Jamie Redknapp believes Romelu Lukaku is the only player not to improve under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite the Norwegian enjoying an electric start as Manchester United manager.
This pundit’s comments came as Lukaku failed to score during United’s 3-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
Lukaku and Man Utd since Solskjaer’s Arrival: Five things to know…
- Since Solskjear took charge in December, Utd have won eight out of nine Premier League games.
- Since Solskjear took charge, Utd haven’t lost a game in any competition they have played in.
- Lukaku scored three goals in his first three games under Solskjaer but hasn’t scored since January 5 (FA Cup vs Reading).
- Marcus Rashford’s form has improved massively under Solskaer with the 21-year-old scoring six in 10 under the Norwegian.
- Solskjaer and Rashford won January’s Manager and Player of the Month respectively.
Solskjaer’s United produced yet another impressive display as they swept Fulham aside courtesy of a 3-0 scoreline.
Along with Rashford, Frenchmen Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial have experienced an upturn in form under their interim manager. This continued as both players were on the scoresheet in west London.
However, Lukaku is without a goal in six games and Sky Sports pundit Redknapp is concerned with the Belgian’s underwhelming form.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he said (via the Mirror): “One player that perhaps hasn’t had that little bit of luck is Romelu Lukaku.
“It will come with Lukaku but he’s the one that hasn’t really perhaps responded to Ole because he’s not been given a chance.”
Lukaku didn’t feature in Solskjaer’s first two games due to injury and Redknapp feels that this could have played a factor in the striker’s recent form.
“I think he was injured when he [Solskjaer] first came. Everyone else has gone flying. You can see that it may take time or it might not happen for him at all.
“It might not because the pace that Man Utd play with at the moment would enable people like [Marcus] Rashford and [Jesse] Lingard.
“They look better in the team than he does.”
The race for the top four
Given their upturn in form since the sacking of Jose Mourinho in December, a top-four finish is a real possibility for Man Utd.
With the win over Fulham, the Red Devils climbed up to fourth place in the table and they sit a point above sixth-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Chelsea.
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There are just 12 games left to play this season, but Utd should be braced for a difficult run-in, especially when their upcoming fixture list is taken into account.
Their next three games will see them welcome PSG and Liverpool to Old Trafford, while they also have an FA Cup meeting with Chelsea to contend with.
In March they have another run of three massive games which commences with a Champions League trip to play PSG in Paris and will then be followed by back-to-back domestic games against Arsenal and neighbours Man City.
Solskjaer will hope that Lukaku would have improved along with his other stars by then as they could well be season-defining matches.
The post Lukaku is the only Man Utd player not improving under Solskjaer, says Redknapp appeared first on Squawka News.
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