₦airaland Forum

hensben:
I pray it happened so we can sign Sanchez with that money. Next in line should be mikel. No room for fringe players

Sanchez would be a wonderful signing but I doubt Arsenal will sell. He is easily their best player currently.

Phew! We have escaped points deduction because of the City brawl. Fined £100k though.

If the rumour from Metro News is correct, then Chelsea is on the verge of tidying a nice piece of business. It is rumoured that Oscar is set to join Shanghai SIPG in a stunning £52m deal in January.

Lol.... Ibime don mad finish!

Now this is damn creative.

Thumbs up man

AdisaOwala:
Bros, if a striker is banging in goals but is unfortunate to be at a club that can barely keep clean sheets....sabotaging his efforts in the process - how is it his fault?

The same club finishing the league higher prior to this striker's arrival? Something must be wrong then.

Nihilist:
That's the reason I just stopped the discussion.

Timbros is a person I respect a lot.

One love bro.

We all have our opinions (which may be correct depending on the angle you look it from).

But there's no way I can agree that Lukaku is better than Costa (assuming that's you debate. numbers aside)

Nihilist:
The main debate here was not Lukaku vs Costa. That was something you chose to make yourself

I don't understand how anyone can be so incapable of logical reasoning.

What is a strikers job? To score goals right? So when you talk about a striker improving the team, you surely must be talking about the attack. Lukaku has managed to post the highest individual numbers in a season at Everton for over a decade. How is that not an improvement? Where else or how else should a Striker improve the team?

You asked for the numbers since Costa came to England and Lukaku came out on top.

You asked for the numbers since 2009 and Costa and Lukaku are tied.

Your argument now is that Costa is a better striker because of his goal per minute ratio, which again shows that you are fully incapable of understanding Stats.

Kelechi Iheanacho had the best goal per minute stats in all of Europe only recently. Only a fool will take that as proof of anything in isolation

Costa is expected to have more goals per app, as he generally recieves far better service than Lukaku as has been proven with chance created figures. The fact that Lukaku who is feeding on scraps has managed to still outscore Costa since Diego arrived in England is a testament to his abilities.

Finally you seem to be forgetting that only this summer, Diego Costa was going to be sold for Lukaku, and Chelsea put in a bid of over 50 million pounds for him. You must be jonzing badly if you think no coach would pick Lukaku over Costa.

Which numbers did Lukaku came on top of Costa? Do you expect Costa to outscore Lukaku with fewer appearances?

I have said it before and I will continue telling you that Lukaku only improved his personal numbers. Evidence prove that he never improved Everton whereas Costa improved Chelsea. Clear difference.

Conte NEVER wanted to sell Costa. Costa only indicated interest in returning to Atletico after last season's on and off the pitch issues he had. Chelsea never wanted to sell him. Get your facts right please.

It is a known fact that selling clubs tend to inflate the prices of their assets whenever they sense desperation from a big club. Everton is especially known for that. They did it to Man City in Stones transfer.

Finally, for the fact that Lukaku, with all his 'astronomical' goal scoring numbers, it is only Chelsea (his former employers) that bid for him shows how ordinary scouts all over the world see him. Ask yourself why big clubs haven't scouted him?

Nihilist:
Timbros I like you. I don't like the way you are talking like a neophyte.

You clearly don't understand my point. Twisting my example to try and show what happens when Costa does not score is completely ignorant of the inherent point.

Nobody argues that goals are not important. Afterall Lukaku was the 4th highest scorer last season. The point here is that regardless of the goals scored by a striker, the utility of his goals are only apparent when his team manage to keep out more than he scores.

That's why I gave the example of Kane who outscored Vardy and Aguero who tied Vardy for goals, yet Leicester won the league.

Just this weekend, Lukaku scored a brace, but his team conceded 3 to lose 3-2. How useful were his goals then? A fool will say that Lukaku is rubbish because his goals did not translate to a win.

Lukaku scored 18 league goals last season. Costa scored 12. Yet Chelsea finished above Everton.

An idiot will say Lukaku did not improve Everton last season, but only THREE players scored more in the league last season, and yet TEN teams finished ahead of Everton.

Saying that Lukaku's improvement upfront is merely a personal improvement is a very stupid thing to say, because it implies that a Striker who contributed a total of 24 league goals last season, and scored more goals than over 400 registered players in thr league, should have been playing in goal.

The main debate here is Lukaku vs Costa.

Has Costa improved Chelsea since he signed? Resounding yes! Costa's goals in his first season fired us to our first league in 5 years. Costa's goals is currently keeping us in first position.

Has Lukaku improved Everton? Capital NO! Since Lukaku came, Everton have gone from at least top 8 team to bottom half team. He may have been their highest goal scorer since he arrived (personal improvement), but the team have not improved one bit since he signed.

Has Lukaku's output being better than Costa's since Costa came to England? NO!

Who is more efficient in front of goal since Lukaku became a professional in 2009? COSTA!

If Lukaku and Costa find themselves in the same team RIGHT NOW, Lukaku will take a permanent position in that team’s bench with better seat belt to go with it. That's how superior Costa is to Lukaku.

