PL news : Romelu Lukaku makes Manchester United watchable again

Romelu Lukaku is the most expensive player in the history of the Premier League, and he couldn’t be a more perfect fit for Manchester United. There were other great strikers on the market, but none quite like Lukaku, an incredible all-around athlete who completes United’s team identity.

Calling Lukaku “just” an athlete is something that happens frequently, and is unfair — no one consistently scores at Premier League and European level without good technical skills and a strong understanding of the mental side of the game. But he is among the biggest and strongest strikers in the world, while also possessing a quicker first step and greater speed over long distances than almost anyone else his size. These are the qualities that likely separated him from players with similar goal-scoring records in the minds of United staff.

Last season, fans regularly asked if United was better off without Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the pitch. The Red Devils looked more comfortable — and frankly, despite Zlatan’s global popularity, more entertaining — with a faster striker up top. But the team wasn’t actually better without Zlatan; he was the only top quality center forward in the squad. Zlatan might not have been the best fit for the way United wanted to play, but his ability so far exceeded the alternatives that it made sense for the players around Zlatan to play at a slower pace and make the most of his strengths.

Despite that, no one was wrong about the idea that United would be better with a theoretical striker who matched Ibrahimovic’s scoring output, but preferred to be played into space. So enter Lukaku, a player who loves to stay high and run directly at goal, rather than drop deep into the No. 10 space and play with his back to it. Playing with a striker who had those skills looked like a very natural adjustment for United’s midfielders behind him in United’s 4-0 win over West Ham on Sunday.


Jose Mourinho has a reputation as being a negative manager, but he’s really only that for the biggest games and in the Champions League knockout stage. For the other 40 or so matches per year, Mourinho’s teams have plenty of attacking freedom. Still, he seems to value shape more than most other managers, and his teams create more scoring opportunities through fast breaks forward than they do through build-up play.

Last season, fans regularly asked if United was better off without Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the pitch. The Red Devils looked more comfortable — and frankly, despite Zlatan’s global popularity, more entertaining — with a faster striker up top. But the team wasn’t actually better without Zlatan; he was the only top quality center forward in the squad. Zlatan might not have been the best fit for the way United wanted to play, but his ability so far exceeded the alternatives that it made sense for the players around Zlatan to play at a slower pace and make the most of his strengths.

Despite that, no one was wrong about the idea that United would be better with a theoretical striker who matched Ibrahimovic’s scoring output, but preferred to be played into space. So enter Lukaku, a player who loves to stay high and run directly at goal, rather than drop deep into the No. 10 space and play with his back to it. Playing with a striker who had those skills looked like a very natural adjustment for United’s midfielders behind him in United’s 4-0 win over West Ham on Sunday.

What we do know — United has a clear identity and the front six to execute, with Lukaku as the star of the show. For the first time since Ferguson’s retirement, watching Manchester United will not feel like a chore. - SB Nation