Conor McAleny has been nothing but impressive this pre-season. His performance against Swindon Town was a Man of the Match showing. More recently his opener against Dundee was calm and collected. I believe McAleny is a better option as Lukaku’s backup than Arouna Kone.
Should McAleny stay fit the rest of the preseason, I do not see how Martinez can choose Kone above him. McAleny already has shown how well he works with the first team and has hit the back of the net unlike Kone. The first touch of McAleny is manifestly better than the Ivorian’s, too.
Roberto Martinez tweaked the formation against Dundee with a 4-3-3 approach. Should Martinez do that during league or cup games, I would like to see McAleny rather than Kone. The confidence of the 22-year-old only seems to get higher and higher with every touch of the football. Conor McAleny, I feel, will be fit for most of the season and available for selection.
No more loans, filled with injury, for the young scouser will be required. He should be able to substitute on with the occasional start and contribute when Lukaku needs rest.
