals may not have brought success, but a lot of them were world class and he is entitled to file a few of them under "all my own work". I shudder to think how last season would have panned out had he not scored them.

If the manager and his coaching staff have not been meticulously preparing for life without Lukaku, they fucking well should have been. It's not as if his departure will come as a bolt from the blue.

Despite some "worldies" from Lukaku to get us out of our seats, we still spent long periods of last season looking like Stoke City's ugly sister.That has to change... Imagine last season's shite without Lukaku's goals?

I can't have the notion that we can't replace the big fella's goals. Good signings, good coaching and shared responsibility have seen clubs overcome the loss of leading scores since football began.

If Koeman and his staff can replace rigidity with fluidity... if they can dare to allow or encourage midfield players to break ranks regularly, to join and go beyond the striker(s), there is no reason why we should not score more than we did last season.

It doesn't matter whether you think Lukaku is world class or shite, I think we can all agree that he is pretty unique. He does score goals nobody else could. Asking another striker to do the same job would be madness. Not even Koeman would be daft enough to use the same tactics with a different striker next season... would he ?

BTW, Lyndon,

"That the Dutchman had to be content – a little too content to these eyes – with a seventh-placed finish"

Don't bother booking an appointment at Specsavers just yet – there's nothing wrong with your vision!

This sort of play was the standout missing element last season, often ridiculously so away from home. Fear – total safety play.

I've said elsewhere before, that instructions from the manager should be borne in mind when assessing what certain players do or don't do.

Most of the players down the years were not disrespectful to the club or his team mates with the things they said.

Lukaku has been both and is not fit to wear an Everton shirt.

Got it yet?

"You can't even get my name right so why should I explain myself to you."

"I'll try again and maybe you'll get it this time."

"Got it yet?"

Insulting the intellect of longtime members of this board... some of whom have forgotten more about footy in general and Everton in particular than you'll ever dream of... makes you look like an idiot, and a snotty one at that.

Maybe you should stop doing that.

I'd disagree with only your last line, as I disagreed with Lyndon's original... I never saw Koeman looking content. These eyes saw a guy who accepted reality – that his team was no better than 7th – but was determined to make it better, and has clearly been focused on that objective since long before this window opened.

Will (#76), I don't disagree but would argue that the opposite is also true... that the instructions from the manager are also based in part on what the players can and can't do. In other words, I put some of our lack of fluidity down to having players who frequently weren't capable of fluidity. And from what I see, Koeman's working to fix that too.

We had Tony Cottee of course, broke the transfer record for him, who ended up on 99 goals. And I saw Greame Sharp – the last player to score more then 100 goals for the club. Heck, I even saw him score for Oldham Athletic at Goodison!

Lukaku could easily go and break Greame Sharp's post-war record, if he wanted to. He will reach 100+ next season, if he decides to stay.

I hoped for a striker like that for so long. And while I loved Kevin Campbell and Yakubu as the two strikers who could have scored loads of goals was it not for injuries, with Lukaku I feel nothing.

I am done with all the nonsense coming from his mouth, his agent or his dad. Get rid and I hope to see him struggle at whichever club he goes.

Topic title is spot on.

I believe though, that a lot of forward play was restricted by his tactics this past season. This is based on what I've seen from the same players before. Whether loss of form conspired with other factors, it was absent much of the time. The several excellent home games showed the contrast.

Maybe more fluidity is on the cards. Klaassen certainly has this. If Sandro comes, that will be two. (Barkley used to show a lot more than he has recently; Mirallas too.)

I hope Koeman is not the type of manager, as many are, that buy players and then set about playing them in a manner too different to their natural best game. He hasn't done this to his own signings so far, so perhaps a noticeable change of our play is on the cards.

I still feel he's rigid and cautious as a manager but big changes are happening in playing staff, so we'll see!

Koeman came in with a fairly serious fire to fight at Everton. We'd abandoned every rational notion of defending whilst simultaneously concentrating upon terminally "fannying about" in possession.

If Koeman has looked at us and thought "Bloody hell! These are Shite!", then as offensive as it might seem, I wish he'd told us that 10 years back.

He & Walsh cannot guarantee that our shiny new recruits are the long awaited answer to our decades of prayer. We may be recycling these and far more before we have a side that frightens the utter crap out of every side in the Premier League.

The work had to start somewhere. And defence was priority number one. So, to me, that meant suffering some "Plain Jane" football. Now we appear to getting into gear.

The media (mostly Sky Sports and TalkSport) have actually noticed that we exist. Good. Proves that our propaganda department is up and running. Makes a bloody change from reruns of "It's our year!", doesn't it?

We bought one Lukaku, we can buy another. Just not sell this one to a Premier League side.

Just to clarify, these thoughts aren't directed at anyone. They may have been inspired or provoked and thanks for that, even if I just don't agree.

(Excluding the six headed goals this last season).

Alan Ball and Alex Young loved Everton, but Everton, arguably, treated them in a very business-like (cold, dispassionate) way. I saw this as a teenager, and ever since, I thought, why should any player show great loyalty to a football club, including Everton Football Club Company Ltd?

Lukaku is a legend to a host of young Evertonians, despite the more questioning comments about him from many on ToffeeWeb, who are older supporters.

When he leaves, many young Evertonians will be bitterly disappointed. The youngsters don't give a fig about comments to the press, about players' ambitions, about how much money they get, or about how allegedly lazy they are. They care only about what good things they've seen players do. And the fact is, Lukaku has done a lot of tremendous and memorable things, which overall will take centre stage over his shortcomings.

To youngsters, he will (in my opinion) be as legendary as Alan Ball is to me. That's life, football is for the young rather than the old, for those who dream rather than those who analyse.

Fran (#10), I agree,however, he is being disrespectful. Not to me personally or the many that go to the game or the weird and wonderful posters on here or the ones who just read and don't post .

But to Everton Football Club,one of the greatest clubs in the world who have paid handsomely for his services.I don't care how many goals he scores, it doesn't matter if he gives interviews in French,English or Mandarin. He still shouldn't say it.

In over 60 years as a supporter I don't remember any player when they were at the club or when they left ever saying that Everton Football Club wasn't big enough for them. Sheer bad manners. Have the club not told him to watch what he says? He's not the gold that guineas are made of.

Koeman firmed things up alright. Can't argue with what we did at home for much of 2017 but much of that happened when we went off the leash a bit.

I'd have been satisfied for a first season, and even considering that fire fight, if we'd been a bit less rigid and over cautious in some of the away games. I didn't think we needed to "Hide" that way.

Anyway, a new season. I'm hoping Sky and the other media will eventually have to acknowledge our football and not just our entry into the spending club.

Saw someone on TW saying we should 'shed' Aaron Lennon. They are ambitious and glory (money) hungry. Just as most of us are.

His big mouth has not earned him much affection but he goes with my blessing and respect as he has done his job for us and scored goals at a terrific rate. He's not yet world class but he's been our best player over the last 3 seasons (which is why we can charge £80m+ for him) and he will be very hard if not impossible to replace.

His departure will see a change in tactics and the need to share goals around the team which may well benefit us in the long run in the same way that Rooney's exit did. Hopefully so. But anyone who denies we are losing a very talented and important player is either blind or bitter or both.

The fact is, that Lukaku appears to have made his mind up that he wants to play for Chelsea. If he goes, then we will be in desperate need of goalscorers. Now that's not "rocket science" but it's not that easy to get a player in who would score as many as Lukaku.

I'm not so sure that Ronald Koeman was "a little too content" to finish 7th. I think that he would have reckoned our finish as progress from the season before, Especially with the troupe of players he had to work with.

To me, it hasn't mattered so much what tactics were used. The number of players who simply surrender when playing those teams who regularly finish above us, have left us falling short of the top places. The Moyes philosophy was try to "escape with our lives" when going to Anfield, Old Trafford, the Emirates, White Hart Lane, and probably The Ethiad.

I think we are going to be changing our style of football; and our attitude when coming up against those teams who have spanked us over the years. In order to do that, we need better players in all areas of the pitch, we also need players with a totally different attitude to a number of our current players

We need to get players in who have the same kind of attitude as the likes of Big Nev, Reidy, Bracewell, Tim Cahill, Dave Watson, Andy Gray and the skills of Trevor Steven, Kevin Sheedy, Alex Young, Roy Vernon. There's many more examples over the years.

