His latest experiences prove it.
Romelu Lukaku he’s not a player normal, and never has been. Lukaku is not usual, regular, destined to do the exhausting shuttle between the pitch (from 70th onwards) and the bench, destined to be a fallback in a very hot month of August of the Zapatas, the Beltrans or who knows even the Marcos Leonardos. Romelu Lukaku, in the summer, returned to the team that coveted him at all costs (literally everyone), that Chelsea willing in 2021 to do crazy things to snatch him from Antonio Conte’s Inter and equally willing after two years to do the same to place him in the court of whoever paid into the coffers Blues at least 40 million euros.
Shortly thereafter, Lukaku would be dumped on the youth pitches so as not to allow him to loudly claim the right to train and achieve at least sufficient pre-season preparation.
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Here, the Romelu Lukaku of the last semester was simply painted as a car to be scrapped, luggage to move. And it is also because of this altered design that one quickly thinks that the 8 goals in the first 10 games wearing the Roma shirt were totally out of reach that Lukaku, were absolutely extraordinary for him. Actually Big Rom he had only been boycotted by the same idea that everyone – club and fans included – was building around him. Lukaku is nothing more normal and usual than that Today let’s observe. It is decisive, it is central, shifts defenses and shifts balances. He just needs certain conditions that enable him to make a difference.
Yesterday’s Lukaku
Let’s be clear, the case that engulfed the last Lukaku (that of last season) arose due to various issues: it is not just the fault of his attitude and his choices, just as it is not just the fault of the clubs and coaches who they handled it. As always, the truth lies in the middle and we will try to unravel it for you (not that anyone actually has it).
Romelu Lukaku, following two extraordinary seasons in the shadow of the Madonnina (64 goals in 100 games) aboard the Nerazzurri steamroller driven by Antonio Contechooses to cut with the ax a sensational adventure and an intense and morbid relationship with the Milan Nerazzurri to land in London, towards Chelsea. Per try again another time, to try to fulfill the dream of a lifetime and definitively consecrate himself as one of the strongest attackers that the history of this game could remember.
There is, however, a big problem: in Premier League Romeluapart from his experience at Everton (which brought him to the world of football), has never managed to convince us of its indisputable strength, which we have abundantly experienced in Italy. This is demonstrated by the interlocutory seasons in Manchester, where he proved to be an excellent player, without ever being able to free the Red Devils (among other things led by Josè Mourinho) from anonymous placings in the league.
Copyright: @ManUtd Twitter
It proves it the cursed season at Chelsea, spent most of the time between the infirmary and the bench and overall very disappointing, also due to the lack of feeling with Tuchel. Precisely in the year following the Inter Scudetto, precisely after that season in which she had shown all her skills as a complete striker and as an attacking partner of a memorable couple (the LuLa). Just when the character of the locker room man, centralizer and undisputed leader of a group that was moving too fast compared to all the others had finally emerged.
But then why leave a place and an environment where you feel perfectly at ease just for a bet? A love bet, perhaps; but perhaps Romelu had already abundantly found love. Among the fog of Milan, under the lights of San Siro.
For the same reason, between nostalgic interviews and phone calls begging for a return, Lukaku manages to take back the City of the Madonnina and once again obtain the “forgiveness” and warmth of the Curva Nord. All done, agreement reached, in August 2022 behind Romelu’s new Nerazzurri shirt there is written 9 accompanied by a 0because the “9 and that’s it” is no longer his, but rather that of another attacker for whom Simone Inzaghi is crazy, that is Edin Dzeko. A valuable teammate and contender, but undoubtedly one of those responsible for the upheaval of the Belgian’s brilliant Nerazzurri career.
Yes, because Romelu struggled to regain Milan last year but certainly not absolute ownership together with his friend Lauti. In fact, in fundamental matches, those from inside or outside, Inzaghi always sends Edin onto the field, who always manages to repay his trust by taking away even more playing time from Romelu, who is practically always forced to take over after the 63rd minute (the minute in which Inzaghi exercises power of exchange).
A great classic of the 2022/23 season.
When you enter, Big Rom he struggles to make an impact, he doesn’t seem to be in good shape physically, he doesn’t find the best feeling with Lautaro, he has to deal with a few too many physical problems and with a coach who is almost unable to find him a suitable position within a flawless Inter. She had left an Inter-avalanche, a team that exalted itself in burning dozens of meters in an open field, and found it much more tailor-made and maneuverable. Between encouraging signs of recovery in the very last part of the season, goals sensationally saved against his team in the Champions League final and a stressful negotiation for the loan renewal (even culminating with an opening to Giuntoli’s new Juve) The curtain on Lukaku’s adventure at Inter finally closes.
