Romelu Lukaku on his dip in form: “In the Premier League, I cannot play with the same amount of muscle as international football”
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has pointed that his extra physicality has been a stumbling block from reaching the heights he is expected this season. Until he broke the deadlock in the last game against Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday, the Belgian International found the back of the net only once in his last 7 league appearances and thereby taking this season’s tally to 6 goals from 20 appearances.
However, it has been a frustration for Lukaku who has not registered his name on the score sheet on 13 occasions this term. With defensive and attacking fatalities from day one, the whole team has been struggling to play proper football under the Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho.
The 25-year-old has opened up that his extra muscle to beef up more was down to Belgium’s World Cup cause and it has stagnated his process with his club.
Romelu Lukaku spoke to the press on Sunday “A little bit of muscle, yeah. It was at the World Cup. I just felt great and I think I played great over there, and then when I came back it is a different type of style.”
“In the Premier League, I cannot play with the same amount of muscle as international football,”
“That was something that when I came back I knew straight away: ‘Nah, I cannot play in this style like this.’ I had to lose muscle basically. So you just stay out of the gym, drink a lot of water, and a lot of veg and fish and it helps.”
Having featured 51 times last season for the Old Trafford faithful last season, Lukaku took out the field 6 times for Belgium in the World Cup. The former Everton striker says he suffered the same kind of fatigue and form struggle with the Blues aftermath the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“After the World Cup, I think I really was a bit tired. But, you know, I had the same thing in 2014 after the World Cup when I came back to Everton, I was really in a slump after the World Cup. So now I think I am in a decent level again and ready to go again.
“I knew this. Me and the [United] medical staff, we did like a lot of tests to see what was the problem. I had a hamstring injury, which is something that never happens to me.”
“[There is] more prevention in the gym and I am trying to do speed bursts in training and that’s the most essential,” he said.
Lukaku says that he did not feel any sorts of pressure when he was going through this tough pasture.
“No, not really. I think I just need to keep working hard. Me and the manager had good conversations in the last couple of days, where really he told me what he wanted from me. And I know from my side I have to do better, and I just keep looking forward and improving, trying to add to my game and help the team to win.
“I wasn’t playing with enough intensity. I played with not enough aggression, I think. Against Fulham I think I played with intensity like everybody else did. I was happy to play at a decent level again and now it’s all about improving and continuing on a consistent basis.
“We should have scored more. But it has been a long time since we scored four goals and we enjoyed our football today.”
The Reds Devils have already qualified for the knock out rounds of the Champions League. This means that they could rest on the laurels against Valencia on Tuesday before taking on their arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield four days later.
