Romelu Lukaku has criticised the way he was used at Manchester United and insists he is not just a target man.
United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, speaking after the Belgian left for Inter Milan, said: “he’s one of the top number nines when you want to play with that kind of striker, he’s that target man”.
Solskjaer wants to have a more mobile and fluid attack, but Lukaku feels he is just as capable of playing that way.
Speaking on the Lightharted Podcast, he said: “A lot of people try to make me the player that I’m not. Because of my size, they think that I’m like the traditional big guy, who posts up all the defenders, holds the ball and then plays it and brings in other players. Well, I’m not that type of dude.
“I’m a scorer, 100%. I need to face the goal, that’s when I’m dangerous. That’s why, when I play for Belgium, I’m so much more dangerous because I’m in a situation where I face the goal at all times. At all times.
“I never have my back to the goal, I face the goal at all times. So that’s when I’m really dangerous and that’s why I’m really successful for my country.”
Asked about Solskjaer’s style compared to predecessor Jose Mourinho, he continued: “The playing style of Ole, obviously wants to play offensive, high pace, high tempo. Jose is more organised and then try to exploit one or two mistakes of the other team.
“I can play both to be honest. Some people don’t think I can play both, because of my posture. They think Rom is a big man, they think I’m a dude who plays like a pivot, holds the ball, gets others into play, but it’s not like that.
“That’s why, when people see me play for Belgium, they see a totally different man. Because with Belgium we play high pace, we play on the break, we play fast and forward.
“The playing style I play with my national team is the style we want to play at Man United. So is it me, or do we need to have a conversation man to man?”
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