Sports

Manchester United manager accuses some players of lacking Romelu Lukaku’s mentality

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has accused certain players of lacking Romelu Lukaku’s mentality.
The 24-year-old has started all 13 of United’s Premier League fixtures this season but has only managed one goal in the last six. Despite that statistic, Mourinho eulogised Lukaku’s attitude after United held on for a 1-0 victory against Brighton on Saturday.
Mourinho was particularly delighted with Lukaku’s application towards the end of the game, when he applauded the No.9’s sliding tackle in his own third seconds after he lost the ball at the opposite end.
The United manager responded to the Basel defeat by dropping four outfield players from his weekend matchday squad and Mourinho reminded his squad that Lukaku’s mentality is the benchmark.
“In the last minute he was fighting and running back like he was there from the first minute,” Mourinho said of Lukaku. “So I think it is also a mentality question.
“The way Romelu wins the corner for the goal, the way Romelu ends the game making tackles in left-back positions, that’s the mentality I want and unfortunately not every player is the same. Players are men, men are different, men are unique cases and some guys are capable to go into the limits of their effort and some other guys, even with a lot of talent, they don’t manage to do that.

“So Romelu, for me fantastic. Didn’t score, I don’t care.”
United travel to Watford on Tuesday, having lost 3-1 at Vicarage Road at the start of last season, when Mourinho criticised Luke Shaw’s lax defending for Juan Zuniga’s winner. Watford were managed by Walter Mazzarri back then but appointed Marco Silva in the summer and Mourinho believes The Hornets have improved.
“Against Watford I was very upset with Watford’s first goal after some guy sent Martial to the hospital and the referee let it go for the first goal,” Mourinho stressed, referring to the concussion Anthony Martial suffered in the build-up to Etienne Capoue’s opener. “That’s the reason I was very upset.
“I think Watford made also progress, I think they have an unusual squad for a mid-table team, I think they have a squad full of very good players that are not normal to be in this mid-table teams. They have a good coach, they improve a lot from last season, too.”

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