DANNY HIGGINBOTHAM Lukaku's stranded and wasted up top as Man United fail to play to his strengths

Its clear Manchester United are not playing to Romelu Lukaku’s strengths.

At his best, the Belgian uses pace and power to terrorise defenders, playing off shoulders and looking to get in behind.

But the problem is the rest of the United team are too far behind Lukaku, leaving him far too isolated.

He often ends up playing against two centre-backs and a holding midfielder, and inevitably he will lose the ball if the rest of the team are 30 yards away.

It’s obvious he gets frustrated, so drops deeper and deeper to get on the ball in an effort to make things happen.

But that’s not playing to his strengths at all and renders him far less effective l. Manchester United just need to get support far higher up the pitch so he doesn’t drop deep.

Of the Premier League strikers, only Liverpool star Mo Salah got more assists last season (ten to Lukaku’s seven).

Helping the team out is all well and good but you want your big, physical No 9 causing a nuisance in the box.

He needs to be more selfish. And it’s becoming obvious Lukaku is really suffering a lack of confidence right now.

I played with enough strikers to know they start to snatch at chances when in the middle of a goal scarcity.

It happens to the best and Lukaku has got to keep his cool when he does get opportunities. Something he hasn’t been doing.