Nihilist:
I don't know how you guys analyse things like neophytes.

Costa is a vastly experienced striker who was the focal point of a la liga winning team and UCL finalist.

That sort of experience was replicated when he scored 20 goals for Chelsea is his debut season, so your point about Costa lacking EPL experience is moot and and of no real value

Costa's goals are useful yes, but there are currently teams who have scored more than us sitting below us on the table. Anybody with eyes can see that the main difference is that Chelsea has conceded fewer goals than 18 other teams in the league.

If we had conceded a goal each in the Boro and West Brom matches, we would be 2nd, and only 2 points ahead of Liverpool. Costa would still have his 12 goals aND still top the goal chart. We just won't be top of the league, which is EXACTLY What happened to Harry Kane last season, and is what is happening to Lukaku now.

I have shown you charts over the last 3 seasons showing that even at our worst, Chelsea was creating exponentially more chances than Everton.

I mean Fab was the top assister in 14/15 FFS. You want to compare Costa's almost telepathic service from Fabregas to what Lukaku is receiving from the like Tom Cleverly and Gareth Barry?

What is wrong with you people sef?

You are talking as if you haven't seen vastly experienced players who change league and suddenly struggle to adapt in his new environment.

Defence doesn't win you the league. Attack does. What's so hard to understand there? Football is simply, outscore your opponent chikena. Even if you concede 20 goals per match and is able to score 21 goals per match, you will win the league. But tighten your defence, keep clean sheet in all 38 matches and don't score let's see how you can win the league.

If we hadn't scored against Boro and West Brom, that is 4 points dropped. Defence have done their job (keep clean sheet) but without Costa's goals, we would have been below Liverpool and/or Arsenal.

Lukaku improving his goal tally for the past seasons in Everton is just a personal achievement. His goals have not in any way improved Everton’s overall campaign in the said seasons. Emaprince has even showed you here that Everton of Yakubu era is even better than Everton of Lukaku era.

Nihilist:
Lukaku's only real experience in England was with West Brom. Diego Costa had just won la liga and made a(brief) appearance in UCL final. I think I know who the more experienced player is.

Anyway, my point is not to prove which player is better. Costa has played in better teams than Lukaku for most of his career and his output is not better than Lukaku's. Infact, it's been exactly the same since 2009.

My point was questioning how Lukaku had not improved Everton, while Costa had improved Chelsea. I want to know what metric we can use to prove such an assertion.



It is not just Costa's goals and assists that are keeping us at the top of the table. Based on Goals and assists alone, we would be third. 2 of the current top 4 have outscored us, and we only have one more goal than City. The reason we are 1st is our mean defence, having conceded the (joint) fewest goals in the league.



What a poor analogy

Harry Kane bettered Vardy, and Aguero tied him last season, yet the Spurs and city defences let them down at crucial points in the season. Leicester only lost 3 games last season, which is why their centreback and DM also made PFA team of the year....

It's not a coincidence that Koeman has already criticised his defenders in the media this season for "really bad defending". Unless your point is that Lukaku most score and defend at the same time

Does winning La Liga and making UCL final appearance make Costa more experienced than Lukaku in the English premier league?

It is interesting how you turned a blind eye on the point that Costa's goals gave us a domestic double in his first season!

Costa is the main reason we are top of the league today. As tight as our defence is, would they have given us 6 points from Boro and West Brom matches?

You still haven't converted their goals per game % let's see who is better.

Strikers A played 20 matches and scored 10 goals and Striker B played 10 matches and scored 8 goals. Striker A must be better because he scored more goals.

Nihilist:
I'm comparing both of them over the last 3 seasons(since Costa came to England), and Lukaku has more goals and assists whilst playing for mid-table Everton.



Lukaku 128 goals and 52 assists all comps since 2009, 180 goals total

Costa 131 goals and 49 assists all comps since 2009 180 goals total

Lukaku was 16 years old at the start of this Comparison btw

This is not even the bane of contention sef. If Lukaku has not improved Everton despite outscoring Costa over the last 3 seasons so far, then Costa has definitely not improved Chelsea.

Kpokwem.

Lukaku's superior appearances over the 3 seasons in question only makes it natural that his goal/assist should be more. Now consider the goals per minute percentage and tell me who is deadliest. And you are forgetting that Lukaku has been in England 3 years before Costa, so he has adapted well to the league. That comparison is very unfair to Costa.

Costa's goals and assists gave Chelsea her first EPL in 5 years. His goals and assist gave Chelsea League Cup in his first season. If thats not improvement, I don't know what is. Presently his goals and assists is keeping Chelsea at the top of the table.

Remind me the trophy Lukaku's goals and assists gave Everton.

And please don't tell me how Everton is a 'dead' club. Leicester fought relegation in 2014, we know what Vardy's goals and assists did for them the next season.

Nihilist:
Considering that there are 20 teams in the league, the fact that Lukaku has a chance of making your list top 5 overall strikers of even a hater like you just shows how good he is.

I don't know how you can say that Lukaku has not improved Everton with a straight face. Has Costa improved Chelsea? What if I told you that Lukaku has more goals than Costa in all comps since Costa came to England...more assists too

What would you say then?