All of them had that attitude of "we are winners" and I think that's the kind of attitude that Koeman is looking for and I don't think we are going to be lucky enough to get the complete set in one season.

So back to Rom. If he stays (unlikely but who knows) or goes, we cannot expect to get into where we want to be, unless we have players in who can score more than 5 in a season and players who don't know the meaning of the word 'surrender'.

Is Romelu your girlfriend? Nope.

Has Romelu made any indication that he wishes to initiate a personal, possibly intimate relationship with you at any time? Nope.

This kind of parallel universe tripe. If your bull had udders, it would be a cow. It doesn't... but we all know what we call the stuff that drops from its bum.

Come on Stan, you can still do both!

I understand the constant discussions between the two but to still roll out the BS that he is a "Flat-track bully" who can't control or head a ball is complete nonsense.

He is the best goal scorer we have had in a generation but he will move on in the close season and in doing so will give us a massive return on our original investment.

To those that suggest that we will simply find a replacement to score 25 goals per season, I think you may well be in for a great disappointment. Surely our incredibly well paid leadership team must have a number of contingency plans in place, mustn't they?

It is still possible to do this with Everton, even when unsuccessful, which is most of the time: once a generation we win stuff. This is because as a club it stands for things... values and standards.

If a fan doesn't have this, why bother?

This is my issue with the likes of Lukaku. He doesn't have to say the things he says. It would be just as easy to say nothing. I'm not asking for proclamations of undying loyalty, just judicious silence and judgement.

Other players are the same no doubt, but this thread is about Lukaku and that's why I single him out. That and the fact I've never heard anybody yap so much as he does.

No, thought not!

I hope he stays as his goalscoring record is impressive and on his day he looks unstoppable, but if he's determined to move on then the £80m (or however much we get) will be re-invested. Could Dembele be a 20-goals-a-year striker? I can't see why not. Can he trap a ball better than Lukaku?

I don't want Lukaku to leave just as we seem to be about to start fulfilling our potential, but if he does, it's not the end of the world and I won't take it personally.

I don't get all the panic over having a 20-goal-a-season striker. If we had not strained every sinew to get the ball to Rom, just maybe, the goals would have been shared and maybe more of them.

What is better, a 25-goal man, with another 20 shared about? Or two 12-goal men with another 30 shared about? Just saying.

On the bench before Christmas. Watch this space.

"Most of the players down the years were not disrespectful to the club or his team mates with the things they said.

Lukaku has been both and is not fit to wear an Everton shirt."

And there we have the rub of it.

Unable to counter the now several posters who have pointed out the absurdity and inanity of your original post @ 1, you reveal your hand.

You resent Romelu Lukaku for your perceived 'disrespect' you claim he has shown to both club and his team mates (you forgot to throw in the supporters).

Who would have guessed?

I hope we can keep one of them. Rom at least can fund a £200m warchest in part.

Get 2 to 4 more new signings – sell Rom and keep Ross is the balance I would love. (Dembele + Sandro + a young attacker.)

It would keep my 9-year-old happy too!

When are these 'top' clubs going to even enquire about him? I'm starting to get worried at their apparent, although understandable, lack of interest.

Although Lukaku seems like a nice enough person, some of his remarks about the blues over the years have become very tiresome. He was only stating the bleeding obvious when he repeatedly spouted, that basically we are not a big club financially.

He knew that when he signed for us. He didn't mind picking up his vast salary every week though, and should of kept his big mouth shut!

What a silly thing to suggest.

He does what strikers are supposed to do, he scores lots of goals. That in itself is an extremely hard attribute to find in any footballer. His hold-up/link-up play has definitely improved this season and I would be interested to see how many assists he has registered.

Surely he should be the perfect striker, especially when you consider he is still only 24. Yet, for some reason, I have never connected with him like I have with other strikers we have had, and I don't think it's down to his self-promotion and self-importance that seems to irk so many other fans. I don't know what it is, but he just doesn't feel like an Everton player to me.

Perhaps I have been used to mediocrity, and so as a result prefer a striker who will run around all game and try his best. Maybe the way football is going means that the distance between player and fan will continue to grow bigger and those little relationships that are built up in the stands eventually ebb away. It's a little sad really.

For what it's worth, I think Lukaku will be sold this summer. I think his comments in the Belgian media have been strategically thought out in a way that makes his position at Everton close to untenable. If we can get the £80 million that has been suggested, we could bring in a suitable replacement, one who hopefully I can relate to a little bit more.

Lukaku, Jagielka, Mirallas, Barkley, Baines, etc etc.

Spot on, Jon.

So why was Seamus Coleman our second biggest goal threat? Why did Niasse offer more threat for Hull than anyone else in our team did?

I'm a supporter of Rom (as a player, couldn't care less about the man) but I firmly believe we'll be better without him. All it takes is for a replacement striker to bag 15 and two attacking midfielders to up their output from 5 or so goals to somewhere approaching double figures. That's very doable, isn't it?

And with goals from different options, we'll be far less predictable than last year, where there were games that you knew early on we couldn't win.

I just hope whatever happens, happens soon.

All clubs these days are filled mainly with foreign mercenaries. At least Lukaku is honest about his ambition, even if his self-awareness is not, shall we say, very accurate.

He is under contract and it is up to to the club to decide what to do, unless he puts in a transfer request. If he stays one more year, with a strengthened squad, we may even break into the top four, and he will still have high value in the transfer market with a year left on his contract; any drop in value would be compensated by increased revenue resulting from a better season. So don't sell unless we get top dollar.

At present, the team is unbalanced, relying on him so heavily for goals. We need others to contribute. It is like when we had Rooney – he was so good everyone just left it to him, and we actually gained more points when he wasn't playing.

Which player said that, some dinosaur? No, that was Tim Cahill when he left us the year before Lukaku deigned to sign for us.

Tim's performances epitomised his words for every one of the eight years he was with us. That's why he's a legend of ours. He worked his bollocks off, had class and earned respect.

That's three things lacking in Lukaku in this so-called mercenary modern-age but it doesn't need to be accepted.

I'm not saying we'll win the league next season but sometimes it's better to share the goals around and be more of a team. I went off Lukaku after the semi-final against Man Utd. He missed from the spot and passed up several glorious opportunities which a player of his self-proclaimed ability would have buried.

A good player on his day but picked when he decided to show up. He's not an Everton legend and I'd hold Duncan Ferguson in higher esteem because at least he wore his heart on his sleeve and seemed like he wanted to don the royal blue jersey.

Why should a player be loyal to a club? All the club do is pay players to do a job; they are just staff, so if they have ambitions and don't feel they can achieve what they want in life where they are, then (like I'm sure many of us would do in our day-to-day jobs) they look for a new job and move on.

Many fans are so hypocritical, they turn on players for wanting to move on, yet they are the first to start saying who the club should get rid of because “they are not good enough” – hmmmmm. Player loyalty.. what about fan loyalty to players?

Funes Mori for example – what has he done wrong? Seems a loyal player, keeps his mouth shut, gets on with his job yet I've seen so many posts lately saying the club should get shut – you can't have it both ways!

If fans expect respect from players towards the club shouldn't fans respect all players who play for the club?

If Lukaku leaves I wish him all the best for the future and thank him for the goals he's provided to the team over the last few years

He suited Everton. If he goes to Chelsea he won't score as many. Over the coming 3 seasons, he'll earn more money but I'd wager he won't beat 25 goals and he'll never win the Golden Boot.

I'll be glad to see the back of him and his massive ego.

If and when he leaves, I personally will remain grateful for his goals, and will of course especially miss them if the team, new players et al, don't quickly pull together to make up for their loss, but likewise I will absolutely not miss anything else about the player or the man. If he did stay, of course, I would continue to cheer his goals, but still that would be just delaying the inevitable parting of the ways.

Truth is, stay or go, he'll never be the legend he already thinks he is. Love Everton – fuck him and his attitude.

"Why should a player be loyal to a club? All the club do is pay players to do a job, they are just staff" – couldn't disagree more, money might be a sole motivator for some people but it clearly isn't for others.

