Arsenal legends blast Jose Mourinho's Manchester United and Romelu Lukaku
Metro Sport ReporterSunday 28 Oct 2018 10:59 am
Jose Mourinho's Manchester United are struggling (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal legends Charlie Nicholas and Paul Merson have slammed Jose Mourinho's Manchester United and struggling striker Romelu Lukaku.
The Red Devils are currently tenth in the Premier League, having lost three of their first nine games this season.
Mourinho's team also suffered a humbling defeat to Serie A champions Juventus in the Champions League during the week.
Lukaku's performance against Juve was widely criticised and the Belgian has now gone eight games for Manchester United without a goal.
Arsenal great Nicholas has criticised Lukaku's movement and says United are 'further away' from the top clubs than Mourinho thinks.
He told Sky Sports: 'I couldn't believe what I was watching [against Juventus].
'It was an attack-minded team at Chelsea and he stuck with the same team against Juventus so I thought, 'Manchester United are going to have a go again'.
'But Lukaku looks as if he can't move – he looks as if he doesn't know where he's running to, he doesn't know when the service is coming – and I just thought they were so timid about everything they did.
'Juventus couldn't believe the space they were getting – it was all so comfortable. It was probably the angriest I've seen some Manchester United fans for a while in that last 20 minutes.
'Jose came out afterwards and talked about what they needed to catch Juventus, Man City, Barcelona… but I thought, 'You're further away than you think'.
'I don't get what the formation is. Victor Lindelof didn't play that badly but I don't know where the centre-backs are going to be.
'I've never seen such a timid Manchester United team, at home, on a European night, accepting that they were second-best.'
Romelu Lukaku is going through a difficult period at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)
Nicholas added: 'Lukaku's a unit but he's cumbersome and the service is not coming quickly enough.
'He's strong enough to hold the ball up and link up play but nobody runs beyond him – occasionally Marcus Rashford.
'If I was Mourinho – and I'm not, it's only my opinion – if you're going to keep him in the team, I'd put Rashford as the No 9 and let him play slightly right – or you leave him on the bench. They need movement.'
Former Arsenal and England forward Merson, meanwhile, says United currently look like a 'relegation team' and questioned whether Lukaku trusts his team-mates.
'Lukaku went to Manchester United to score bundles of goals and get bundles of chances,' Merson said.
'He's playing in a team at the moment, up front, on his own, that are playing like a bottom-half team… a relegation team.
'He should be getting seven chances a game at Old Trafford. Does he trust the players he's playing with?'
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Arsenal FCChampions LeagueChelsea FCFC BarcelonaJose MourinhoManchester United FCMarcus RashfordPaul MersonPremier LeagueRomelu Lukaku
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