Some of the yarns you guys vomit sometimes though...

This is Costa's 3rd season in England (including the abnormal last season he had). Even at that, check the number of appearances and compare it with goals, you will find out that Costa's output is superior to Lukaku's.

If you really want to compare both players, check their goals from 2009 when Lukaku's career started.

Chelseafan1:
It wasn't only Costa, many people even wanted Hazard sold, wanted Pedro sold....

That is why we shouldn't always be hasty in our conclusions. One season of mysterious calamity and people want out best players out!

4 points clear.

One season of underperformance and you guys want Costa out. That's impatience. Lukaku that you guys want in wouldn't have won matches for us like Costa have so far.

This is the same Costa that some people here want Chelsea to sell because of too much 'fight fight'...

Impatience is too bad.

First it was Middlesbrough now West Brom.

Thank you Costa.

airmark:
But you know home.steady and trend.lona. Continue.

Aguero, chai. let's see if zouma will return as luiz may miss tomorrow's match.

The only players missing tomorrow are Terry and Oscar.

Where is this Yomi Casual situated?

Ibime:
Did Barcelona bid for Casillas?

Some reports have it that Atletico went for him

Charly Musonda's loan contract in the process of being terminated. What happened? I thought he was having a blast in Spain...

raumdeuter:
Longevity only counts when you are actually useful and putting in performance on the field. Ronaldo spent maybe 5-6yrin Man Utd yet would be remembered as the best player of their past 30yrs

Playing with passion when you have no talent is useless also. Terry was the classical hand luggage. Adds nothing significant on the field. When he misses games the team does better and win

We know you hate Terry, but this your comment C'mon man!

Ibime:
Cech has got his priorities right. His kids were settled in school in UK and he couldn't uproot them to another country at that age. Family loyalty comes before club loyalty.

Casillas has family too..

And you had to create a thread for this?

raumdeuter:
You see say when he was arguing about Terry carrying Chelsea he sef know whatsup. Terry na just figurehead

Ibime listed 5 members of that Chelsea team ahead of Terry. Me go even include Cashley, Carvalho Essien ahead of Terry

In realistic terms Terry would only be better that the right back Ferreira or Bosingwa

Actually longevity is a very important criteria in the making of a legend. Of the seven players Ibime mentioned, Terry has lasted the long in Chelsea. And not just as a squad player but a core member of the club. The skipper. His contribution to the Chelsea cause is legendary. Not only is he a defensive stalwart but he does his business in the opponent's goal post too.

Think of Maldini and AC Milan, Totti and Roma, Gerrard and Liverpool, King and Tottenham....they all are legends and they have one thing in common with Terry: one club player (MLS doesn't count. Gerrard went there to retire).

Terry plays with strong passion for Chelsea. Even when he was deemed past his best and was benched, he took it with calm. He never complained. Next season, he played every single minute in a title winning campaign. That's what legends are made of.

I won't have Cech in my list of Chelsea legends. Yes he is arguably they best goalkeeper ever in Chelsea, but for the fact he signed for out direct rivals spoilt everything he has done.

Lampard can be excused because he didn't sign for Man City. It was circumstances beyond his control that landed him in City. I don't believe he would have signed for City if they had come directly for him.

Ibime:
Nobody places above Lampard for me.

Lampard, Drogba, Makelele, Zola, Cech, Ballack and Terry are my favourite legends, in that order.

In that order?

Haba...Terry na Mr. Chelsea nah.

For me Terry, Lampard, Drogba, Zola etc

pamcode:
Nice collection there but who was that guy with loose blond hair wearing no 11 jersey that assisted lampard in the final against spurs felllow seems talented.
his goal against barca was quite fantastic. Super frank legend among his peers nothing anyone can tell me.

Damien Duff. Very skillful guy.

With him, Robben/Joe Cole in opposite wings, Drogba in the number 9 position and Super Frank in the middle, our counter attacks then was fire...I mean FIRE!

This man keep referring to the days of NITEL. How many operators were in existence then?

I still don't get it. So NCC is more interested in the protection of the so called smaller operators than the over 170 million consumers nationwide?

This is absolutely disgusting.

Picsart
Pixlr
Snapseed

Emaprince:
He'll bench Matic.

Matic isn't too outstanding defensively and he isn't fantastic in attack as well. Atleast Naingolan is good at long range shots. I feel he can offer I little more. Than Matic.

No one can bench that workaholic called Kante!!

With 6 assists so far in the EPL, you can't say that Matic isn't fantastic in attack.

David Luiz vs Man City

3 points clear!

KTBFFH

Debroslink:
I told you Chelsea's 343 formation CANNOT stand against any elite team.

I'm salivating Chelsea's back 3 against MSN.

You say?

For those believing that Southampton played their first 11, this is the lineup that played Everton in EPL vs the team that played Arsenal.

Southampton rested 8 players. It's not only Arsenal that made changes.

kokaneprodigy:
Some peeps can't differentiate btw first team and first 11. It's a pity

How many of these players are non first team? Holding? Adelaide?

So the likes of Iwobi, Perez, Elneny, Ramsey aren't first team enough to win Southampton?