And it is a two-way street; this very club dear to our hearts on occasion shows unbelievable loyalty to players, such as Jose Baxter. If your workplace is just a place where you get paid to do a job, then it doesn't strike me as a great place to work – no matter the money.<–>I could cite the legion of employees of the club who love it and probably don't look elsewhere because of their loyalty. I could mention the thread on Jagielka's potential move as being an example of massive fan respect for a loyal player. There is such a thing as loyalty and it doesn't go unnoticed or unrewarded.

This isn't meant to be a claim to be a "more fannier fan than thou" but it does strike me as odd you not only don't ever expect loyalty, you appear resigned to that fact a player can't win anything at this club and even wish players all the best when they decide they are better than the club. Sure, there are good grounds for thinking a player will win more outside of Everton but wishing it is just kind of masochistic and, er, disloyal?

In the case of Lukaku it's not (not on my part anyway) a case of me seeing him as being disloyal. It's not a case of him being ambitious and wanting to win things. But there are ways to go about things and he has sometimes undoubtedly gone about things in a way which shows a lack of respect to his "employer" (if you want to stick with the employer/staff approach.

To say (and I've banged on about it too many times already) "Staying at Everton next season is not an option," when he is under contract for a further two years, is disrespectful and inflammatory no matter which way you look at it.

Do I expect his undying loyalty and total love for the club? Not a bit.

Do I expect him to behave in a professional and respectful way to his current employer with whom he has a legally binding contract? You fucking bet I do.

Has he? Has he fuck!

"Regardless of the fact that he isn't the virtually complete package he thinks he is, it's going to be incredibly hard to replace a player who not only scored 25 goals last season but was involved in many more."

Quite simply, Lukaku is a goalscorer. I've read some peculiar assertions on here, which have suggested that a different striker will magically turn the likes of Mirallas, Barkley, and Bolasie into better goalscorers, as if Lukaku has been holding everyone back in the search for his own goals. It's rubbish, to the degree described at least, as is the peculiar readiness to criticise Lukaku because we didn't win anything.

The blame for that does not lie with the league's second highest scorer – it lies with those behind him who so often didn't do their job to such a degree.

It resides with a manager in Martinez whose tactics were fundamentally flawed, especially defensively.

It lies with a frustratingly inconsistent Ross Barkley, who is not half the player he is represented as, and does not bring the goal contributions Lukaku does.

It lies with several relatively average attacking players, who are not as good as Arteta and Pienaar in their prime, let alone some of the world class options of our competitors (Coutinho, Mane, Silva, KDB, Ozil, Sanchez, Hazard, Alli, Eriksen etc). Then behind them is an ageing defence, marked by consistent goalkeeping problems which Pickford will hopefully solve in time.

Then there is the narrative that Lukaku does not score in big games, which is clearly untrue, despite a failure of service in these games. He scored arguably his best goal in a quarter-final tie against an improving Chelsea last year – and scored a second in that game too. He also scored in the semis of the Capital One Cup against Man City. This season, he managed 4 goals against the top 5 – including away goals at Man City, Spurs, and Arsenal. In the process, he scored three times as many goals away to the top 5 as Manchester United did!

I bring this up, because Mourinho's readiness to let Lukaku go was represented as an indicator of his own lack of ability. As if Mourinho is the faultless manager who did not let the likes of De Bruynne and Robben leave his clubs. Some of our fans like looking for a reason to deride Lukaku, and it has been happening since we signed him.

Lukaku has clear weaknesses to his game but he is the rarest of commodities – a genuine goal scorer whose finishing ability is up there with the best in the league, and the best in the world. He is deadly in the box, and he does assist a good amount of goals – it's not merely a case of the number he scores, but his general involvement. We will miss this.

We will find a striker who works harder. Sandro offers a great example – he will fight, he will defend from the front. We will cheer for him for that spirit, a spirit Lukaku rarely showed. But Sandro isn't half the goalscorer – he will finish the season with a ratio nearer 1 in 3 than the 2 in 3 Lukaku managed. What we needed was a Lukaku who was on board and a Lukaku supported by a better team.

Lukaku has understandably irritated and frustrated us – we all want a quality getting increasingly rare in football – loyalty and respect. But I expect we will await a while before we see an Everton player hit 25 league goals again.

We can all tell lies about getting the goals from elsewhere, but the best solution for us would be playing Lukaku in this new and clearly improved set-up that will begin the season. With a solid central unit allowing the players in front to attack.

With a better defence, and maybe with a better creative mid playing Lukaku in behind. His likely replacements will also have failures.

My favourite short term replacement would be Giroud, whose hold up play is superb unlike Lukaku's, but who is better off the bench than starting a match.

Dembele may come – He excites me, but again he will not get near Lukaku's 25 goals in the interim, and will be physically bullied more often than Rom.

Iheanacho is an option too – he has big potential, but once more does not have Lukaku's demonstrable finishing ability and also has issues in his game.

I find Josh King most tempting of potential options for the long term. He was wonderful after being played through the middle – his technical ability and finishing was obvious. He is also capable of switching positions, and would suit someone like Sandro playing just behind. But, he would cost £30M, and has only proven himself as a goalscorer for one season. I could see Spurs coming in for him ultimately, and I think it will be our loss.

So, we will sell Lukaku I expect, and lose his goals, and with it some of his weaknesses. But, whoever we buy, as a team that has finished 7th, 11th, and 11th in the past few seasons, we'll have weaknesses too, and won't match Lukaku's goal output. We simply can't attract, at the moment, the players who can compare, and we look set to lose one of our best chances of bridging the gap on those above us.

We have had players who seemed interested only when playing against the top teams. They are certainly not what we require if we wish to move forward. A frustrating example was Duncan Ferguson's early career when his ability to turn it on against Liverpool and Manchester United was not matched by his performances against weaker opposition. That of course was when he wasn't missing through injury or suspension. Yet Ferguson is still held up as an iconic centre-forward while Lukaku is vilified.

In the final few years of his career, Ferguson earned respect as he became a more consistent performer. By then, of course, goal scoring was a comparatively minor part of his game as he played in a support role for Kevin Campbell, Rooney and others. In several of those seasons we struggled near the foot of the league. Without Lukaku's goals, I think we would have done likewise in recent years.

Few teams can succeed without a prolific front-line striker unless the team is stuffed with players capable of reaching double figures in other positions. The oft quoted 1986-87 team had Sheedy and Steven, both capable of reaching double figures as well as Sharp and Heath up front.

A problem with the squad over the past few seasons has been the lack of consistent scoring potential other than from Lukaku. The signing of Klaassen is obviously designed to address that weakness but we will need several more signings of his ilk if Lukaku moves on.

I don't think that our club will not win things and always believe/hope they will, I think next season we will have a serious challenge in some competitions, but that's just our opinion as fans and as others have said fans usually look at things with tinted glasses, whereas, in reality, we haven't won anything now for what, 22 years!!!

After reading back through what I put I think I went off on a bit of a tangent around Lukaku instead of actually focusing more on the point I was trying to make which is: Why should fans expect great loyalty from players when fans aren't loyal to all players at the club?

A lot of the foreign legion of top players are very mercenary about the game in England; unlike the fans who support week after week and year after year, they have no such allegiance.

Good luck, Rom, you will be missed and I feel very sorry that you will not be part of something very special at the club over the next few years. I for one cannot wait for the coming season. COYB

You don't always need to shell out £50M+ to achieve this. It will be fascinating to see how this pans out and who we bring in.

Brian (#124), no argument with your points either... guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it does you.

Craig (#118), I'd just say that while Lukaku certainly doesn't love our club as Ferguson did, he hasn't embarrassed the club as Ferguson did. Rom's immaturity has been demonstrated by foolish comments. Duncan's came out as drunken brawling in public. Rom never headbutted a cop or cracked a guy on crutches.

Of course Dunc long ago reformed and became a magnificent ambassador for Everton, but frankly when he played for us his off-field behavior made me cringe. Rom's just makes me roll my eyes a bit.

But it's not is it? How can it be a fact, ie, "a thing that is known to be true"?

Do you have a crystal ball, a time machine, special tea leaves or is it just a guess that you've tried to add weight to by tagging a noun on the end of the sentence. Because you might just be wrong. Period.

