Certain events are baffling. They really are. Like the treatment Romelu Lukaku has received since earning his move to Chelsea.
Romelu Lukaku has been an uprising superstar for several years, so you’d be forgiven in thinking he is older than 18. He is quite simply coveted in that most top European clubs have bee linked with an interest in him over the past two seasons. His record is marvellous. 121 goals in 68 games for youth team Lierse is an eye-popping statistic, while claiming the Jupiler Pro League top goalscorer award at just 16 years of age isn’t bad either.
With all these impressive statistics to back his name, including 12 full caps for Belgium at the time of writing, why has he been treated this way?
Before joining Chelsea, he expressed that he had a soft spot for the club after visiting Stamford Bridge on a school tour around a year ago. He explained, whilst still an RSC Anderlecht player, that he would not leave Belgium to be farmed out on loan.
Perhaps Chelsea did not want to send him on loan to Stoke, perhaps it was a blind or hopeful enquiry, but it should not have come to the Premier League and ruling M 7.1 to halt the transfer. Chelsea, or more importantly Andre Villas-Boas himself, should show more faith in the teenager by outright rejecting the bid.
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Following on from this, Lukaku suffered major disappointment in being left out of the Chelsea Champions League 25 man squad. Due to home-grown rules, Chelsea were only able to name 22 players, leaving 3 spaces for the absent home grown personnel. In doing so it created a conundrum for Villas-Boas on who to leave out. Lukaku was the unfortunate sufferer, which will have been heart break from him personally as he misses the opportunity to line up against Genk.
The opportunity is of course there for Lukaku to join the squad in January for the knock-out stages but considering the combined goal total in the last 21 games from Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou is a torrid 12, Lukaku may well have been a wise choice to select. Clearly, Villas-Boas believes they will sail through the group stages despite these problems, but when will Lukaku get the chance to prove himself if not against the likes of Genk?
Take it all into context. He is a boy, 18 years old. Moved from Belgium to live in London and trying hard to settle in and master a new language. The psychological blows of dealing with unwanted loan speculation and being dropped from a roster is pretty tough. Perhaps Chelsea need to look after their brand new £18m investment a bit better because the entire world will agree they have acquired what could become the best striker in the world.
Should Romelu Lukaku have merited a place in the Champions League ahead of the likes of Oriol Romeu? Do you agree that loaning him out would be a big mistake?
Stop making contreversies. AVB still have plans, for future UCL.
AVB & rest of d chelsea crew really suffered from concussion + amnesia during d release. In fact, why’s Essien’s inclusion not left till Jan as he’s sidelined & give room to this precocious young lad to prove his worth. POLITICS EVERYWHERE.
Lukaku shud focus on premia lig to prov himself & 4get about omision 4rm ucl.
Andre pls give lukaku more playing time with sturridge up front an mata behind them.They will show torres how to score when he is on bench watching them
Yes politices everywhere and its ruining the loved sport call football imagine chelsea still playing lampard for 90mints when we have othes like young JOSH
Am begining to hate dis avb guy, always wants to be d boss and shuns advice
Lukaku was awful for Belgium the other day, Chelsea should have loaned him for 6 months. Your overwhelmed by the media hype in thinking that Lukaku should be playing for CFC right now
it’s not your business how he’s been treated. besize he not going to playing in chelsea for just one season so why the hurry. he’ll surely have more playing time when the likes of drogba, anelka and torres are all gone remaining the likes of mata, daniel and davilla.
Lukaku is more dangerous inside the 18 yard box than Anelka and Torres put together. Anelka is always awful anytime he starts a match and it is a pity if AVB select players base on sentiment other than performances. Essien has been horrible since past 2 years, lampard is consistently going downward, and drogba has lost his firing sense for almost a year now. While i am happy to see them remain at chelsea, i am devastated going tthrough their fringe contributions in each match, yet enjoy the greater playing time. Why wont the like of oriol or joshua step up for lampard having the solid guards of remires and mikel behind for at least 45 minutes. Our success in preseason matches is due to this methodology, which AVB has thrown into dust bin of history.
Lukaku is one of Europes best talents right now. We saw an immediate difference when he came on against Norwich. He is certainly to be preferred over Torres and Drogba in the EPL and the ECL. I think AVB has the potential to be Chelsea’s best manager ever, but I would like to know why we have not seen more of Lukaku. Can AVB please shed some light on this?