Coach sings praises of Lukaku
NEW Manchester United signing Romelu Lukaku was unable to score a debut goal in the side’s 5-2 friendly win over LA Galaxy on Saturday but the Belgian striker earned high praise for a solid allround performance.
“He is a team player. He is not selfish and not obsessed with goals,” manager José Mourinho told reporters of a player who moved to Old Trafford from Premier League rivals Everton last week.
The Portuguese manager added that it was impossible to compare Lukaku, who cost a reported £75million (R1.2-billion) to Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s alltime leading scorer, who recently returned to his boyhood club Everton.
“Comparing Rooney with Lukaku is comparing the incomp Mourinho said, adding that the 24-year-old Belgian serves as a focal point of the team’s attack.
The match, played at the intimate 27 000-seat Stubhub Center in Los Angeles, also saw Mourinho hand a debut to Swedish defender Victor Lindelöf, a million (R523-million) acquisition who came on as a second-half substitute.
United wasted little time taking control of the contest, scoring early and often to the delight of a partisan crowd that favoured the Red Devils despite their status as the visiting team.
The home side are halfway through the domestic campaign and opted to rest several players, their replacements looking sloppy and uninspired in a match that was effectively over once striker Marcus Rashford had bagged two goals in the first 20 minutes.
Marouane Fellaini, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Anthony Matrial added the other goals for the visitors.
In the closing stages of the match Galaxy replied with two consolation strikes through Giovani dos Santos and Dave Romney.
At half-time Manchester United made as many as 11 changes to the side that led 3-0 at the break.
In the second half the home side showed some improvement.
Among the spectators was former Red Devils, England and Galaxy star David Beckham, whose appearance on a video screen was greeted with a loud roar.
United continue their North American tour against Real Salt Lake in Utah today, followed by high-profile friendlies against Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona before the side heads back to Europe. — Reuters