Naismith is a prime example for me. A lovely lad who really appreciated being here but in reality he was never a top 4 team type of striker.

Top top strikers score 15-20 goals regularly and tend to get snapped up by title chasing teams. They tend not to hang around with teams who rarely finish above 5th-7th as we saw with Lineker and Rooney.

It's been so long since we had a top quality striker that most of us have forgotten what it means to have one in our squad. Yes, Rom talks far too much about moving and shows no loyalty but that's because he's been with us for 4 years now and knows we're not going to win the title or Champions League any time soon.

I hope with the money, we can get two quality players alongside Sandro. I aould love for us to bid for Giroud and Lacezzete. Lacezzette, says he does not mind not playing in Championss League and Arsenal will not match his transfer valuation.

If not Lacezzete, then Dembele or/and Berradi would be excellent signings.

I do wish Rom the best of luck in the future, I hope he does well at Chelsea, but he is a poor replacement for Costa.

Lukaku's "not an option" comment is the single most anger-inducing, disrespectful, and downright "cheeky bastard" cheeky statement he's made in my eyes. That really was the one that made me think "just who the fuck do you think you are"?

Staying at Everton next season not an option eh? So what, pray tell me, do you (this to him and not to you Mike obviously) intend to do should the club decide that they haven't received a fair offer for your transfer and will not be selling you? What's your option then?

I have to say I'm not usually one to go off on one but when someone shows such a level of disdain, coupled with such arrogance I have to admit I don't understand why it " doesn't bother you as much."

It's not a go at you, Mike – I read your posts on here and respect your views but, if Lukaku wasn't 23, and 6 foot odd, built like a brick shithouse, marginally more mobile than me (sometimes), then I'd readily slap the fucker and tell him "retaliation is not an option."

I look forward to your goals in the Premier and Europa Leagues next season.

Disclaimer: The author of this post in no way condones violence to disrespectful footballers of Everton Football Club.

The point I was trying to make is that I think Big Dunc is more of an Evertonian because he actually looked like he wanted to be at our great club despite playing in some pretty poor Everton teams. I used to argue with my late great dad about Big Dunc but in my eyes he was a hero – my dad didn't like him.

I remember being a student and watching him knocking in that first derby goal when I was in Cardiff and being surrounded by kopite fans. He made me proud to be a blue in an era when we had some awful players.

Lukaku is someone who is just using our club as a stepping stone and is nowhere near the player he thinks he is. I was gutted when Ferguson was sold to Newcastle. I'll just accept Lukaku moving on and hope we spend the money wisely.

Our players want Champions League, Champions League players want silverware and titles, Chelsea & Man Utd players want to go to Real or Barca... if there was more money & glory on offer, the pyramid would go on and on.

The fact is, all these moves mean more money and more exposure. If you're good enough, you won't waste your time staying at Everton who haven't won anything for 22 years. Imagine playing your whole professional career and not having one single top-flight winners' medal?

Hopefully, things are now changing at our club, but if I had great talent and was surrounded by players whose kecks rolled up at the sight of a red shirt, I think I'd be off to Chelsea as well!

Lukaku has a very good left foot and strikes the ball well. Reminds me of Luigi Riva to an extent. But that's as far as his striking abilities go.

Look again at Lineker and wonder at his movement, his eye for space in the box, his knowing where to position himself when waiting for the cross into the box etc. Then look at Lukaku.

Never goes near post when he should, has little awareness of how to shake off his marker, points to where he wants the ball to be played when it's obvious to all watching (and, thankfully, playing) that not even Zidane would be able to thread it there.

Lukaku will give you half a dozen games a season when he looks unplayable. He'll also give you another dozen or so good performances. But for the most of the rest it'll be like playing with 10 men.

As others have noted (and in this regard there are parallels with Lineker's time at Everton), our attacking focus is on feeding him the ball. I have no problem with that, but his presence leads to distortions in other aspects of our tactics.

Take for instance Koeman's keenness to play McCarthy, when fit, further up the field than the more inventive Barkley, a tactic explained by the need to have someone pressing the opposition's back line, because you can be sure our centre forward won't be.

I hope he goes.

It just didn't trigger the rage in me that it did in you. I gave it a head shake and an eye roll. I don't think there's an ounce of malice in the guy... he just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

You're certainly right about him not knowing when to keep his mouth shut. Far from believing there's not an ounce of malice in the guy I think he's very sneakily, and very cleverly engineering his own exit by making it very difficult (in his eyes) for Everton to keep him.

I'm not one who thinks he's just a thick footballer who spouts without putting his brain into gear. I think he knows what he's going to say and says things merely to serve his own purpose.

The fact that I believe those things makes it clearer (to me) that he holds the club in very low esteem, as he seems to do with other talented footballers (Harry Kane, anyone?).

I'm guessing Mike that it might not bother you as much because you're not surrounded (not literally) by the likes of the RS mob and club matters may not be as much a daily topic of discussion for you, being one of our cousins from across the pond.

Honestly, not disrespecting you, but living around here makes things like this a big issue. Probably a bit sad that it does but hey, I love Everton, and make no apology for it.

I know you do too, mate,and still wonder at your journey here!

Off for a lie down in a darkened room!

I also didn't think Duncan was all that good. Yes, he came up huge in some big games, but overall his 1-in-4 strike rate was quite pedestrian for a striker, especially one with his physical gifts.

I contrast him with my man Timmy Cahill, who despite being a midfielder and of far lesser stature and talent, scored huge goals by the bucketful and had exactly the same strike rate as Ferguson. And he never embarrassed his fans.

I consider both to be true Evertonians, but I hold Terrible Tim in far higher regard.

I've been at stage 5 for ages – the sooner a few other TW posters catch up, the better.

I do sympathize with your dilemma. Where I live, I'm also a Blue surrounded by Reds, only it's because I'm a Democrat in a neighborhood of Republicans!

Glad you enjoyed my journey account. Hoping to do it again.

Darren Hind gets it mostly right. The debate on the merits of the player is old news. It's pretty clear he's going. This could be a good thing or it could be a terrible thing or we might just end up finishing 7th again.

Let's hope we get the recruitment right and it ends up improving us.

Spurs and the RedShite invested poorly after Bale and Suarez left; luckily we have identified and pursued some very good players before Lukaku has even gone.

Cahill was loyal, respectful bla bla bla. He was also a good, but not quite top class player. No top-4 team ever wanted to prise him, so his 'loyalty' was never tested.

Nice one... Respect!

There is no doubt that Lukaku is one of the best finishers around but he is not a team player, he is a very poor header of the ball, can't hold the ball up very well, and has relatively poor passing control.

Added to that, he goes missing in games when he comes up against quality centre-halves.

Now, besides all that, he, his agent and his father have consistently shown the utmost disrespect to the club where he was happy to sign a 5-year contract when he was not wanted by Chelsea.

So, for me, I see his going as a blessing. We can reinstate the excellent team spirit that was evident before he arrived. We will have players working for each other rather than one egotist and we will not constantly have the ball coming back at the defense because it is being lost upfront.

Our players were born up the road and they walked to work with their boots around their neck that their Gran had polished the night before, in front of the fire.

Their wife had been the best looking barmaid in West Derby.

They bought a semi in Lydiate.

They drove a mini or a Mini Cooper if they were really flash.

One or two had a phone in their house, only one or two mind. Others would have a neighbour who could take a message, if needed.

They'd go the pub on a Wednesday and get shitfaced.

Fish on a Friday.

Starched collars from the Chinese Laundry.

Fifty shilling tailor.

And when their playing days was over, they'd take over a pub, become an alcoholic and go bankrupt. Not an ounce of trouble.

None of these foreign johnnies back then with their fancy ideas, like central heating and their jumped up ways.

I mean we bred our own back then, no transfer market them days.

Where d'you think Dixie Dean, Harry Catterick, Alan Ball, Howard Kendall, Big Bob, Peter Reid, that big lad Southall came from? Not like we went out and bought them lads was it?

Not an ounce of trouble, the bloody lot of them!

Not like you'd see one of that lot sat by the Park End goal post at half-time, is it ?

T'internet?

If he goes for £80m plus, I'll recognise the excellent business he has constituted for the club, be grateful for the big cash boost to the transfer kitty but will not be wishing him luck at Chelsea or wherever else. Frankly I hope he bombs, he and his agent deserve it.

