LUKAKU: WHEN I’M FINISHED CRITICS WILL EAT THEIR WORDS
ROMELU LUKAKU has told his critics to lay off because he is still learning his trade.
Some Manchester United fans are losing patience with the striker and booed when Jose Mourinho took off Marcus Rashford instead of him in the win over Spurs.
The £75million summer buy from Everton has gone six games without scoring after bagging 11 goals during United’s relatively-easy start to the season, fuelling the old accusation that he is a flat-track bully.
He feels the criticism is unfair as he is still developing as a player.
“I think a lot of people are judging me as the finished article,” said the Belgium international. “I say, ‘I’m 24, you can’t judge me as the finished article’.
“I’d rather have a career where year after year I improve, I improve, I improve rather than going to the top and declining.
“I know I have a lot of talent, I know I can do a lot of stuff. I can score goals with my left, with my right, with my head.
“But I want to be a creator, I want to have more assists, I want to make sure when my team are in difficulties, they can count on me.
“I’m just focused on improving year in, year out, that’s the most important thing. Every time I try to add something to my game which wasn’t there.
“At the end of the day, I want to be a winner. It’s not about me as an individual, I want to win.
“I want to win and I think for me here now I’m on the perfect stage, at the perfect age too, where I can take my career on to the next level.”
Boss Mourinho remains firmly behind his man and is delighted he and Nemanja Matic will be lining up for him rather than Chelsea tomorrow at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho beat the Blues to Lukaku (right) and could not believe his luck when his old club agreed to sell Matic for £40m – a decision which has returned to haunt them.
“I faced Romelu when he was at Everton and I faced Nemanja last season when he was at Chelsea,” said Mourinho.
“Obviously I’m very happy with their performance level and with the way they have adapted to a new club.
“We must look at it with different eyes. It happens in other countries when players change from club to club and it’s just business.”