Gary Lineker claims Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku has fallen into the “weird” pattern of a number nine struggling at Stamford Bridge.
It’s been the plagued shirt number for the Blues for much of the past couple of decades.
Lukaku, who joined for a club-record £97.5million in the summer, has struggled with the weight of the number nine kit.
The 28-year-old striker has contributed with 12 goals in all competitions this season,
but it’s a damning outcome that he’s lost his starting position in the last month under manager Thomas Tuchel.
For Chelsea, Mateja Kezman, Chris Sutton, Gonzalo Higuain flopped in the No.9. You can throw Alvaro Morata and Hernan Crespo into the category of ex-Blues number nines that didn’t live up to expectation, too.
Lineker thinks Lukaku is the latest to be hit with this Chelsea jinx:
“That’s starting to be a thing now, that Chelsea jinx for strikers. There’s been a few. Chris Sutton struggled, Lukaku is struggling again, Crespo. So it’s weird, isn’t it? It’s a nice one, though. If you don’t do it, you can go. It’s not my fault,” Lineker said.
Maybe next Chelsea ST should ask for No.10:
Christian Pulisic wears the number 10 shirt number right now at the Bridge, but perhaps the next striker that joins for a marquee price should kindly ask him for his number to help avoid the No.9 curse. The Blues have a rich modern history of No10s with Eden Hazard, Joe Cole and Juan Mata.
Unfortunately, Lukaku isn’t proving to be a near-£100million striker since re-signing from Inter Milan at the start of the season.
There have been a few critical contributions to him, and there is no doubt about his ability as a goalscorer. However, his all-around game and impact must improve to make Tuchel’s XI every week.
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