Strictly business for all concerned

Though long gone from the city, I still have family and friends there and all the young 'uns absolutely worship the likes of Lukaku and Barkley, as I did Alan Ball as a kid. If and when either of those players leave, those kids will be as gutted as I and many others were when we woke up to the news that 'the greatest of them all' had been sold to Arsenal.

And Mike Gaynes, don't be taken in by claims that Evertonians in the city of Liverpool are somehow more sensitive to this question than non-residents. Anyone's opinion on Lukaku is not determined by their place of residency.

You yourself recently met true city born-and-bred Blues and I'll take a punt some resent the lad and can't wait to see him gone, others appreciate what he offers and take no offence at his utterances. You can see the same diversity of opinion in this very thread, be they local or more displaced fans.

On this very site a couple of months ago, 61% voted in favour of retaining Lukaku for another year, even if that risked getting a lower fee for him 12 months from now. He was voted Player of the Year by both supporters and his fellow players. All these polls rather negates claims (by some) that he is universally disliked and a disruptive figure within the camp.

Personally, like you, Mike, player or manager utterances don't trigger a rage in me that it evidently does in others.

Rather, I am left genuinely puzzled as to why fully grown adults take such deep umbrage and are given to such rage as some evidently are on such trivial matters. I'm left with the conclusion those who are determined to be offended will be offended.

Their choice. As it is mine to be more sang-froid about such matters.

To all those who say 'Where would we have been last season without his goals?' – well, the answer is 7th.

I just think we'll be a much better team when he's gone.

God knows what the rest of the squad make of him. It's got that our football this last season has been at best totally predictable to all and sundry. You could hardly call our football expansive, could you?

A new era is approaching and one that looks really exiting. We need to change our play from the one goal scorer to multiple player/scorers were we attack as a unit and defend as a unit.

Lukaku's goals have been great and many but at what price. And with regard to achievement and winning trophies, I think the last four seasons has been easily enough time to eat a pudding of the proof variety.

And cheers to a couple of guys out there. Football is all about opinions. What it isn't about is people who try to shout down anyone they don't agree with.

Opinions are divided on Lukaku; I respect those who value the guy. I am on the "time to move the guy on and rebuild" side. That's my opinion. I have felt that way for this past season.

I believe in if you want Champions League football, knuckle down in every game, including the big games, and try and earn the right rather than having it put on a plate for you.

This season was the time Ronnie would rebuild the team and bring players in: all we asked for was to give it a go this season. There was every chance we could have strengthened in key areas, but no – he wants to walk into a team now and is not prepared to give it one last push this season. On that note, best of luck, but I think it may come back to bite him on his backside.

Everton will make the step up; have faith in Ronnie and Walsh. Good times ahead for Everton and their supporters.

Yes, the last four seasons show what a limited side we've had: Lukaku, Jagielka, Mirallas, Baines etc etc.

If Lukaku leaves, his goals will be missed but I am sure the tempo and team spirit will improve and all round we get a better side with more players scoring goals.

Optimism is there and for all Evertonians this season I hope the team earns success on the pitch.

As always, let's see the new signings in the shirt... very soon.

I noted that within the past year Lookman, Valencia, Calvert-Lewin and Bolasie have all had nice things to say about Rom in interviews. (I know he enraged Williams during one game this spring, but that happens in game situations.)

But I do believe that lifelong, local Blues are somewhat more likely to be upset by his comments than we overseas latecomers. From reading this and other threads (and knowing who most of the Yanks are) I think the outrage quotient on this side of the pond is pretty much zero.

But that's not necessarily the case among those who have bled Blue from birth, and I can fully respect that, even if I don't feel the same.

For someone who often talks about his ambitions, you would have thought he would have been going all out to clinch The Golden Boot award, the way Harry Kane did for Spurs and himself.

But Lukaku was mostly poor in his attitude and, although I have to say that indifference applied to a lot of the team, especially in away games, I thought that Lukaku would have been busting a gut to win this award and help him to get his long-awaited move away from Goodison Park.

Nobody tried to shout you down, Jon. Nobody.

The one who got all sarcastic with Rob and Jay was you.

I have seen Mike Lyons heartbroken at the loss of a Derby Match, seen Bob Latchford ecstatic with every goal he scored for us, seen Andy King heartbroken when he left Everton; likewise with other players.

I have seen the good, the not so good, all those players had Everton running through their veins. Not once did any of those players who won nothing with Everton ever ask for a move. Not one of those players said they wanted European football elsewhere. Not one said I know my next team and it's not Everton.

I am thankful for the goals Rom scored, but he will never touch me like the above mentioned players did.

Good luck to the guy, he earned his right for a go at a top level team, but his constant rants will always leave a bitter taste in my mouth, but that's just my opinion for what it's worth.

What should an Everton player, still under contract, who recently declared in public that continuing to play for the club "is not an option", rightfully expect to read about themselves on an Everton forum?

Across the board adulation?

Universal praise?

Understanding?

It's only natural he's going to come in for a slagging from some quarters. Some of it may be undeserved, OTT or merely a meffy self-defense mechanism ("if he's going to do one, I'd better try to convince myself and others we defo don't need him and we won't be diminished in any way"), but I don't find it's repeated surfacing on here difficult to comprehend.

Let's get something right. There isn't an entire subsection of Evertonians who actively 'loathe' Lukaku and are looking for him to fire blanks just so they can berate him. We all want Everton to do well. Which means we all want Lukaku to do well while he remains at the club, whatever we may think of his character.

He has received plentiful support in every single game that has immediately followed the opening of his gob during an international getaway. The match going fans got right behind him once more this season after he aimed a verbal pot-shot at the club's performance in the transfer market. They continued to support him when it came to light that he would not be signing a new contract. When and where it has really mattered, Everton fans have stood firmly in Lukaku's corner, on occasions when even he must have wondered what sort of reception he would receive. Are such immediate demonstrations of support somehow outweighed by people having a pop at him, indirectly, on the internet?

Given the continual speculation about him getting off to greener pastures.... speculation that has been swirling around for two and a half of the three seasons since he signed permanently for the club....speculation that he/his agent/his parents have persistently helped perpetuate with their public proclamations, hints and winks....the case could perhaps be made that he's actually gotten off pretty lightly, all things considered.

It's not like he's been getting pelters every time he steps out on to the pitch or anything. He doesn't really get stick from the stands. Criticism and cries of "gobshite/cart horse/big game choker" (whether merited or not) have, in the main, been limited to social media. I'm not so sure that would be the case with supporters of every club in the midst of a similar long-running soap opera.

But he's just passing through, not a "crawl on my knees on broken glass to play for Everton" type.

As the greatest player I've ever seen live said "Anyone who doesn't want to play for Everton doesn't want to play football"

Cheers, Rom. Next plastic idol, come on down

That's fantastic that you have so much knowledge of what Conte is wanting. Brilliant.

Of course Conte did tell Costa he is no longer wanted. That angered Chelsea to the point where it was looking like Conte might be sacked.

But I'm so glad that you have all this additional information about Conte and Amromovich. That's amazing, you should really consider selling that info to the tabloids.

I wish I could have written that post, spot on.

One thing I will add, John, in regards to constant Euro breaks rants and not wanting to be at Everton, you can guarantee he will not get the same welcome as John Stones, Wayne Rooney or Julian Lescott – players who decided their choice in that particular transfer window and not 3 years of wanting out of Everton.

Okay, Stones 2 transfer windows, but each of those players got rightly slated on their return, yet you can guarantee Lukaku will not get the same hostile reception.

Better player's than him have crumbled and crashed under the expectation level he will be asked to produce. It will be very interesting watching how he performs next season, if he ends up at Chelsea.

Unless Roman has installed a traditional door to replace the revolving one at the entrance to the manager's office.

Also, I get the feeling that, should a move not come off, he will still score 20+ next season.

At the moment, it this Sandro business that has me losing more sleep than the Lukaku situation. It is one of those transfers that makes me long for the days before the internet turned up.

Either way, if Keane and Sandro turn up over the next few days, we have to be on course for a good summer, Rom or no Rom next season.

