“Looking at a player that’s lost total belief in his game” – Tony Cascarino offers assessment of Chelsea star

TalkSPORT pundit and former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has claimed that Romelu Lukaku has lost his confidence at the club.

The Belgian was brought on as a second-half substitute in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Blues trailed 3-1 at Stamford Bridge when he was brought on. However, he failed to make an impact, even missing two good chances.

After the game, Cascarino said on talkSPORT (via Chelsea Chronicle):

“I really don’t know what Romelu Lukaku is at the moment. I’m looking at a player that’s lost total belief in his game.”

Lukaku returned to Stamford Bridge at the start of the season from Inter Milan for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. He scored 64 goals for Inter in 95 appearances, registering 16 assists. He also helped them win the Serie A title last season, scoring 24 goals in 36 league games.

However, the Belgian has had a torrid season for the Blues thus far and has had multiple injury-related absences. Lukaku has been in terrible form and has scored just 12 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions thus far.

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What is next for Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku?

Lukaku is likely to join the exodus of players who leave the Blues at the end of the season. The Belgian’s playing style simply does not fit with Thomas Tuchel’s tactical gameplan. The German manager prefers technically gifted attackers who can pass the ball around and can get at the end of smartly created chances.

Lukaku is an archetype No. 9 who prefers long balls, good service, and wants his midfielders to play him in much quicker than they do at Chelsea. Even against Madrid, Lukaku was seldom stationary and regularly made quick runs that were seldom picked out by his teammates.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Antonio Rudiger made a couple of attempts to find the Belgian but were unable to do so. Apart from this, Lukaku seemed resigned to second chances and his most clear attempt also came from a deflected cross.

The Belgian has found the most success in his club career at Everton and Inter Milan. Both teams were willing to play his a target man who could rely on his strength and finishing ability to get his goals. That of course, is not possible at any top-tier English club anymore, let alone Chelsea.