Martinez: Lukaku’s hold-up play has improved
Roberto Martinez has spoken about Romelu Lukaku’s recent form, and has admitted that he has improved the team with his new found role of playing with his back to goal.
The Belgian has scored 7 goals in 11 appearances this season but in recent weeks has helped the team in other ways. Often the 22-year-old is associated with running at the defence with his pace and strength, but now has made steps towards mastering hold-up play.
Often against Manchester United, the striker would back into Chris Smalling, keeping the ball and biding his time for players to get forward, before playing it and making a blistering run into the box or into an appropriate position. It would prove to be in vain but it gave the Blues a new outlet that they didn’t have before.
Martinez, who has been impressed by this, explained that it was a part of his game the youngster was willing to improve: “At the start of the season he said it was an area of the game he wanted to improve, and we wanted to improve as a team in that area.
“It’s a big strength if you can play the ball forward and that ball sticks. It allows you to get really high up the pitch and allows you to confine space after that because players are going to drop off.
“I think Rom has been really strong. Playing against a back three against Liverpool in our previous game he was really, really strong and with his back to play he has improved immensely.
“But that’s the kind of player he is. He can be very good at many different profiles which you don’t usually get in a striker.”