'They dont quite understand how to use him'- Conte suggests Chelsea have yet to unlock the real Romelu Lukaku
Former Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte believes Chelsea are yet to figure out 'how to use' Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku thrived under Conte's management during their two seasons together at Inter Milan prior to his move to Chelsea this summer.
Lukaku has enjoyed an impressive start to his second spell at Chelsea, scoring four goals in eight games for the club in all competitions. The 28-year-old's impact on Chelsea matches has, however, dipped in recent weeks.
Former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte was able to get the best out of the striker during their time together in Italy. The Italian tactician believes Chelsea are using Lukaku too one-dimensionally and are yet to get the best out of him.
"He's a very specific striker. Bringing Lukaku into the box, he is dangerous. However, when he starts from midfield, he is incredibly quick. It is very difficult to find a player who is both a target man, but can also run from midfield," Conte told Sky Sports Italia.
"It's a tactical situation too, a centre-forward who goes looking for the opposition defenders, backs into him and lays it off for whoever is supporting him. That is a tactical approach used in basketball as well."
"During the game, there are moments when Lukaku needs to be turned on, but other than that he is one of the toughest forwards to play against because he can do damage in any area of the pitch. If you have a centre-forward like that, you need to use him and I don't think Chelsea have quite figured out how to use him yet," said Conte.
Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night. Federico Chiesa scored the only goal of the game in the 46th minute.
Former Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte claims Chelsea DON'T KNOW how to use Romelu Lukaku trib.al/9xhq0H9
Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku's form beginning to dip after a promising start to the season
Chelsea's lack of a top-quality striker hampered their chances of fighting for the Premier League title last season. The addition of Romelu Lukaku and their promising start to the 2021-22 campaign made them one of the favorites to win the league title this season.
Chelsea have, however, suffered a dip in form this past week. Chelsea suffered their second consecutive defeat in all competitions against Juventus. The Blues lost 1-0 to Manchester City on Saturday.
Not our night, thanks for your support Blues. 💙 https://t.co/os1rdaIwXT
Thomas Tuchel's pragmatic approach and defensive-minded tactics have drawn criticism from a number of fans and pundits. The German's strategies have often resulted in Romelu Lukaku being left isolated in attack against top-quality opposition.