A new-old Lukaku
And then the darkness. Those three very complicated months that saw Romelu arrive at the center, but at the same time on the margins of a market limiting for him in terms of figures and formulas. An unpleasant situation for a player who has been looking for stability and centrality for some time, but who has experienced a season characterized by ups and downs, doubts and a lot of bitterness. For him, instead of a coach, he now needs a father who welcomes him with open arms and who acts as a litmus test against the criticism directed at his godson. Who knows, even of a place in which to start completely from scratch, a place that does not love or hate him because of bias or previous dynamics, but knows how to applaud him, praise him or criticize him based on what he demonstrates. Here in Romelu’s life, not without difficulties or complications of the case, the Roma and that Jose Mourinho found again after the bittersweet experience in Manchester.
8 goals in 10 games. Romelu, with the Lupa embroidered on his heart, scores everywhere and in all ways. From the right, from the left, from touch, from anger, from the chest. In Serie A and the Europa League. He makes no difference. The goal is the worst enemy to beat and so far he has succeeded perfectly, in almost every match.
But then what happened? Has Lukaku re-become that player who dominates the penalty areas just because he flew to Rome, away from everyone? Is he just a star shining with reflected light? Because with Conte Yescon Mourinho first no then yesinstead with Tuchel and Inzaghi Absolutely not?
There is probably no answer to these questions. Lukaku was not wished ill by anyone, he was not left on the bench out of spite or exuberance or even out of fear of strange popular uprisings in any particular environment. Tuchel and Simone Inzaghi’s Lukaku was his own double because within those squads it was not possible to give him the only condition that the Belgian center forward implicitly requires: centrality.
It doesn’t matter with which attacking partner, he is so capable of exalting anyone around him (see Belotti), it doesn’t matter what shirt he wears and it doesn’t even matter who sits on the bench, Romelu Lukaku needs to feel at the center of the project and at the center of the attack to give us the best performances of ourselves. This is not to say that this is a totally positive aspect, nor is it an absolute limit, much less a law that the clubs concerned must comply with. It’s a condition for having it. Just a condition that the Belgian has shown us over the course of his long career, tainted by half-baked routes. Lukaku wants to scream Me, me like after the goal scored against Donnarumma in the derby, he wants to score and ask for forgiveness for some choices spoiled by too much haste, he wants to smash the door and silence the Allianz Stadium just because what he has in mind is a just cause. Lukaku wants to be at the center and take on all the responsibilities due to him, at the cost of betraying the trust of the experts. But he would never want to be someone’s plan B, especially when he feels he is in the best physical and mental condition, which due to some twist of fate he cannot show.
And instead he is forced to sit in the chair.
Romelu Lukaku is like that, you either love him or hate him, take him or leave him. With him you certainly can’t opt for a drastic choice (for better or worse) and then regret it. Even if he will only have the certainty of the Giallorossi shirt for one season, it doesn’t matter to him. He will do everything to honor her as best he can and to try to win back another (blacker) yellow-red shirt, that of his National.
In 2023, among the many bitter events to swallow, the Belgium chapter (once we have overcome the surreal black page of the Qatari World Cup) it can certainly be declared the least worst or, for the most optimistic, simply positive.
In this season leading up to Euro 2024, however, Romelu will be forced into an intense two-way fight, in which he will face a boy from Liège who wears the Leipzig shirt, who grew up with his myth and with the same propensity to overwhelm defenses: Lois Opendawho clearly seems well-intentioned to take away a starting shirt from him and to demonstrate to Tedesco that ultimately the new is better than the old.
It promises to be a very open challenge, probably in the long run the one who remains clear both in front of goal and mentally will win. Romelu will certainly contribute to complicating the life and choices of the new Belgian coach.
Because he is back to being talked about for the way he turns in the penalty area and not for the management errors he makes off the pitch. Because he worked in silence, with dedication, humility, even on the pitches of Cobham. Because it is at the center, as it has never been. Because he ended up in an environment that gives him trust and can pamper him in exchange for goals and joys. Because he has the same angry eyes and the same hunger as when, unaware of what he would do, he wore the purple Anderlecht shirt and let his hair move with the wind. Because he doesn’t want to talk about the saddest summer of his career, right now, which seems so far away. Because Sunday he wants to return to San Siro with his head held high and show his old fans, ready to bombard him with boos, what Lukaku can be when given the right relevance.
2023-10-27 14:00:00
#Romelu #Lukaku #limitless #trust
