Seasons » 2015-16 » Everton News
Martinez reacts to Lukaku speculation

Raiola was asked about the speculation in an interview with French radio and while he admitted that it was premature to talk of what might happen in the January transfer window or next summer, he hinted that Everton would sell the striker for the right price.
“I’m not here to do the job of an agent," Martinez is quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo. I’m not entertaining rumours and speculation. I have to do that during the transfer window against my wishes, so as you can understand now, there is no comment.
“What the agents do is their own prerogative. Romelu has... a very important role with us and now he’s in the perfect moment to kick on and take more responsibility on the pitch.
“That’s all that matters to everyone at Everton – that he can keep fulfilling his role, keep enjoying his football, and keep being important for the team.”
Reader Comments (31)
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2 Posted 30/10/2015 at 15:44:47
3 Posted 30/10/2015 at 15:55:32
How can you be one of the best natural strikers in the world and a one-trick pony?
For what it's worth, I think he's average and lazy at best. But that's just my opinion.
4 Posted 30/10/2015 at 16:30:40
5 Posted 30/10/2015 at 16:35:25
I also think he is far from world class as he is definitely lazy. Just watch when he shoots, he totally turns off as though it must go in and then he is left flat footed if it doesn't
Vast potential but much work needed and only he can do it.
6 Posted 30/10/2015 at 16:49:44
He's just doing his job... just like Martinez is when he tells the agent to piss off.
8 Posted 30/10/2015 at 22:23:28
9 Posted 31/10/2015 at 01:50:08
Spurs are the most recent club to do this with Daniel Levy making most of the demands when clubs come calling for his star men. Seville did the same years ago, demanding huge fees for Sergio Ramos, Reyes and many others.
If the massive clubs want your players, they will pay almost whatever you demand; look across the park and see what the Red Shite got for Sterling. In Lukaku, Stones, Barkley and even McCarthy, we have valuable assets whose future fees could shape our team for years to come. If they don't move on, they will be equally as valuable too.
10 Posted 31/10/2015 at 13:58:21
He's average at best; clumsy awful first touch... and lazy at times.
I wouldn't be bothered if he did go; there's players out there who are just as good, if not better.
11 Posted 31/10/2015 at 19:20:00
Is it his fault that we don't play to his strengths? Someone else will and these negative comments will drive him there sooner.
12 Posted 31/10/2015 at 19:39:06
13 Posted 31/10/2015 at 20:10:57
14 Posted 31/10/2015 at 20:13:23
15 Posted 31/10/2015 at 20:46:55
16 Posted 31/10/2015 at 21:28:02
Obviously he wouldn’t be a direct replacement for Rom, but he’d offer us some good competition for a modest fee.
I totally agree with the consensus about Vardy. How many goals did he score last season?! He’s 28. He’s having the season of his life but I should imagine he’ll become like a Jelavic next season once defenders know his game.
In the case of Rom, I really like him but I think we could buy a couple of top players with the 㿊m+ fee.
At least if we bought 2-3 players with the cash, we wouldn’t get all the moaning on TW about the fees. I still can’t get my head around that one. We sign a real marquee signing. He’s virtually guaranteed to score 20+ goals. And people expect him to be like Messi just because he scored big money. Someone like Benteke has a lot of deficiencies in his game, but no one quibbled about the RS splashing 㿌m. Because he’s a striker and judged on his goalscoring ability.
I sometimes get the impression that many of our supporters have inferiority complexes and don’t think we deserve to have a signing that costs more than a few million quid.
18 Posted 01/11/2015 at 08:15:35
He has now added goals to his game and there is no doubt that his all-action attitude inspires the rest of his teammates. He would be a huge fan-favourite if he ever came here.
For those claiming he'll get found out, it's actually the opposite. He took a season to work it out, but it is he who has found out what it takes to be a quality striker in the Premier League.
19 Posted 01/11/2015 at 08:21:26
Colin, you say he has pace, and that is essential in this league; he has heart too... I wish we had more players with heart. As for the novelty value, defenders have had all of last season and ten games of this to work him out. He still seems to be making mugs of lots of them.
Lukaku is doing OK; he isn't perfect, but will improve, but we need to use him more wisely. If he gets injured, we will see just how much we miss him. If Kone or Naismith play up top, the goals will really dry up. Imagine Vardy rampaging alongside Rom... we would terrorise any defence.
