Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has insisted that being dropped by Jose Mourinho has sparked a new “fire” within him to improve.
The Belgian has not been in the greatest form at club level this season and was dropped from the starting XI to face Everton and Manchester City before the international break.
Why was Romelu Lukaku dropped? Five key things to know…
- Lukaku signed for United in the summer of 2017, reuniting with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
- The Belgian scored 16 league goals in his first season with United to help them finish second.
- Mourinho at this stage indicated Lukaku was irreplaceable in United’s line-up.
- However this season the Belgium forward is 12 games without a goal for the club and has started just one fo their last games.
- Lukaku has now explained he has suffered with post-World Cup fatigue but that his exclusion from the first-team has given him fresh motivation.
Lukaku returned to the starting XI at the weekend for United’s game against Crystal Palace after being benched for the previous four but failed to find the net in a goalless draw and did not start the 1-0 win over Young Boys on Tuesday evening.
The blank meant Lukaku continued his goal drought, having not scored since September 15, going 10 games without a goal.
And the Belgian, whose national team came third in the World Cup this summer, believes his poor form comes down to tiredness after a busy year.
When asked about his reaction upon being dropped, Lukaku told Bleacher Report: “I was like, oh wow, s*** it happened. But really I had a conversation with the coach [Mourinho] about it.
“And I said, ‘Listen, it’s been a long year, and also with the World Cup, I felt a bit tired.’ He saw it, he made his decision.”
But rather than sulking about Mourinho’s decision, Lukaku insists he has a new fire to go and get what is his this season.
—Poor first touch?
—Unsuitable physique?
—Not working hard enough?@RomeluLukaku9 answers the tough questions from @TaylorRooks(➡️@ChivasRegalUS) pic.twitter.com/UrGo8ZbC6T
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 27, 2018
He added: “He [Mourinho] said I didn’t look happy, that I was angry. And I said, ‘Yeah. Hell yeah, I’m angry. Do you think I should smile?’
“And then we had a little chat, and then after that chat, we just moved on.
“It was like ten minutes, and then from then on it opened something in myself like a new fire to go and get what’s mine.”
Lukaku came off the bench to provide an assist as Marouane Fellaini’s late goal secured a 1-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League on Wednesday. That result also secured the Red Devils passage to the knockout rounds of the tournament.
Lukaku work daily to improve his first touch
Aside from his lack of goals this season, one thing Lukaku has constantly garnered criticism for is his first touch.
Despite his obvious skill, a lot of football fans highlight Lukaku’s apparent inability to fully control the ball.
Lukaku’s second touch is a tackle! He may be scoring goals but he still struggles with first touch
— Pete Borota (@Borotas_spirit) December 7, 2015
See Lukaku’s second touch is still a tackle.
How is this improving at a ‘bigger’ club working out for him then?
— Grab68 (@Grab68) November 11, 2018
And Lukaku has admitted his first touch and overall technique is something that he is working to improve – as every footballer must.
“Yeah, you improve on it every day,” he replied when asked if he could improve his first touch. “It’s something that you have to work on every day.”
The Belgian was also quick to play down criticism over his physique, noting how he is one of the strongest players in the Premier League: “That’s some BS! I’m one of the strongest players in the league. I never get injured. I’m always there so what’s the problem?”
Last season for United, Lukaku managed 27 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions and would go on to score four at the World Cup for Belgium to help his national team finish third.
But the striker has admitted happiness plays a big role in the form of a footballer, while revealing his feelings are different for Belgium than United.
He added: “It does a lot, you know. When you’re not happy in a certain type of situation, how could you play well?
“Winning is the vibe over there [with Belgium], it’s different.”
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