LUKAKU SHOCKER
Striker crisis... fans booing... now the heat’s on Jose as Scholes warns over top four
MANCHESTER UNITED were booed off at Old Trafford last night after being held to a grim 0-0 draw by struggling Southampton, and Jose Mourinho later revealed a double injury blow.
Top scorer Romelu Lukaku had to be carried off on a stretcher just minutes into the tepid stalemate and Mourinho reckons his 14- goal marksman will miss at least two matches.
The United manager has also confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic — Lukaku’s obvious replacement — will be out for another month after just returning from a careerthreatening eaten knee i njury. The gloomy injury bulletin added to the mood of unease at Old Trafford, as United were held to a third successive Premier League draw.
Mourinho refused to criticise his players after the shocker against the Saints, preferring instead to single out referee Craig Pawson for not giving a penalty for handball against Maya Yoshida. ‘I think it is a disappointing afternoon for Craig because he’s a fantastic referee, one of the best in Europe,’ said Mourinho.
‘We missed easy chances but I’m really unhappy with the penalty, not with Pawson’s performance. A clear penalty wasn’t given.’
United have dropped to third in
the table behind Chelsea, and will trail runaway leaders Manchester City by 17 points if Pep Guardiola’s champions-elect win at Crystal Palace today.
Former United favourite Paul Scholes warned on TV yesterday that United are in danger of missing out on the top four altogether unless they buck up their ideas.
United hardly created any clear-cut chances — though Paul Pogba had an effort rightly ruled out for offside — and Henrikh Mkhitaryan suffered another nightmare before being hauled off to cheers from supporters.
‘I’m happy with the players’ attitudes and desire,’ asserted Mourinho frostily on BT Sport.
But if Mourinho was happy to back his misfiring superstars, the TV analysts Scholes and Martin Keown had no hesitation in putting the boot in.
‘They need to liven up this team,’ said Scholes. ‘The top four is not guaranteed. They have to find some energy.
‘They looked like a tired team — like a team that have already played 50 or 60 games this season.’
Former Arsenal centre-back Keown went further, adding: ‘He seems to have lost the players today. I didn’t sense that fight from the players, it was too slow and there’s work to do to get back on board with the players.
‘There doesn’t seem to be the harmony here that I would have seen at the start of the season.’
Lukaku received treatment on the pitch for six minutes after being clattered by Saints’ defender Wesley Hoedt.
He looked as though he had been knocked out cold and was given a standing ovation as he was carried off with an oxygen mask on.
The £75million signing from Everton is almost certain to at least miss the game at his former club tomorrow.
‘When you see a player leave the pitch like he did, it is usually two games at least,’ said Mourinho.
United are now without a win in four games with three Premier League stalemates coming hot on the heels of an embarrassing League Cup exit at Bristol City.
United skipper Paul Pogba, like his manager, also highlighted Pawson’s decision not to give the home side a penalty as the turning point.
‘We need to get back in the winning mentality, because it will be better for all of us,’ he said. ‘We didn’t have the final pass today, and we had a penalty that wasn’t given, and if we had that, and scored, it would’ve changed the game.’
Southampton are now without a win in eight Premier League matches but fully deserved the point and manager Mauricio Pellegrino said: ‘This month was really difficult. We had injuries and troubles so I’m happy we bounced back from that.’