Romelu Lukaku has been one very expensive MISTAKE for Chelsea at £97.5m… starting on the bench AGAIN for Real Madrid’s visit in the Champions League, bringing him on at 3-1 down smacked of desperation
- Romelu Lukaku was on the bench for the Champions League quarter-final vs Real
- No-one really gave it a second thought to see the £97.5million man on the bench
- Tuchel favours Kai Havertz to lead the line in a system that doesn’t suit Lukaku
- When he came on at 3-1 down, it was a substitution that smacked of desperation
- Chelsea’s club record signing has been one big and very expensive mistake
The 97.5million man was on the bench for Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid and no-one really gave it a second thought.
Romelu Lukaku’s role as one of football’s most expensive ever substitutes isn’t even a thing anymore. It’s normal. Expected.
Extraordinary isn’t it? This is the sort of night Chelsea worked so hard last summer to bring Lukaku back for.
Romelu Lukaku once again started was on the bench for the Champions League quarter-final
Instead, he was left twiddling his thumbs on the sidelines – again.
From the previous 10 matches, Lukaku has started just twice; away at Championship clubs Luton and Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.
When Lukaku gave his now infamous, and rather ill-judged, interview to an Italian media outlet in December, in which he openly questioned the tactics of manager Thomas Tuchel, the striker could never have guessed it would turn out this way.
Of course, that interview isn’t the only reason behind the 28-year-old’s exile.
Lukaku’s role as one of football’s most expensive ever substitutes isn’t even a thing anymore
There had been suspicions long before the former Everton striker caused himself a world of pain by confiding his inner-most feelings to Sky Italia that Tuchel wasn’t convinced.
It wasn’t that he didn’t rate Lukaku; any idea idiot can see his value. But there was a sense Lukaku didn’t suit Tuchel’s style or strategy.
Kai Havertz is the man the Blues head coach believes is best suited to the way he wants to play.
It’s hard to argue to the contrary; they won the Champions League playing that way – with Havertz leading the line – last season.
But all that leaves Lukaku in an unthinkable position; on the bench.
He’d never have guessed it would turn out this way after his infamous interview on Sky Italia
There’s plenty of water to travel under the bridge, but you have to think what bearing his current lack of action will have on Lukaku’s mindset as he heads into the summer.
His international manager Roberto Martinez provided a clue as to what Lukaku might be thinking ahead of the transfer window.
‘Romelu needs to be assessed on how he feels in September. But he is one of the players for whom the summer could be a big moment for their careers,’ said the Belgium boss.
If anyone knows how Lukaku might be feeling about life at Stamford Bridge then you’d imagine Martinez would be one of those in the know.
The fanfare that greeted Lukaku’s return to Chelsea last summer was entirely justified.
Chelsea’s club record £97.5million signing has been one big and very expensive mistake
Lukaku did eventually come on, in the 64th minute, when his side were already 3-1 down in a substitution that smacked of desperation
The return of the prodigal son, who had blossomed into one of Europe’s most feared strikers, to the club he supported as a child and first joined as an 18-year-old.
But, at least for the time being, Chelsea’s club record signing has been one big and very expensive mistake.
He eventually came on on Wednesday night, in the 64th minute, when his side were already 3-1 down in a substitution that smacked of desperation.
At £97.5million, that’s some expensive desperation.
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