Cut to the end of the season where Conte – and this is a fact unlike all of your completely baseless posts about Conte threatening to quit if Lukaku is signed – Conte tells Costa that he has no future at Chelsea next season.

So endless posts talked about how Conte would never want Lukaku because he loved Costa and Lukaku isn't like Costa (scores more goals in a much weaker team though). But come to find out from Costa himself that Conte does not want Costa, and that Chelsea was considering sacking Conte over that text message to Costa telling him he is done at Chelsea.

But some of you now claim with zero sources that Conte instead is the one threatening to quit if Abromovich signs Lukaku? And the same people would have the audacity to complain about the garbage printed in the tabloids. It's just becoming too much.

I must admit I was a bit surprised, maybe a case of wanting want you don't have.

Brian (#176) – very good :D

Brian (#134) – couldn't agree more.

He'll leave, and the new striker probably won't score as many goals, but as long as we're a better team, we'll all be happy.

Well actually I get the feeling some posters will never be happy, but every club has them.

That said, though, many posts are ridiculous when it comes to speculation, usually based on unfounded media reports. And the 'rationalisations' usually consist of 'this report seems to have legs' (whatever that means), 'it's certainly reasonable to suppose', 'there must be some truth in the reports', etc.

My take on the Lukaku situation is as I said in an earlier post, that it reflects a difference between older supporters who go on ToffeeWeb, who analyse Lukaku to death, and younger supporters who are interested only in the good things Lukaku does and have little or no interest in analysis.

So going back to the title of this entire thread, it's clearly nonsense to suggest that there's little love for Lukaku. The young being the way they are, there is tremendous love and adulation for him, regardless of what folks say on ToffeeWeb. That love and adulation for him is really no different from my reverence for Alan Ball when I was young.

I live with "young people" – one is a 12 year old girl who has a healthy interest in Everton, likes to see the team win but doesn't have much to say about Rom, or any other player particularly, as individuals.

The other is a 9-year-old boy who is POTTY about Everton. Yes, he does gawp and hit the roof when Rom smashes one into the net, but he equally puts his head in his hands when the ball bounces off him, tells him to move when he's standing around, and shakes his head when Rom does his "Oh my God how did I miss that the goalposts must have moved" face or his "Here, here, on this sixpence, right here, else it's no good for me, oh no you couldn't do it could you, OMG..." gesturing.

Maybe it's learned behavior, which would be a fair point, but the only player I would say he's really idolised so far, and cried when he went, was Fellaini (and he didn't get that from me) most likely because he was so recognisable for a boy so young.

Now he has grown up a bit and even at 9 his judgement has started to mature and, from playing the game, he knows there's a lot more to it than just scoring goals and that it's a team game.

Before each match I ask the family for 1st Goalscorer, Last Goalscorer, HT Score, FT Score. If someone gets any correct I give them £1 for fun. I go last and you would be amazed how many times Rom is left on the shelf – I pick him because it would be illogical not to – they go for the likes of Barkley, Coleman, Jagielka, Gueye, Schneiderlin, Williams or Baines simply because they would like to see them score more than Rom. They like them more than they like Rom because, quite simply, they think they like us more than Rom does.

You know, I thought Alan Ball was a god, and in 1971 all I wanted was for the clock to go back 5 years. But despite such reverence for him, I remember when he came back from the 1970 World Cup. The poor lad was knackered, because he was the midfield dynamo, and the heat and altitude of Mexico had seemed to affect him. So his form slumped for us, which it does for all players.

When this happened, there were people in the crowd at Goodison shouting negatives at him. I couldn't believe it, and remember my dad saying you can't please all the people all the time, that even great players get criticised.

I'm not comparing Lukaku to Ball, just saying that there's loads of love for the guy, whether or not he loves Everton.

Don't spoil people's fun. This is a forum, 99% of everything on here is based on speculation, that's the whole point of the forum.

If you want to deal in absolute facts then why come on here and bitch, because nobody including you knows what's really going on.

You've no more idea about what happened between Conte and Costa, except what you've read in the 'garbage tabloid press' than the rest of us so spare us the lectures.

As with Mourinho and others, he will find out who really picks the team.

You've left out the last line of my post, their not above criticism, but! Of course their going to get criticism, but some posts go way above what I would call acceptable. Not many but enough to test my affection for Everton if I was in their shoes.

I've said before that you can bet your bottom dollar that players, club officials, managers, press, other fans you name it have a look on TW to gauge our opinion.

I'm not saying their hanging on every word but what is said on here does have some value to club officials and the press in particular.

Lukaku would never cry with joy at scoring for us. I miss having a player in the team that gave that much of a shit about how privileged he was to play for Everton instead of being so unlikeable.

Quote Stracq: "My time at Everton was a beautiful dream".

I'm pretty sure his boots fit fine.

I am hoping that the direction the club is going in means that we will never have a player of such limited ability in the team ever again!

What a stinking load of garbage. Talk about re-written history.

While I was never his biggest fan, Dunc never head butted a cop or cracked a man on crutches while he was here, all that behaviour was when he was a kid at Dundee Utd.

It was his on-the-pitch behaviour which embarrassed the club at times during his playing days here, not off it.

Lukaku has come out too often and made noise about leaving, but we can expect that more commonly if we want to buy the players we need to advance (but hopefully with more respect afforded and less frequency). The best are invariably ambitious – look at what Alli said this summer after almost winning the league with spurs. Or what a string of Arsenal players have said when getting linked with someone better, as is often the case with footballers.

Lukaku wants Champions League football and progress – I can't say that 5th, 11th, 11th, and 7th in the league represents that. His goals will give him an opportunity – I'll have no ill feeling if he goes. He is our top premier league scorer and we will return around £40M in profit from him.

In some ways, I think Ross deserves more of a hard time. His desire to leave, which may be realised if a rumoured Spurs bid comes in (perhaps after the Walker deal is sorted), is a lot less honest and underhanded. He is also came through the ranks – Lukaku was purchased and was very honest about his intentions.

I wonder if Koeman secretly feels the same way about Lukaku's play as it makes our attacking very one-dimensional – hence few others score goals as everything goes through one player. Thus our attack is very easy to nullify especially when playing a more sophisticated team.

I think we will be a better team to watch once Lukaku goes and I actually think that Barkley would benefit from the change if he stays.

You can't blame him for the frustration of seeing goals ship as fast as he scored, or for the frustration of limited signings being brought in, the capitulation in games against poor teams and dire service to feet against close marking.

It's just a pity his attitude has bordered on juvenile at times. He is like a Nyarko who can't help but score. If he did have big Dunc's passion it would be great, or Tim's will to exceed talent then it could have been different.

If he goes for big money I will look back and wonder at "What if?" If he stays I will hope he can't help but fire us into the bright new future on the royal blue Mersey.

We own the Liver, the docks and the best (marginal bias) team in England and have an ambitious owner and manager. Stay or go, he has helped more than many give credit to bring the spotlight back on us. A smart piece of business for £28 million.

COYB.

That's an interesting point you raise about people looking at TW to gauge the opinion of fans.

We are a highly self-selected sample who write on here. I have often wondered at the extent to which the views expressed reflect opinions in general.

For instance, after reading some of what had been said on TW about Lukaku (following one of his alleged statements) a couple of months back, I thought he would get it in the neck at the next home game. In the event it sounded like he was treated as an all-conquering hero.

Yup, sums it all up. Funny too.

"You can't blame him for the frustration of seeing goals shipped as fast as he scored, or for the frustration of limited signings being brought in, the capitulation in games against poor teams and dire service to feet against close marking."

Yes, you can blame him for a number of goals we conceded when he couldn't hold the ball up or lost 50/50s to the opposition defence.

There is no doubt we will miss his goalscoring ability but, as for the rest of his game ,even big Vic was better.

Everton finished 7th with Lukaku's contributing 25 goals.

If you remove all 25 goals from the season's score lines and deduct all the points we would lose, we would still finish 7th.

Unbelievable but true.

Maybe his replacement won't score so many goals , but maybe he will score more important ones. Maybe he will show up against Liverpool, Man Utd etc. Maybe he will help us overcome poor teams at home in the cup. Maybe he will just be a better team player.

No sleep lost here.

