Lukaku failed to hit the target on Valencia on Tuesday night to extend his goal drought to a 4 games. Although Marcus Rashford’s effort hit the woodwork, the Red Devils’ overall performance was poor. In a night Jose Mourinho anticipated response following a 3-1 defeat to West Ham last weekend, the Manchester United players failed to impress.
Ferdinand critical of the below par performance of the centre-forward questioned his strength as a forward as he is easily outmuscled by defenders.
He said: “Lukaku is so easy to mark at the minute, he needs to make defenders think, and he needs to start running in behind and pulling defenders with him!”
Mourinho, meanwhile, refused to blame his players after the match, although admitted his side lacked quality.
He said: “The players tried. They raised the level of their efforts”. “They raised the level of their intensity in spite of the fact we don’t have many with that intensity”. “We don’t have the technical quality to build from the back”. “We tried to do something we did well, which was to stop a fast team on the counter-attack”. “We knew we wouldn’t create 20 chances. Our attacking players aren’t in their best moments of confidence and individual level”. “We thought with three or four chances we would score and win the game”.
However, former United player Dion Dublin is of the opinion that his old club have serious flaws.
He said: “Looking at their body language, a few players aren’t playing for the manager”. “I hate to call out players, but it’s Manchester United, it’s a Champions League night, you’re at home against Valencia and you cannot put a performance in like that”. “I’m frustrated. There’s something fundamentally wrong with the balance and togetherness of this football club behind the scenes”.
United will be hoping to return to winning ways when the play Newcastle on Saturday.