With 11 goals in 10 games so far this season, there’s no denying that Romelu Lukaku has made a great impact for Man Utd thus far.
The Belgian international was brought in to fix a major problem in Jose Mourinho’s side, and that was to ensure that there was an end product to their play and a clinical presence up front with a striker who would take his chances and secure wins.
So far so good on that front for Lukaku and the Red Devils, but ultimately there are still questions that need to be answered by the 24-year-old.
That’s the point that has been fairly raised by both Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp ahead of Man Utd’s encounter with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
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It’s all well and good scoring goals against the likes of West Ham United, Swansea City and Crystal Palace, but what will truly define Lukaku’s spell with Man Utd, is his ability to turn up in the big games and produce big moments against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
That has been a criticism of his career in general so far, as he struggled with it at Everton having scored just six goals in 35 games against the big six since 2014/15. However, with better quality around him, there should be no excuses in terms of a lack of service or creativity, and that is ultimately why Neville and Redknapp expect to see something more from the Belgian forward, starting at Anfield.
Playing for a club like Man Utd, Lukaku would have expected to be forced to deal with huge pressure. However, these comments have certainly ramped it up a notch as he will be under the spotlight this weekend as he aims to play an influential role in taking all three points back to Manchester.
“On Saturday, against a Liverpool defence who have problems, he should be licking his lips. He should have too much power for them,” Redknapp added, as per Sky Sports.
“Can he affect the biggest game in the Premier League? Can he be the man? That’s why Manchester United paid lots of money for him and this is a big opportunity for him to lay down a marker. I do think Liverpool are there for the taking.”