Romelu Lukaku: Should Mourinho bench the misfiring striker?

Manchester United showcased the epitome of an excellent away team performance as they thrashed Watford 4-2 on Tuesday night in the Premier League.

The unequivocal win at Vicarage Road has set precedent for a mouth watering clash ahead of United’s trip to the Emirates on Saturday.

However, one non-avoidable issue drawn from the encounter remains to be Romelu Lukaku’s poor run of form in front of goal.

 

Lack of confidence

Romelu Lukaku took off to an incredible start at Old Trafford, registering a fine goal scoring streak of 11 goals during his first 10 games across the board. The 24-year old has since indubitably lost his deftness of touch, managing just a single goal in his last 11 games across all competitions.

Injuries to integral team players like Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini sent United’s performances into a tailspin, one that saw Lukaku’s form gradually plummet.

His biggest chance to break the duct came against the Hornets when he was set up in front of an empty net, but the defenders backtracked to clear the danger after the Belgian took too long to dispose the shot.

 

Beyond the goals

Jose Mourinho- through sheer plausible deniability- has been keen to stress that he doesn’t buy into the argument over Romelu Lukaku goal-scoring drought, as the striker has improved other aspects of his game.

True as it may be, given the forward’s contribution in two of the goals scored against Watford, a striker is primarily mandated with the sole responsibility of getting in among the goals.

Given the clustered nature of Premier League fixtures during the Christmas period, Jose Mourinho should perhaps contemplate about resting Romelu Lukaku.

Starting him on the bench against Arsenal may be a risky venture- one Jose may not pursue- but the Manchester United gaffer could use the midweek Champions League encounter against CSKA Moscow to rest the striker.

 

Written by Brian Humphrey

Follow Brian on Twitter @brihum

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