Manchester United signed Romelu Lukaku for a staggering £75m fee in the summer of 2017. Although he started the previous season on a promising note, his inconsistency was glaringly obvious and it only worsened the Red Devils’ problems.
Somehow, Jose Mourinho and his men managed to finish as runners-up but this time around, the club are deep in trouble. With 9 games out of the way, United are placed 10th in the standings with just 14 points.
And while it would be unfair to blame it all on Lukaku, one cannot deny that his lack of impact in the final third has played a huge role in United’s miseries. The Manchester outfit has lacked a prolific striker for the longest time now.
Lukaku has been firing on all cylinders for Belgium and was quite impressive for them in the World Cup as well. But he looks like a completely different person anytime he steps onto the field in a United shirt.
In fact, his performances have been so lacklustre lately that it almost feels like United made a huge mistake and overpaid to secure his services. For example, he has scored 4 goals in 12 appearances for United this season. But for Belgium, he has scored a whopping 14 goals in 14 appearances so far.
Now, there are a lot of issues plaguing United both on and off the field but what exactly is causing Lukaku to misfire and jeopardize the team’s chances of getting further?
First and foremost, there seems to be a massive dip in his confidence while playing for United. This could seem like an insignificant observation but when he steps out for Belgium, one can feel his confidence oozing through. But while playing for United, he often looks frustrated and just disinterested.
And when one takes a look at his form at Everton, it is noteworthy that the ups and down he is going through at Old Trafford are not surprising, to say the least.
Even back at Goodison Park, Lukaku struggled with consistency but obviously, the scrutiny is harsher at United. And maybe that is what is working against him.
He is a brilliant player and on his day, Lukaku can wreak havoc upon the toughest opponents. But at United, there is a greater pressure to excel and the club’s problems have certainly compounded his woes. Furthermore, there is not a single player at United who can offer competition to Lukaku and propel him to improve.
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It remains to be seen how things work out for the player and the club but right now, it does look like United overpaid for Lukaku. Unfortunately for them, he is just not the right striker to lead them to glory.