I think Lukaku has been very smart, so far! We've heard nothing we haven't heard before (as fans), so we'll not worry too much if anything fails to qualify as a definite sale. And we'll hope to keep him for another year, trusting that he'll be a professional in his efforts!

You can name Rooney, Lescott, whoever anyone likes, but none did it from the first season they signed carrying on for 4 seasons at every International break.

Pay up, Chelsea, so we can finally get rid the alter ego.

Right, because Rooney fucked off before he ever contributed anything to the club. But go ahead, hold him in higher regard than a guy who stayed here for 4 seasons and only increased the goal return every season he was here. He's done more for this club than Rooney ever did.

I do not hold Rooney in higher regard, far from it, difference with Rooney is he's done it, got the tee-shirt, scored in all the big games, got all the records be Club or country; if any player should have an ego it would be Rooney.

Yes, Lukaku has been here for 4 seasons and from Day One talked of nothing but moving on, sure we may well miss his goals, but whoever comes in might just do as much a good job. I'm pretty certain the goals will get spread out better and more goals will be scored in those important games where we need a scrappy one-nil win.

Not once have I heard Lukaku say "I love Everton Football Club, we can win things, this team can challenge..." All I have heard is "Champions League football" and "I know my next club is not Everton."

Good luck to the guy, but I for one will not miss his ego and constant rants on International duty.

Through the looking glass.

All-in-all, if Rooney came back now, no way could he be a guaranteed first team starter.

End of story... and the Legend moves into Legend!

"You can't blame him for the frustration of seeing goals ship as fast as he scored."

Except that didn't happen last season.

If Lukaku had not played, the course of games would have been different and the results unknown. What you have done is a common mistake, which has been pointed out before on other threads on ToffeeWeb.

I just hope we get it sorted; I don't want this dragging on all Summer and into the new season.

If only we got a tenth of that from Lukaku, he would get the backing and full support of every fan of Everton Football Club, doesn't take much, Rom, I think the fans deserve that.

How in the heck is the striker responsible for our shipping goals? So we go long over the top and Lukaku doesn't bring a hopeful ball down cleanly or has no-one to play the ball to, so he loses it 75 yards or more from our goal. How is he responsible for the other 10 players not doing their jobs on defense?

I think Barkley's turnovers at midfield or closer in to our 18 are far worse and more costly. Davies and Holgate do the same as well as McCarthy.

Unless Rom turned it over inside our 18, the conclusion that Lukaku is to blame is absurd.

Wasn't even good enough at his first club, that manager obviously knowing more than us supporters, right? He was allowed to just leave Barcelona like Lukaku was sold from Chelsea.

He's never won anything. He bottled it in the biggest match. Hell, he was dragged off the pitch with nearly 30 minutes to play. And as you pointed out earlier, can't use lack of service as an excuse. He should demand the ball and go and get it. He really didn't do much of anything in this entire tournament.

And, he only views Everton as a stepping stone to get to Atletico Madrid. He "doesn't love the club", blah blah blah. We need a player with the heart of Stracq who will cry and talk about scoring for Everton being like a dream.

Point #1. Re: Comparisons to Lineker's golden season with Everton when we won nowt (albeit very narrowly missing out on the double to...'them') between two title winning seasons are moot, IMO.

The mid-80s team was already packed with defenders and players who got us goals, both either side of Lineker's year with us and in the season he played for us. Our current team does not have players with similar numbers.

The 1984-85 champions had five players who got double figures in the league – and Andy Gray was not one of them. Surprisingly, he only got 9. The top 5 goal scorers in order were: Sharp 21, Steven 12, Sheedy and Heath (injured for half the season) 11 and Mountfield 10. We scored 88 league goals in total.

Even in Lineker's 1985-86 season when he bagged 30 league goals, Sharp got 19, Heath 10 and Trevor Steven just missed out on double figures with 9. We scored 87 league goals.

Following Lineker's departure to Barcelona, in 1986-87 yes, we regained the title, but with a much reduced goal return by all. Again, only 3 players got double figures: Steven 14, Sheedy 13, Heath 11. Next best were Sharp and Wayne Clark with a pitiful 5 each. In total, we scored 76 goals.

As I said earlier and hope I have demonstrated, to claim as some are doing that 'Lukaku's goals won't be missed' in the same way that Lineker's goals weren't missed as we won the title after he left, rather ignores the considerable difference between our squad 'then' and 'now.'

Point #2. Similarly we have the old nutmeg being repeated. Namely, 'take away Lukaku's goals this season and we would still have finished 7th.'

As Stan Schofield @ 231 states about Steve's post @ 208 (and alluded to by others), you can't simply subtract Lukaku's 25 goals and reach a concrete conclusion we would have finished in the same place without him.

Lukaku would have been absent. Another player would have played in his stead. Ergo, the course of games would have been different and the results unknown.

If and when he leaves, Lukaku's goals will be missed. The players recruited thus far alone will not make up the shortfall of losing Lukaku's goal tally.

The player (Sandro) most strongly linked to us to add to our attack is still young and untested in the Premier League. It would be a stretch to believe he alone will match Lukaku's goal scoring feats, presuming he even joins us.

As Darren Hind rightly comments, in the likelihood Lukaku does leave this summer, we need to compensate for his lost goals with really good recruitment, added to a strategy and style of play that ensures the team has some potency in attack.

I believe Koeman is recruiting to that aim. Contrary to some, I am quite sure he and Walsh know full well we need 2-3 very good forward options at the sharp end of the pitch.

For me, the best-case scenario given the impressive recruitment to date, is that Lukaku remains. If he goes, at least we will have a barrel full of money to get in a very good alternative.

I expect the tree will be shaken as early as next week to learn how the apples will fall.

We did have him here last season, and he scored 25 goals, and we finished 7th. That's it.

Therefore it's possible we could have scored more and finished higher than we did without Lukaku... or, to be honest, the opposite of that.

Sunderland away: 3 points won; without Lukaku, 1 point.
Palace home: 1 point won; without Lukaku, 0 points.
Man City away: 1 point won; without Lukaku, 0 points.
Bournemouth home: 3 points won; without Lukaku, 0 points.
West Ham home: 3 points won; without Lukaku, 1 point.
Leicester home: 3 points won; without Lukaku, 1 point.

I include West Ham on the basis that, if he hadn't scored the first goal, there's a good chance the goal Barkley scored may not have materialised, and the game could have finished 0-0. The same with Leicester: had he not scored the equaliser, the goal Jags scored may not have materialised. Lukaku's second goal against Leicester could / would therefore have been the equaliser.

Lukaku scored 2 at Watford, and if the defence had not been so garbage on the day, we'd have gained 3 points rather than none.

I can't remember off-hand how many goals we scored from Lukaku assists which would have had a direct bearing on the final result.

If there are any other games people can think of, please let me know.

Anyway, by my reckoning, without Lukaku's goals having a direct influence on results, we'd have been 11 points worse off, possibly more, with a goal difference of minus 7, again possibly more. This would have put us only 4 points ahead of Southampton with the same goal difference. Had Southampton not missed penalties against Hull and Man Utd, they would have finished above us.

So as Stan says, it's all fictitious. Nobody knows how a game pans out if certain incidents don't occur. Lukaku scored goals against Leicester away, Sunderland and Burnley at home which effectively killed these games in our favour. Who's to say without Lukaku scoring in these games, we would not have conceded an equaliser?

Anyway, in my opinion, every goal Lukaku scored last season was an important one, be it the winner or the last goal in a 4-0 romp. We need to keep him for next season and I, for one, will be gutted if we lose him.

I did and it broke my heart at the time but hey, it turned out great. Not long after, I met my dearly beloved wife of 47 years. All will be well.

And let us not forget while we are tearing strips off each other, that Romelu loves someone else and nothing is going to change that.

Anyway I'm saying no more on this thread because it's getting boring.

The only time a goal scored can affect the outcome of a game is when it is the last action of the game. Apart from a re-start!

Any other goals scored surely come in the 'What if' and 'If only' scenarios...

A manager doesn't say to a striker "don't score any more today as we're already one up or two up and therefore have won the game".

Crystal balls, my arse.

Goals are gold dust.

Lukaku is lucky to have had the opportunity to have played for this club and along with one or two others should remember that!

I feel so ashamed!!

