IAN LADYMAN: Romelu Lukaku once again proves that he is NOT a big moment striker after the Chelsea flop threw away FOUR open goals against Croatia... the Belgian bombed at Man United at Chelsea and cannot deliver at the elite level
- Romelu Lukaku missed several gilt-edged chances to put Belgium through
- Relive all the action as the Red Devils fell to a shock group stage elimination
- The Inter striker has found his level in Serie A where players get time to think
- Click here for the latest World Cup 2022 news, fixtures, live action and results
On the BBC, the centre forward’s club was in full circle the wagons mode.
Gary Lineker, Didier Drogba and Alan Shearer were analysing Romelu Lukaku’s pitiful attempts to kick, head or chest (yes, he did try that one) a football into a goal from anywhere between 12 and three yards out.
He has been injured, they said. He is not match fit, they said. It’s not his fault, they said. The first two sentiments were true. Lukaku had played only half an hour of football since doing his hamstring back in August.
Romelu Lukaku has proven he is not a big moment striker after wayward finishing cost Belgium at this year's World Cup
The Inter striker - on loan from Chelsea - missed four open goals
But unfortunately for the Belgian, none of that excused his lamentable failure to shoot Belgium into the last 16 of the World Cup against Croatia on Thursday.
Lineker, Drogba and Shearer (hundreds of goals between them in their day) didn’t wish to bury Lukaku and that is understandable. There has been much more wrong with Roberto Martinez’s team than one malfunctioning centre forward.
But, still, they were wrong. This one was on Big Rom. You don’t have to be match fit to convert an open goal. Sorry, one of four open goals. You just have to be a big moment footballer.
And the plain truth is that Lukaku has never been one. He was a danger at Everton and he has scored goals for Inter. But given two opportunities to show his worth at the really top level — at Manchester United and at Chelsea — he bombed.
He arrived at Chelsea saying he had nothing to prove to anyone in the Premier League. Within months he was moaning to Italian TV that coach Thomas Tuchel wasn’t using him properly while fluttering his eyelashes at Inter once again.
BBC pundits made a number of excuses for him, claiming he was unfit and was recently injured
That is where he plays his football once more now and that is very much his level. It’s OK, Serie A. But you get time to play in Italy. You get time to think. That’s why Tammy Abraham thrives there but didn’t in England, and it’s why Olivier Giroud scores goals at the age of 36 and Zlatan Ibrahimovic played there beyond the age of 40.
The World Cup is elite level. The Premier League is elite level. And Lukaku has been found wanting in both.
Big players seize big moments while the rest make excuses. Or, on this occasion, has three other people make them for him.
Lukaku is Belgium's all-time record goalscorer with 68 goals for the Red Devils in 104 games
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