Lukaku deserves respect, Jose tells the fans

JOSE MOURINHO says under-fire Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku should be “untouchable” when it comes to criticism.

Mourinho was unhappy with United fans not showing enough support for Lukaku (below) – who has not scored for five games – during Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham. Ahead of tonight’s Champions League tie against Benfica, the Reds boss said: “The fans pay for their tickets and are

free to express themselves the way they want. But my job is to protect my players.

“I think Romelu is one of the players that should be untouchable in terms of the respect of everyone.

“He’s playing extremely well for us and – yes – I have to protect my players when I feel they deserve it.

“And Romelu always deserves it because what he does for the team is fantastic.

“Playing football for a striker isn’t just about scoring goals.”