Jose Mourinho had been desperate for recognition this week. A man in need of a hug and a pat on the head, he spent his Thursday press conference delving into the sort of playground-level analysis that concluded his side’s victory over Tottenham deserved more credit in the wake of Spurs dispatching Real Madrid in midweek. The two strikers were central to one of the transfer sagas of the summer, with United ditching their interest in signing Morata from Real Madrid to hijack Chelsea’s attempt to take Lukaku back to the club from Everton.
Lukaku’s drop has been even more noticeable, with the United striker having an average of 4.2 shots per game during his 10-match scoring streak before dropping 1.8 in his last six games.