What did Lukaku say in the interview?
Speaking with the club’s website, Lukaku was asked about his manager. The Belgian said, “Yes, of course! The conversation was really clear from him, that he wants me to be a presence and a leader in the team. I have to just use all my abilities to make sure I can help the team as much as possible.
“My role will depend on what the game plan is and what the boss wants me to do. If he wants me to be a focal point or if he wants me to attack the spaces in behind, I can do it. The two years in Italy helped me master all the facets of the game for a striker and now I’m ready.
“I like the system that we play and I’m very flexible. I can play as a two or by myself and I’m used to the system because it’s what we play with the Belgian national team so I don’t need much time to adapt. It’s just knowing the strengths of my team-mates in important positions and knowing what we do off the ball, then I can do the rest.”
He was asked about the differences between [league 384] and Premier League. He replied, “Italy is tactically and technically a better league but here in England, it’s all about the intensity. That’s what makes the difference but it’s no problem for me because I’ve been here for eight years and I know what it’s all about.”
“It’s not like I’m a new player coming in and not quite knowing what to expect. I know the league, I’ve scored a fair amount of goals here but the past is the past and now we have to look forward.”
“I’m a new version of that player from before. I’ve evolved and the team that I’m joining is a very strong team so now we just have to prove it on the pitch by challenging for the Premier League.”
Was Lukaku the final piece of the puzzle?
[team 18] finished last season with an achievement that was beyond the fans’ expectations at the start of last season. After being in chaos by January, they sacked club legend [coach 95] and brought in the experience of [coach 523937].
The basic objectives were to have a solid run in the [league 24] and the [league 2]. The biggest objective was to get Chelsea into the top four. However, Chelsea were in the top four by the end of the season. They did lose the FA Cup final against [team 42], but won the Champions League final against [team 9].
Of course, it’s hard to improve when you are the European Champions. However, Tuchel saw the bigger picture: they missed a lot of chances, especially [player 31823]. To challenge Man City for the [league 8] title, they required a pure goalscorer to get above 20 goals every season. One of the best in the world in that role, Chelsea successfully landed [player 995] back to one of his former clubs.
With the creative players Chelsea have got, Lukaku could thrive in this side. The likes of [player 32612] and [player 24288] are top creators along with the brilliant [player 537121]. Also, Werner and [player 32438] are effective when running in behind. Their combination with Lukaku’s hold up play could be a serious weapon in various games.
Chelsea now have quite an adaptable group of players with a manager who has worked wonders already. A league title could be a possibility, and who knows what they can they on a continental basis!
Author: Devashish Akolekar
