Romelu Lukaku doesn't need to answer his critics, but he will -

At some point during Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to Arsenal, it cropped up again. The same criticism that’s hounded Romelu Lukaku from the start this year and intermittently during his Manchester United tenure: “he can’t finish.”

I can't believe Lukaku man, I know he has been in good form in the last 3 games but let's be honest except from the two goals vs Sothanpton the other 4 are goals you expect a championship striker to finish also. If he wasn't on the pitch yesterday we would've won. So frustrating.

— United Related (@UnitedsRelated) March 11, 2019

This is the striker who has scored six goals in his last four games. Who, at only 25 years old, has scored 113 career Premier League goals—good for 19th most in league history—and who has never failed to notch at least 10 goals every season he has been a starter, with West Brom, Everton and Manchester United. For a time, his form was even a justification for Jose Mourinho’s continued presence at Manchester United.

Jones: Can’t defend
Lindeof: Can’t defend
Smalling: Can’t defend
Fred: Can’t play Football at CM
Pogba: Can’t step up
Lukaku: Can’t finish

But let’s blame Jose #MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtds_News) August 27, 2018

It should not come as a great surprise, though. Criticism has always followed Lukaku more closely than opposing defenders. He’s touched on it himself—the meteoric rise with Anderlecht and struggle to replicate his form with Belgium at first, as well as the racism that accompanied it.

“I don’t know why some people in my own country want to see me fail,” he wrote for The Players Tribune. “I really don’t. When I went to Chelsea and I wasn’t playing, I heard them laughing at me. When I got loaned out to West Brom, I heard them laughing at me.”

When he arrived at Chelsea, he didn’t settle in, only appearing 10 times and never scoring in Chelsea blue. He had his dry stretches, and continues to have them to this day, going through a notable slump directly after the 2018 World Cup, going 12 matches without a goal. He’s big and powerful, with no control. He plays like he’s wearing jeans and Timberlands.

Lukaku can’t even control a 5 yard pea roller yet he’s trying back heels 💀

— J 🇾🇪🇵🇹 (@JSF_7) March 10, 2019

Hoping Lukaku will remove jeans and Timberland for the 2nd half play…we need movement towards the goal @ManUtd @RomeluLukaku9 #ARSMUN

— ⓚⓘⓜ ⓙⓝⓡ😨 (@Keymani_dav) March 10, 2019

A man said Romelu Lukaku plays like he’s wearing jeans 👖 and @Timberland s 🤣😂😂😂😂🤣😂😂 pic.twitter.com/WPa50sIz0d

— Leon King❤️LFC (@king666LFC) August 30, 2018

Lukaku is used to it. And, at this point, we should be past this. Lukaku is fast on his way to becoming one of the greatest strikers in English history, alongside Harry Kane—the two players only two months apart in age, and streaking toward the top of the Premier League goals list. Lukaku has proven his scoring ability at every level, finding success with modest teams like West Bromwich, as well as behemoths like Manchester United. He helped lead Belgium to third place in the World Cup, scoring four goals—the same number as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann.

With his numbers, and at his age, Lukaku shouldn’t need to answer half of the criticisms leveled at him, let alone deal with the fact that half the Manchester United fan base doesn’t think he’s a starter. But as he did against Paris Saint-Germain, as he has done countless times during his career, he will answer his critics in every conceivable fashion.

The Paris game was a crystallization of every response fans could want from Lukaku, a rebuttal under Parisian lights. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer received praise for playing an attacking trio of Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial when he first took over, while Lukaku was left out of the squad to regain fitness. Manchester United proceeded to set the world on fire, and Lukaku, for many fans, was surplus to requirements. At least until Lingard and Martial both suffered injuries and Lukaku returned with a vengeance, notching braces in three straight games and leading the team back from near-certain defeat against PSG.

It was Lukaku taking a touch to control an errant backpass from Thilo Kehrer, racing around Gianluigi Buffon on the slick pitch and finishing from the tightest of angles, sliding to the turf to get the touch needed. It was Lukaku who was first to the ball when Marcus Rashford’s speculative effort bounced out of Buffon’s hands, doing the type of yeoman’s work necessary to pull Manchester United back into the tie. And it was Lukaku, sitting on a hat trick with the game on the line, who gave the penalty to Rashford and told him “This is your time. Do it for yourself.”

Gary Neville interviewing Romelu Lukaku [bein sports] #MUFC pic.twitter.com/qkAMopm8HD

— Manchester United (@MUFCScoop) March 6, 2019

Giving the penalty to Rashford (as well as his post-game celebrations with Paul Pogba, where both players laughed and pretended to scribble notes on their palms) was a broadside blow to The Sun, who had just published a report that Lukaku had a falling out with Pogba over the Frenchman taking a penalty against Southampton while Lukaku sat on a hat trick. Lukaku immediately trashed the report as nonsense on social media…

When the hate don’t work they start telling lies…

— R.Lukaku Bolingoli9 (@RomeluLukaku9) March 5, 2019

…and provided the perfect response on the field.

Which brings us to the Arsenal match. Should Lukaku have finished those chances? Yes. Has he endured slumps? Absolutely. Is he still one of the best forwards in the Premier League? You better believe it.

The irony of the Arsenal game is that, in many ways, it was Lukaku’s best of the season. His control and passing were the best they’ve ever looked. He’s moving around the field quicker, and with more purpose, than he ever seemed to under Jose Mourinho. And he finally looks fully fit after nagging injuries held him back toward the end of 2018.

Many point to his poor scoring record against the “big six.” He has only scored once against top opposition during his Manchester United tenure, and only 15 times previous to that. No, this is not a good record, and it’s another question for Lukaku to answer. But surely a low goal tally against the big six is to be expected while playing for West Brom or Everton, while history has shown Lukaku has always been a mediocre fit (at best) with Jose Mourinho’s tactical style, which generally allows for few chances against top opposition.

Lukaku has had few chances against big, rich clubs under Solskjaer so far—the two most recent coming against PSG and Arsenal. After one game, he’s the hero. After the next, it’s time to bench him. If his first chance against Arsenal hit the underside of the crossbar instead of a few centimeters up, where it did, we would be talking about this game and Lukaku very differently than the way we are now. As it stands, Lukaku should apparently be sold, and Manchester United should purchase Paulo Dybala or Mauro Icardi.

It’s all hearsay at this point. But after the seasons he’s had, and what he’s managed to do every step of the way at the club level, Lukaku has earned just the slightest benefit of the doubt. Maybe I’m just rosy on the Belgian, but if you have a player who can lead this kind of counterattack, orchestrating an entire transition and goal by pulling defenders out of the way of his teammates, without even touching the ball, maybe you should keep him.

Goooooood morning to everyone, ESPECIALLY Belgium's astonishing game winner vs. Japan.

The counterattack. The run. And that dummy! Relive this absolutely EPIC goal … maybe three or four times. We won't tell. pic.twitter.com/Lvi35UYubd

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 3, 2018

Maybe Lukaku stays with Manchester United after this season. Maybe they shop him around and allow him to leave. If they do, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Lukaku doesn’t succeed. He has built a career out of calling the bluff of his critics. And he will do it again.

(Photo: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

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