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Amid the many talking points in Manchester United’s entertaining 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Saturday, Romelu Lukaku quietly extended his run of matches without a goal for the club to seven. That equals the longest goal drought of his Old Trafford career and it is a problem that is particular to his club – he has scored more goals for Belgium this season than United.
It is probably worth mentioning that those five international goals have come against Scotland, Iceland and Switzerland. When Belgium faced a resurgent Netherlands last week, Lukaku was not among the scorers. That is the recurring theme of his career, of course. Even his goals for United this season have come against Burnley, Watford and Brighton.
As a result, expect the spotlight to switch back to Lukaku in the coming weeks and months. With a Champions League double header against Juventus and that short but daunting trip to face Manchester City before the next international break, this is a period that is likely to shape United’s season. Much more will be needed from the club’s £75m striker.
His record against the big clubs is well documented but for clarification, Lukaku has made a total of 14 appearances for United in all competitions against top-six rivals. Those games have yielded only one goal, the equaliser in the win over Chelsea in February. He has not scored against City or Liverpool; not against Arsenal; not in four games against Tottenham.
At Stamford Bridge at the weekend, Lukaku’s first-half performance was nowhere near good enough. His non-challenge with David Luiz in the first minute – barely even jumping to contest an aerial duel – seemed to set the tone. He had only nine touches in the opening 45 minutes. Every other outfield player touched the ball at least twice as many times as that.
When Lukaku is at his worst he can be a frustrating figure to watch – all those assets and all that ability to hurt the opposition but seemingly reluctant to use it. Jose Mourinho was at his most animated when urging Lukaku to retain the ball better, but, as against Newcastle in the previous game, he surrendered possession on 17 occasions nevertheless.
The positive aspect of that statistic was that United found a way to get the ball to Lukaku after the break. “We were not aggressive enough in the final third to attack the spaces,” Mourinho said of the first half. That was true of the wingers but it also reflected Lukaku’s unwillingness to run the channels. That changed in the second half. It could be the template.
He had 26 touches after the interval and his partnership with Paul Pogba began to emerge. David de Gea was still the team-mate who passed to Lukaku more than anyone else but United looking longer need not necessarily be a bad thing if it means playing to their striker’s strengths a little more regularly. He is capable of making such service work.
De Gea had found Lukaku with only one pass in the previous three games combined. Against Chelsea, he got the ball to him six times – more than in any match this season. The home side did not like it. “In a physical match, United were better than us,” admitted Maurizio Sarri. “In the second half we played their match, the physical match. It is not for us.”
United turned it into a different game, getting bodies up in support of Lukaku. The man himself responded by making better runs and showing greater appetite. Lukaku’s distance covered stats have long been among the lowest in the Premier League but after hitting a season high of 9.15 kilometres against Newcastle, he ran five percent further again at Chelsea.
After the Newcastle win, Lukaku wondered why United “don’t always play like this” when “that is the way we want to play” but the club’s fans and perhaps even the manager might be wondering the same about their centre-forward. “They need more from the front three,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports after the game on Saturday. “There is so much talent there.”
That has always been the question mark against him. Is he a flat-track bully? He has got to be doing more in these big matches.
Jamie Redknapp on Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku remains central to that, even if there is a growing desire to see others used in that role. Marcus Rashford has deputised for the Belgian and Anthony Martial can play as a striker too but what about using Alexis Sanchez in the position in which he flourished for Arsenal? Lukaku’s recent form challenges the view that his place appears non-negotiable.
Perhaps a sense of jeopardy over his selection would be no bad thing. It might be what is needed to coax the best from Lukaku on a more regular basis. The return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford with Juventus on Tuesday puts the importance of a top-class striker into sharp focus. Mourinho needs more from Lukaku if United are to prosper.
