Thoughts on Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku and his perceived grievances

Another ‘disaffected player’ story is coming out of Chelsea, which is obviously unfortunate given where that this is one of the best week’s in the club’s history. Today, it’s the turn of Romelu Lukaku, who gave the following quotes to Belgian news source Sport Wereld regarding Andre Villas-Boas:

“There is one person that I will never forgive for what he did to me – the previous coach.

It’s not just that. It was also the way he spoke to me and treated me. Right from the beginning, it was weird. I could not stand how he was treating me. I received no explanation.

In training, he put me on the right or left wing. In training matches, I was a substitute with a shirt to keep swapping teams. I really learned nothing!

I have told the club that too. I understand that he was under pressure, but I was also thinking of myself. I have improved in recent months.”

Regular readers will know this site’s stance on this kind of thing, but it’s worth reiterating: when will players learn to hold themselves accountable?

Romelu Lukaku should have known that his chances at Stamford Bridge were going to be initially limited, or at the least his agent should have advised him that they would be. When he moved from Anderlecht last Summer, he was a raw 19 year-old with less than 80 first team appearances to his name – anybody in that situation who moves to a club of Chelsea’s size is going to have a fight on their hands for first-team minutes.

There are countless examples of players who make the jump to a major club before they’re ready, because they’re unable to see past the size of the contract offered or the notoriety that would be afforded to them. It’s a classic battle between short and long-term benefits, and both sides of that coin have their pluses and minuses. Lukaku is a talented player, and he has the physique to succeed in England – but what would have been the harm in him playing an extra season in the Jupiler League or maybe taking an initial loan move somewhere before becoming a full-time Chelsea player?

It’s always the same: when players make poor decisions, they end up blaming everybody other than themselves. Apparently Lukaku will ‘never forgive’ Andre Villas-Boas – he should grow up, it’s football, these things happen. The over-sensitivity of some of these egos is quite staggering.

And…not to labour the point, but where’s the value in bitching to the press about this? The public don’t want to hear another hard-luck story from a player, it has no resonance with anybody.

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