Romelu Lukaku’s struggles at Chelsea this season are not his fault but a combination of issues out of his control.
That’s according to analysts in his native Belgium.
The striker returned to Stamford Bridge in a €100m plus deal from Inter Milan in the summer as the Blues sought out the elite level striker they’ve long been missing.
Things have not worked out well, though, with Lukaku struggling for form and falling out of favour with everyone over the last few months.
His biggest critic seems to be Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, who the striker has had a very public falling out with.
That’s been down to the German’s tactics, something analysts Johan Boskamp and Marc Degryse pointed out to Het Laatste Niuews.
“How many balls does he get there? You should see how often Chelsea play backwards. Moreover, everything at Inter was geared to Romelu,” said Boskamp.
“They didn’t play like that last year, did they? Chelsea had 62 per cent ball possession in the group stage – the most of all. And how many goals do you think Romelu would have scored?” added Degryse.
“Tuchel doesn’t do that (build around Lukaku). And Romelu has to get the feeling from his coach that he is the most important. Conte did that. While Tuchel thinks: ‘Why do I have to take him into account? He has to adapt’.”
Another issue for Lukaku this season has been fighting against the detractors who remember his last spell in England.
Plenty questioned Chelsea’s move for the Belgian in the summer, pointing out how he had struggled during his time with Manchester United.
They’ve been proven right over the last few months, with Lukaku’s failings at Old Trafford coming back to the forefront in London.
So far, the striker’s effort to prove his doubters wrong haven’t gone to plan, and Degryse believes that is part of the problem.
“Do you know what it is with Lukaku? He can make 50 goals a year, but he will never convince the people who are against him,” he claimed.
“They always start talking about his limitations. In a bad period, they are there: ‘You see, he doesn’t score in top games’. Even some analysts still have their doubts.”
