Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku has really struggled to adapt to his second stint at Chelsea and his performance in the 3-2 loss to West Ham United has brought in a lot of criticism.
He replaced the injured Kai Havertz during the half-time break but just like most of his other appearances, Lukaku failed to do anything noteworthy during these 45 minutes.
Romelu Lukaku failed to register even a single shot on target and he managed to make only eight accurate passes. But while the pundits and fans have come out to criticise the forward, Thomas Tuchel has explained why the Belgian international couldn’t make an impact.
‘It’s my fault,’ the manager said. ‘I don’t think he is ready for 45 minutes physically but still, we decided to bring him on for his height because we lost Kai.
‘Kai had a crucial role in defending set-pieces, which is a huge threat from West Ham, so this is on me. I took the decision so it’s my responsibility.
‘There is no need to question the big picture and no need for major doubts.
‘In my opinion, it’s obvious why we did not have the result that we wanted against Man United and West Ham so it’s about details. That’s why I think we can sort it out straight away.
Romelu Lukaku’s record vs West Ham… 💥
11 starts
11 goals
4 assists pic.twitter.com/mB1gSFyzgc— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) December 3, 2021
‘Nobody wants to make mistakes but it won’t help if we just say “hey, don’t make mistakes anymore.” We have to go through it and we need to be better in decision-making in crucial moments of matches to be able to have clean sheets or concede a maximum of one.’
Romelu Lukaku had been out for more than a month with an injury and he’s yet to start a game since his return. Over the previous three Premier League matches the 28-year-old has played only 74 minutes so we can give the benefit of the doubt for atleast the West Ham loss.
But overall, in 10 Premier League appearances Lukaku has netted only three goals, his last one coming way back in September. And when you’re the marquee signing of the club, these are not the levels that you should be operating in.
Romelu Lukaku was brought in to replace the faltering Timo Werner but now Tuchel is stuck with both these average forwards, something which has prompted him to use Kai Havertz up front.
But now that Havertz is also injured, Lukaku should get his first start since returning to full fitness. And since Chelsea’s next game is against Zenit, the forward has the opportunity to get his confidence back by netting a few goals in midweek.
