Tuesday 24 January 2017 09:44, UK
Romelu Lukaku’s goal record speaks for itself but if he is going to establish himself as one of the world’s best strikers does he need to do more? With the help of his former manager Steve Clarke, Adam Bate looks at the numbers that suggest there is still work to do…
The first thing to say is that Romelu Lukaku is a formidable goalscorer. He has not only scored more goals in Europe's major leagues than any other player currently aged 23 or younger but his record compares favourably with the greats too. Even Cristiano Ronaldo had not scored as many as Lukaku by this stage in his career.
The Everton forward's record is improving too. Last season's total of 18 goals was his best Premier League tally so far and with 12 already this term, he is on course to better it yet again. No wonder that when Diego Costa's future at Chelsea was suddenly thrown into doubt, it was Lukaku's name linked with a return to Stamford Bridge.
Steve Clarke was the West Brom coach when Lukaku spent a season on loan at the club in 2012/13, scoring his first Premier League goals in the process. He is a Lukaku fan. "He is a very mature boy who was obviously brought up the right way," Clarke tells Sky Sports. "He has good manners and didn't cause any problems, which is quite rare in a modern footballer."
The season was a success as Albion finished eighth, their best campaign of the past 35 years. "One of the biggest factors in that was Romelu," says Clarke. "He scored 17 goals that year and if you have got a striker who does that, it makes a difference to your league position." Only five players scored more that year and none of them could match Lukaku's strike rate.
The goals have flowed ever since but even among his admirers, there are those who wonder whether he still needs to add more to his game. Goals will always be a valuable commodity but they remain a means to an end. Winning is what matters and increasingly coaches are convinced that defending from the front is non-negotiable in achieving that aim.
"When he came to us he was no way the finished article," recalls Clarke. "We had to focus on his faults in training. Obviously, he's got his strength which is scoring goals. But there are other aspects to his game. A little bit more movement off the ball. A little bit better hold-up play. They are things he would speak about himself.
"He needed to improve and he has improved. But even now there are still things he needs to work on in his game. I watch him at Everton and I think he has still got more to offer." The statistics bear that out. Lukaku's passing accuracy of just 64 per cent is the worst of any of the top 10 goalscorers in the Premier League so far this season.
But it is more than a matter of close control and an ability to hold the ball up. Lukaku's defensive work is not at the same level as other forwards. In fact, of the 40 players to have scored five or more goals in the Premier League this season, he is the only one yet to register a single interception.
Is that really a vital quality in a centre forward? Perhaps not, although Arsenal and Liverpool no doubt value the tenacity of Alexis Sanchez and Roberto Firmino in the role. Premier League coaches certainly monitor players' physical output and here too there are questions over Lukaku's contribution. He is not bringing the same intensity as his peers.
Lukaku has yet to produce more than 60 high-intensity runs in any Premier League game this season. Costa, the man who some might hope he could replace at Chelsea, has done so on 14 separate occasions this term. In fact, he is averaging more than 50 per cent more sprints per 90 minutes than Lukaku.
Of course, there are different types of forward. And yet, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is surely the archetypal target man and even the Manchester United forward - at the age of 35 - is doing more without the ball than Lukaku. The Swede covers more distance per 90 minutes and is also averaging 52 sprints per game compared to Lukaku's 44.
In more ways than one, there is work for him to do. But is Lukaku prepared to make the changes? "He can do it," insists Clarke. "Whether he is at the stage yet in his career where he's ready to do it, I'm not sure. But he is doing what he has always done and that's score goals. There is work to do on the rest of his game but that comes with age and experience."
Perhaps something is starting to click. When Everton lost to Watford last month taking their poor run of form to one win in 10, Lukaku had yet to cover nine kilometres in a single game all season. He has gone on to do so in five of the last seven games with Everton winning four - against Arsenal, Leicester, Southampton and Manchester City - and drawing the other.
"No disrespect to Everton but I'm sure there are bigger clubs that will look to snap him up in the years to come," concludes Clarke. "A lot of clubs in Europe will be looking at his goal tally and if he can add a little bit more there is no reason why he cannot be at those clubs." For now, there is a reason. But it is something that Lukaku has within his power to change.