He plays in a team that floods forward on the break through a midfield which is far more creative than ours was. Lulaku would have scored 30+ at Spurs last season.

I am the first to criticise his lack of guile when he is on the last man, he has to learn that, why has nobody taken to one side over it? It is plain to see that he plays to orders in looking for early, long passes that come too rarely and most often are of poor quality when they do .

He'd be a saint if he failed to show frustration at the state of affairs.

If Everton play the players that they have on the books right now and sit Lukaku on the bench for every game, they would score more goals than they would with him in the team and maybe reach the top four. If they added Old Rooney and Old Giroud then all of a sudden you have a team who knows how to win games.

For me, Giroud is the best center forward, I would choose him in any team I put on the field over £100M Romelu "put it on my feet" Lukaku.

Bye Bye Rom

£75M up front plus clauses taking it up to £90M could make sense, but considering the market I thought £80-90M was totally reasonable. I also didn't think we'd need to cave to an early offer with Chelsea clearly also in the hunt.

Some posts don't age well. In your case not even 48 hours.

Do you think Lukaku knew he'd be starting the season at Man Utd? I don't. And I still don't think it's a certainty.

He's a good player, but full of bluster.

If Lukaku leaves for £75 million it is a steal and United have the best end of the deal. There is not one striker who is a proven top goal scorer in the Premier League who has accomplished as many goals with very average support up front.This is a 24-year-old with tremendous future potential if handled and supported properly. Unfortunately he was up front virtually alone for the whole of his stay with us and opposing defences still could not stop him scoring.If he is going to United for less money than they paid for Pogpa then it is grand larceny. We should have demanded Rashford plus money for a better deal for us.Money alone is no replacement for the best striker around. Kane would not score 20 goals with the support Rom had from Mirallas and Barkley.

I am dismayed if it is true.

Oh well, guess United fulfill one of his vital higher criteria; Champions League football – just.

Now Mino, about my salary...

Tony, that £20 mil. would just slip nicely into Raiola's back bin.

I don't know.

But it's always been clear he was going somewhere. Posters claiming no-one wants him are some of those who have consistently told us what an average player he is.

It's all about opinions but It appears one of those opinions is he's a £75m player.

In reality, once this goes through its one of the best bits of business the club has ever done. 20 goals a season for four years and a £47m profit minus his wages.

Hopefully we've put in an option to buy back or a sell on fee.

£75m waste of money by United. A very flawed player.

Good in front of goal when it's on a plate... that's it.

Attitude stinks and his disregard for our club was beyond contempt.

Onwards and upwards blue boys!

It was always going to happen so none of us should be whinging. Onwards and upwards, can't wait to see who we else we bring in. May take abit of time to gel so I hope we move quickly.

I hope he does go to United though. He's hardly going to revel in the shocking long ball football that Mourinho had them playing last year. Can't wait for his return to Goodison. Jags and Keane tag-team up against him? No contest.

I'm not Lukaku's biggest fan myself, but I don't think the (still potential at this point) loss of your primary source of goals, to one of the sides we should definitely have had in our sights next season, can ever be cause for celebration.

Especially when the only replacements within the squad at this moment are a guy new to the league who most knew little to nothing about before May, and a raw kid yet to rack up 10 starts or even get a proper run out in his preferred position.

We are talking Peter Roberts here. A poster who had admitted to 'hating' Lukaku. He's happy let him have his day.

I'd be amazed we don't buy one if not two forwards and I still expect Sigurdsson to sign.

If we don't we will struggle.

Over to Chelsea?

The club should stand firm on their £100M valuation as he is coveted by both United and Chelsea; so let them battle it out or flog him to PSG for less.

My first thought was I'd rather see him at manure than at Chelsea however I've now changed that view. We are unlikely to challenge Chelsea in the short term but I believe manure to be one of those (along with Arse and the shite) we can challenge. Why then strengthen one of our closest rivals?

Footnote – coincidental that there is something anal about the three clubs I believe we should be targeting – manure, Arse and shite?!

Looking forward to reading about us having signed Giroud when I am having my breakfast tomorrow morning.

Left Footed Screamer

"something anal about the three clubs I believe we should be targeting - manure, Arse and shite?!"

That's my (your) "post of the day". Trying to think of something similar re Man City but can only think that Frannie Lee set up a business in toilet rolls.

And Spurs did finish "number two" last season.

"Yeah, okay... we'll take Rooney AND pay half his wages; you make phantom bids for Lukaku."

I guess we would if there is any evidence to support that. All that seems to have been reported is a bid, which is perfectly proper.

Chelsea have to strike while the iron is hot.

Having said that, we will have the money to spend on replacements, so you never know, we may end up with a better mix of quality and a system that plays to our new strengths... who can tell?

When teams crowd Lukaku out he goes missing, he doesn't fight, he hasn't got the discipline or mentality for it. Plus United are pretty average and under Mourinho they play a defensive game.

Lukaku will have to work hard for them, and I'm sure he will until the novelty wears off. He'll score goals but United fans are kidding themselves if they think this guy will take them to the top 4 or above. They will need much more than this guy.

I'd be more worried if he joins Chelsea as they have the players that will create far more chances for him than United would.

The proof will be in the pudding of course, so lets just keep our fingers crossed and wait and see. I believe that the mentality of the management is correct and I look forward to what could be a very exciting season.

As for whether or not this true, this is a link to one "reputable" source.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10938731/man-utd-agree-75m-fee-to-sign-everton-striker-romelu-lukaku

I'd paraphrase your statement by saying "Lets not kid ourselves, our top 4 ambitions without Lukaku's 25 goals takes a nosedive."

I'm hopeful, having seen how we've conducted our transfer business so far, that should those 25 goals go the club will have a plan/s in place to replace them.

In doing so, I hope that the goals will come from more than one player, meaning that the scoring of those goals could actually be easier by simply not relying on them coming from a single source.

If you have one player who scores your 25 goals and he has an off day/s then you're onto plums. If your 25 goals are shared between three players and two out of the three have an off day on the same day, you've still got the third one to weigh in.

We might actually play more attractive footy too.

Bringing in the lump would be akin to admitting that he fucked up by letting him leave a few years back and we all know the chosen one is all about ego.

It's a no-go people so put the celebrations of him being off back on ice until some dumb China club rocks up.

I'm praying those idiots in China with a big splash come and believe the hype with something lump and his agent like the look of.

"So my guess is his worth at £20m tops."

Sometimes comment is unnecessary.

It seems weird to me that Mourinho would want him, after happily letting him move from Chelsea. I also read that Conte wanted the lad from Torino, but the boss upstairs wants Lukaku.

All this when The Guardian are saying that Conte wants Lukaku! Media shite as usual.

As Lyndon already said, it's goals lost, not love. He's always thought he was too good for us.

Looking forward to seeing Sandro and Klaassen!!

Strong the special brew, innit? :-)

I can't see an unproven Ramirez hitting the ground running in the Premier League, so I do hope we have a decent striker lined up. Giroud is being touted as a possibility, and I wouldn't mind seeing him starting up front to be honest.

We need at least 15 goals from our main striker and a hell of a lot more from our midfield, so while the replacement may not be as prolific as Lukaku, I would hope we could see one attacking midfielder also step up with double figures. Barkley & Mirallas seem to fall down badly on this front.

Lets put it this way, we would have a lot better chance of a top 4 spot if we had Lukaku start the season, PLUS bought top 4 quality players to play along side him. It was never going to happen because he wants away, he's made that clear.

The big question for us is, will we start with a better quality team than any of last seasons top 6? I would like to think so, but I doubt it.

You say it looks like he's got what he wanted. I disagree with half of that. Lukaku says he wants to win the Premier League and play in the Champions League. Okay, next season, should he go to Man Utd he will play in the Champions League, but I can't see United winning the Premier League soon.

Having said that, the way things are shaping up it looks to me that the Premier League is wide open next season.

We're going to miss his goals; what I wont miss though, is his pointing to the individual blades of grass that the ball needs to land on (without spinning or bouncing) in order for it to be worthy of his attention.

Forget Sigurdsson and Giroud, this is the player we should show big ambition and try and get. Unwanted by Conte, and apparently considering a move to Turkey as Atletico have a transfer ban, surely remaining in the Premier League would be more attractive?