Jose Mourinho is ruining Romelu Lukaku at Manchester United

Posted Thursday, November 29, 2018 by givemesport.com

Romelu Lukaku is a big NBA fan. That much was obvious in the way friend Paul Pogba teased the Belgian striker’s £75 million move to Manchester United in the summer of 2017.

Like an episode of 90210 crossed with a rap video by a teenage YouTuber, the two players documented their every pursuit from the white-marbled Beverley Hills mansion rented out for the off-season.

Afternoons by the pool, barbecues on the patio and most notably, hours and hours on the basketball court.

It’s notable because there are signs of Lukaku’s NBA fandom in his game as a footballer.

Basketball is a sport that embraces a certain positionless-ness. Players are expected to perform more than one role at one time.

LeBron James is both an offensive and defensive force, attacks are launched and quelled in a matter of seconds. In the NBA, players possess a versatility that is rarely seen at elite level sport.

Lukaku evokes this in his play. Not that many notice, though. The 25-year-old has been typecast as a physical, battering ram of a centre forward. Jose Mourinho has played a role in this, willing Lukaku into becoming a Didier Drogba-lite, someone to hit with long balls, someone to play off, someone to target with cross after cross into the box.

At a time when the out-and-out centre forward is making something of a comeback, Lukaku is misunderstood by pundits, fans and even his own manager. He is much more than just a Drogba imitation. He is more than what he has been given the opportunity to show since joining Manchester United nearly a year-and-a-half ago.

Roberto Martinez got closer than anyone to truly grasping the notion of Lukaku as a player at the World Cup. He found the net four times in six appearances, making him one of the top scorers at the tournament, but Martinez understood that his number nine could not, and should not, be defined only by his goals.

It was in the quarter-final win over Brazil that the starkest demonstration of the player Lukaku really is was served. Eyebrows were raised when Belgium’s lineup was released and the former Chelsea and Everton striker was positioned on the right wing. Many thought a mistake had been made, that Kevin de Bruyne would be used in a right-leaning role, with Lukaku up top. As always.