#4 Not so good at link up play
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Aside from his infamous first touch, it is this attribute that reveals his limitations as a forward. In Jose Mourinho’s erratic career, one thing has remained constant: he has always worked with strikers that have the ability to link up play well.
From Didier Drogba to Karim Benzema, Mourinho has worked best with forwards who can bring their team-mates into the game. Lukaku, however, just doesn’t have that skill – and that is not a good thing for the system United play.
Last season, United played 471 short passes per game, which is 83 more than Everton’s 388. This means Lukaku will feature in a team that likes to play short passes to build attacks.
This is not good news for the Belgian who had a pass success rate of 65.5% in the league last season – the worst among the top five goal-scorers in the league. Mata and Herrera will look for clever one-twos with Lukaku, but they are more than likely to be upset by the return.
There is no denying that the former Chelsea forward is a brilliant finisher and can play with his back to goal, but when it comes to bringing team-mates into the fray, he is not among the best in the world. And, given that United like to work the ball into the box rather than just pump it in, the Belgian might struggle to cope.
