FOWLER Lukaku’s an upgrade on Ibra and he puts United into title mix
Our Anfield legend always hits the mark
It’s a funny one. Why would he want to go and play for a manager who has already twice deemed him not good enough – which is exactly what Jose Mourinho has done, whatever way he wraps it up.
OK, I get he will say he has improved, I get he is a better player, but it’s a strange one for me, especially as this deal looks suspiciously like a last-minute one.
Everyone said he was nailed on for Chelsea and they were quietly confident. United seemed to be in for Alvaro Morata, so what has changed so much to persuade Lukaku to risk his confidence, reputation and future with Mourinho? The fee is part of it, obviously. When a club pays £75million, plus £15m in add-ons, for a striker, there’s a good chance that if he doesn’t play, then it is the manager who will pay the price for that – not the player.
I do believe he will score goals, which is the bottom line on why they have paid so much for Lukaku – and it is a helluva price for any player, let alone someone who still has quite a bit to prove at the highest level.
His track record in the Premier League shows he will score goals – guaranteed.
He is still young, too, so if he has not played yet at club level at the very top level – and if there are questions marks about his performances for Belgium at that level – then he has plenty of time to erase them.
Even more importantly – and I am convinced clubs have to be looking at this much harder – he actually plays games. That may sound stupid, but how many strikers (all players, in fact) miss a bunch of games every season through injury? Lukaku never seems to miss them. And, for a striker whose record suggests he is guaranteed to score goals when he is on the pitch, that is priceless.
There may be others with more natural talent, but if they do not play, they cannot score. I think he is an upgrade on Zlatan Ibrahimovic (below).
Zlatan got goals, but United did not get an energetic, young, eager performer who would run at defenders and take the threat to opponents.
Lukaku will do that when he is in the mood and that will improve United this season… though not too much I hope!
I don’t think the spending will stop here, either. They will sign more players, because this is a statement of intent they want to be the top force in English football again, which will send a shiver down the spine of the other clubs – and some of their own young players.
I have been in that position a few times myself. People don’t remember this, but when Liverpool signed Stan Collymore, I was originally dumped on the bench, even though I had scored 30 goals the season before. It was frustrating as a young striker coming through, because it felt like they were never going to build a team around me (and they never did, which I still find strange and frustrating) and never give me a chance – just because I came through the system. And, similarly, at United, it doesn’t look so good for Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard because Lukaku will be the centreforward and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – who I think will have a big influence this season – will play in behind. They can sulk and hint about leaving, or they can get on with it and prove they should be in the team. With me, I remember I was on the bench at the start of the season when Stan came in, but came on as a sub at Spurs, scored a good goal and they could not leave me out after that. That’s what the young United players have to do. Get ready to make themselves undroppable.
But it’s not just strikers, or just United. Chelsea won the league and dumped their main striker and will make some big signings in other areas. It’s the way of the football world now. Whichever way, it doesn’t look good for English football, because once again, just when young players are emerging for the national side, they are denied regular responsibility at their clubs.
But Mourinho doesn’t give a monkey’s about that. He doesn’t care about the England team, the game over here. He cares about United, about winning and about his own reputation.
Speaking as a Liverpool supporter, it’s not great news. For me, all the signs are that this will improve United.
And, if you’re an Everton fan, you will have an improved squad with a chance to go out and get even more players.
That will excite their fans, I’m sure.
Lukaku’s track record shows he will score goals – guaranteed