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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking to Tribal Football, former Manchester United ace Ben Thornley has suggested Romelu Lukaku would struggle adapting to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new style of play for the upcoming season.
What did he say?
Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the Belgium international could be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer, amid speculation linking him with a move to Italian giants Inter.
Lukaku was also absent from featuring in United’s pre-season tour, and Thornley believes that the way Solskjaer is looking to set his team up would leave the 26-year-old with some difficulties in adapting.
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He said: “I’m not too sure that with the way that Ole Gunnar wants to play and certainly the way that he’s indicated that he might play from the preseason games so far, is that with Lukaku’s stature it probably doesn’t fit the style of play that Solskjaer wants.
“I mean, he’s got nimble players up there, he’s got fast players there that are quick off the mark that look like they are going to try and win the ball back up the park if people give them an opportunity to do that.
“It may not be a Romelu Lukaku team that he would thrive playing in, but with that being said, he does offer something different with his presence up front, so if he stayed it still wouldn’t be an issue. I just feel that Ole Gunnar is moving to a slightly more dynamic and fast forward line.”
The new era
As Solskjaer looks to turn United into a side that presses the opposition and wins the ball back as quickly as possible, United have seemingly opted to go for sheer pace and work ethic going forward in pre-season.
The Norwegian’s team selection has seen the likes of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard and Daniel James, amongst others, feature prominently, and there is an understanding that they can all provide him with a certain standard off the ball. Lukaku on the other hand – for all his strengths and qualities – simply doesn’t offer that.
One of United’s best performances last season arguably came against Tottenham away from home, where they soaked up the pressure before executing devastating counter-attacks. It was quite telling that Rashford started up front in that game, and it appears Solskjaer may have found a winning formula in pre-season too, where Lukaku just doesn’t feature anymore.
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