20 Posted 01/11/2015 at 09:15:59
Only the very top players can do this season after season and, despite my admiration for Vardy, he isn't a top, top player. Let the likes of Spurs and Liverpool fight it out over him as they do love the latest flavour of the month. Like Gavin, I'd love us to go for Dembele.
21 Posted 01/11/2015 at 09:28:12
Anyone who actually goes the game will see he's anything but lazy. Didn't see him 'lazy' recently against the RS?
The problem he's got is with his manager, who continues to play him as the lone striker, often surrounded by three hairy-arsed centre-halves, playing with his back to goal, and living on scraps provided by our specialist wingers or creative midfielders.
That was sarcasm by the way, so I apologise. When he does move on to a better side than Everton, his goal tally will probably double.
He's still our most effective forward, we just need to play to the lad's strengths.
22 Posted 01/11/2015 at 10:01:21
And please don't compare Vardy with Johnson who, in my opinion, was a quick but all round awful footballer.
23 Posted 01/11/2015 at 10:41:27
24 Posted 01/11/2015 at 11:00:33
Flavour of the month, so many players. Very few can keep consistency going; I think Rom will be off.
25 Posted 01/11/2015 at 11:08:31
26 Posted 01/11/2015 at 11:32:20
I know this is a very British attitude, ie, we love triers and battlers (Stracqualursi, Vardy, Carsley etc...) even though they are limited, but give me a player who, in one sublime moment, can turn a game any day.
27 Posted 01/11/2015 at 11:42:19
At best he does nothing and at worst he allows another opponent to get into our midfield unchallenged. Leave him higher up, close to Rom, thus occupying another defender.
28 Posted 03/11/2015 at 10:02:52
29 Posted 03/11/2015 at 23:36:36
Firstly, Peter (#26) apparently nearly all transfers are on the drip so nothing new or unusual, but £30+ million? David Luiz went to PSG for £50 million, so if he's going and according to his agent he's a top striker, hold out for top striker money.
I heard an interview with the football agent Sky Andrew, who said that agents just treat players like a commodity (not him of course!!) and that they would rather have a good rapport with the club than with players because players come and go but the club's there for ever.
Makes you wonder how much bad advice is given to young players.
30 Posted 03/11/2015 at 00:03:06
I reckon it could be all change for us in January, with any two from 6 below, and we will get our No 10 and another.
Naismith to Norwich – nailed on I reckon.
Mirallas to somewhere...
McGeady to somewhere...
Lukaku to PSG / Wolfsburg / Real Madrid / Arsenal
Stones to Chelsea / Man Utd
Coleman to Man Utd.
31 Posted 04/11/2015 at 02:09:51
After the hardest start in the league, he has managed 6 league goals and 4 assists in 11 league appearances and 8 goals in 14 in all competitions. In 2 of his 3 full seasons in the league he has managed more than 1 goal every 2 league starts and is on course to do that this season.
If he is average, then I've watching a very different Premier League to the rest of you. To repeat – he is 22. Only 22.
There is no pleasing some people. But don't let stats stand in the way. Lukaku is just average.
32 Posted 04/11/2015 at 04:49:53
The problem appears to be that many just see his bad points and not his good points. At times he is lazy, often he is knocked off the ball too easily and his first touch can be bad. This frustrates fans and they are things that can be coached in to him.
Fortunately for him and us, he has a world of natural abilities that cannot be coached in to players and these are treated by many under the "Well, that is taken for granted" heading (or, in some cases, as "Durr, what do you mean?").
33 Posted 06/11/2015 at 06:48:13
I agree he'll be a one or two season wonder like AJ, then sink again.
Lukaku has lots to offer, pace, power, strength, a shot in both feet, he can be a real handful and he's still only 22.
Like the rest of you, I like Vardy but really, swap him over Lukaku?
Vardy is also a little fella, and personally I like a big burly striker up front to bully defenders. Lukaku just needs to be more consistent, and that's the reason he divides opinion.
Lazy? I don't think he's lazy. I do think he gets ignored too often by team mates when he makes runs in games and for him that's frustrating so he stops making those runs. I don't blame him either - he's a big unit and it takes a lot out of him.
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1 Posted 30/10/2015 at 15:17:09
Can blame Roberto for playing to his strengths in 2013-14, realizing what an asset, and then not playing to his strengths thereafter.
Unless Rom's football education includes coming to terms with different dimensions of the game so he develops as an all-round striker instead of a one-trick pony. If that is Roberto's strategy, then let's wait and see; hopefully not too long...?