Romelu Lukaku doesn't have characteristics that Thomas Tuchel wants, asserts Antonio Cassano
Cassano comments on Lukaku and Tuchel
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Former Inter player Antonio Cassano has stated that Thomas Tuchel made the wrong decision to bring Romelu Lukaku to Stamford Bridge as the Belgian does not have the kind of characteristics that Tuchel requires from his strikers. The Belgian striker rejoined the Blues over the summer from Inter.
Romelu Lukaku established himself as one of the hottest teenage prospects of his generation during his time at Anderlecht and Chelsea moved quickly to sign the teenager in 2011. The Belgian international failed to acclimatize to his new surroundings in London and slowly became a menace in front of goal as his spells at Everton and Manchester United proved. But while he started brightly at Old Trafford, the Belgian faded away and was ultimately sold to Inter in 2019.
Things changed under Antonio Conte as Lukaku scored 64 goals in 95 appearances across all competitions for Inter and led them to Scudetto glory as well with him slowly but steadily becoming one of the best forwards in the world. It saw the 28-year-old re-sign for Chelsea with them paying £97.5 million and things started brightly with four goals in three games but the Belgian has hit a dry spell recently. It has seen Antonio Cassano claim that Lukaku is not the right fit for implementing Tuchel’s philosophy.
"Lukaku is struggling, he's clinging to the defender and it's his teammates who are going after him. Tuchel should not learn from Conte how to make Lukaku play, a coach should not dare to say things like that, to one who has won what he has won. Tuchel though could take all kinds of strikers but Lukaku has nothing to do with his idea of the game, at PSG, at Dortmund he had different strikers,” Cassano told BoboTV live on Twitch.
“When you play with Conte at 50 meters from the goal it's easy, and then playing in Italy is another thing, in England there are animals that defend, in England he struggles because Lukaku doesn't have that kind of characteristics. Chelsea are distorting themselves to get Lukaku into the game, it's Lukaku who has to follow Chelsea's idea but he doesn't have the characteristics Tuchel wants," he added.
