Lukaku under pressure

LOS ANGELES. - Romelu Lukaku is already under pressure.

Just a few minutes into his first Manchester United training session at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, a pass bounced off his foot and rolled away.

With the world’s media watching, it wasn’t long before a video documenting the error was all over Twitter and Facebook. But then, that’s life at United. Every move is scrutinised. Every touch is pawed over. It comes with being part of one of the biggest clubs in the world.

You often hear from new signings that they don’t realise how big the club is until they get there. It’s particularly apparent on preseason tours, when fans queue up outside the team hotel day and night, whether it’s in Los Angeles or Shanghai.

It all adds to the pressure of being a United player.

Lukaku isn’t the first big-money signing to arrive at Old Trafford, nor will he be the last. But the Belgian might find that the pressure on his shoulders next season reaches a new level.

United’s big problem last season was that they didn’t score enough goals. You can make an argument that it was the main reason they didn’t challenge Chelsea for the title.

Lukaku is the man tasked with fixing that particular problem.

He also has to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede compiled 28 goals last season and 17 in the English Premier League. For Lukaku, that’s the first target. But on top of that, Lukaku will have to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility by himself. And right from the start, too.

His arrival coincides with United losing Ibrahimovic, their top scorer last season, and Wayne Rooney, their greatest ever goalscorer. It is a huge void to fill.

It’s also something United’s recent big-money centre-forwards have not had to deal with.

When Rooney joined in 2004, Ruud van Nistelrooy was already there. When Van Nistelrooy arrived in 2001, United had Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. - ESPN.