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Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku was isolated on the pitch during the Blues' 1-0 triumph over Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the weekend. Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has criticised the Blues for not playing to the Belgian's strength.
Lukaku had a league-low seven touches of the ball all match, including one from kick-off. The Belgia has scored only ten times in 28 games across competitions since arriving from Inter Milan in the summer.
Parlour was quoted as saying about Lukaku, as per talkSPORT:
“You’ve got to play to his strengths; he’s a player that needs services, needs crossing, and he’s a brilliant header of the ball if you watch him the way he gets in good positions."
"You’ve got to play to that, and if you’re playing to his feet, it’s not his game; he does go down the side every now and again, but I do think they miss the full-backs (James and Chilwell) who are the main people now who cross the ball."
Parlour added that the Blues need to provide more support for Lukaku, suggesting the full-backs to send good deliveries into the box to get the best out of the striker. He said:
“If they can get them back fit, and get some good deliveries into the box, I’m sure he will be a handful, and I think he’s a confidence player; he lacks confidence at times.
“Jose Mourinho, when we had him in the studio, he said he needs an arm round him; he needs to be loved by people to get the best out of him, and I think he got that at Inter."
The former Arsenal star also addressed rumours linking the Belgian with a shock return to Inter Milan this summer, saying:
“Obviously there were reports that he wanted to go back in Sky Italia; that’s going to be always brewing around the situation if he has a bad game."
“Is his heart in Chelsea? That’s what probably the fans are thinking now. I’m with Neil; I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes back or goes somewhere else other than Chelsea.”
Romelu Lukaku's struggles for Chelsea against Crystal Palace
Romelu Lukaku was included in the starting line-up for the Premier League clash with the Eagles at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Unfortunately, it proved to be a nightmare outing for him, as the striker struggled to connect with his teammates.
The Belgian had just two touches of the ball in the first half of the clash, with one of them being from kick-off. Throughout the 90 minutes, the 28-year-old had just seven touches, the lowest ever in the Premier League since 2003-04.
Regarding Lukaku's struggles against Palace, Parlour added:
“When I watch him, he doesn’t seem interested to me, but in fairness to him, they don’t cross balls, I don’t know why they signed him because they don’t cross balls, Chelsea."
“Everything is into feet; occasionally he might get one down the channel, but to have seven touches altogether in a game, I just don’t think his heart was in it and because he knows he wasn’t going to get much of a joy."
It remains to be seen if Tuchel is able to get the best out of the Blues' record signing before the end of the season.
