YOU GOT THE LUK
Old Trafford legend Andy Cole welcomes Lukaku to 100-goal club & says he has coped brilliantly with the pressure
ROMELU LUKAKU will be a welcome addition to the Premier League 100 club, according to long-standing member Andy Cole.
Lukaku needs just one goal to become the 28th player to reach a century of goals and will be aiming to do so today when Manchester United host arch-rivals Liverpool.
And former United striker Cole, third on the list with 187 goals, believes Lukaku has proved his worth in his debut season after finally understanding the demands of playing at Old Trafford. “I think what he’s appreciated now, being at Manchester United, is that it’s not possible for him to take a weekend off because every game is intense,” said Cole.
“Maybe at Everton he could have taken a weekend off and still nicked a goal but at United everyone wants to beat you and I think he’s realised the level of intensity that’s required.
“The magnifying glass is always on the centre-forward at United and I think it’s fallen on him massively this season.
“He’s not had too much rest, he’s played virtually every match and not had much time to recover, because of the injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But he’s done really well. He came with a big price-tag but he’s done well.
“It’s not been an easy first season. There’s been a lot of pressure on him with Zlatan injured and Marcus Rashford (right) in and out, so he’s been the only recognised centre-forward. But you can’t take anything away from what he’s done since he arrived. He’s scored goals, which is his job.
“Being one goal away, if he gets it at the weekend or he doesn’t, he’s going to get there at some stage because he’s been good enough to score 100 goals in the Premier League.” Until his goal against Chelsea in United’s 2-1 win a fortnight ago, Lukaku had failed to score against any of the Premier League’s top-eight sides, underlining his ‘flat-track bully’ tag. And Cole (far left, with former team-mate Nicky Butt) admitted Lukaku – with eight goals in his last 11 games – must continue to score against the big teams to keep the critics off his back. “He got one against Chelsea but that question is still going to be thrown at him.. that he’s not
scored enough against the big teams,” said Cole. “When you play against Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and City, those games are naturally tighter because they’re the better teams and your chances are maybe more limited. If you get a half-chance, you have to take it.
“He’s going to take a lot of flak at United because that’s the nature of being at such a big club.
“He said he doesn’t feel he’s given enough credit but he’s got to take it on the chin because that’s what happens. You just have to get your head down.”
Another player under the spotlight at United is Alexis Sanchez, who has struggled to live up to the hype that surrounded his switch from Arsenal in January. Sanchez has scored once in eight games for United – a rebound from a missed penalty – and Cole believes the forward is trying too hard following his much-heralded arrival.
“He’s finding it difficult,” said Cole. “I think sometimes when you move to a new club you can try too hard.
“I think if you look trying a little bit too hard because he wants to show everyone how good a player he is.”
Cole, who scored 121 goals in 275 appearances for United, underwent a kidney transplant a year ago after his own was left badly damaged by a rare condition.
The 46-year-old has now become an ambassador for the Kidneys For Life charity and is passionate about raising awareness and funding following his life-changing illness.
“It’s not been as easy as I thought,” said Cole, reflecting on his own plight. “Mentally, it’s been very tough. I went in there with the mindset of treating it like being injured which you can’t do because it’s not an injury, it’s an illness.
“But I’ve come to terms with it now and I take it day-by-day.
“You manage it to the best of your ability, with the medication you get and the way you look after yourself.”
FOR more information on organ donation go to www.kidneysforlife.org