Analysing Manchester United's attack and Romelu Lukaku's diminishing role within it

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Back in the early days of the summer when Jose Mourinho was still trying to make up his mind over what striker to sign, when it was still in the balance whether it would be Alvaro Morata or Romelu Lukaku or even someone else, there was still one issue he felt the Belgian had to solve.

Mourinho obviously felt Lukaku was an awesome goalscorer, but he had spoken to those close to him about how erratic the 24-year-old’s touch could be, how he would like to hone aspects of his hold-up play.

The last two games have shown it clearly remains an issue. Lukaku was inefficient in the 0-0 against Liverpool, and ineffective in Manchester United's narrow 1-0 win away to Benfica. Two moments in the latter match reflected exactly the issue. In the first half, he was close to the by-line and waiting to receive the ball - the situation seemingly perfectly set for him to then turn inside - only to fall over under pressure from a Benfica centre-half. In the second, he was ready and waiting for the ball just inside the 18-yard box, only to miss it when a pass was played in.

It didn’t help of course that he had to suddenly produce something out of long periods of nothing. By the end of the first half, for example, he had only been able to touch the ball two times. If it is true that every player needs a proper feel of the ball in a game to get going, it is little wonder Lukaku was so lethargic, and little wonder he got so frustrated at Anfield on Saturday that he went in abrasively a few times.

The key point being that, since United were no longer creating the kind of flurry of attacking movement that brings the best out of Lukaku, he wasn’t really offering much at all. It is also striking that he so abruptly went from free-scoring to flailing.

In that regard, it doesn’t help that the team themselves have just lost a little bit of impetus of late. It is not just about the fact that they are sitting back, as perhaps was always someway going to be the case with a Mourinho team playing at Anfield and then away for a tricky Champions League trip. It was that, when they did get the chance to attack, they weren’t doing it with anything like the same energy or interchanging intensity as they were in the heady first two months of the season.

They just seem to have lost an element of cohesion. They are that bit more disparate, that bit more reliant on individual moments of innovation like Marcus Rashford’s game-winning goalkeeper-embarrassing free-kick against Benfica.

Lukaku might have been that bit sharper, after all, if those behind him had been capable of at least putting a few more passages of passing together. As it was, talented players like Ander Herrera and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were misplacing ball, in what was a generally lethargic display. The form of the Armenian is most puzzling, given that he is finally getting regular football, not showing anything like the type of performance level he was when he was in and out of the team last season. He has become wasteful rather than wondrous to watch.

One temptation is to say that United’s approach at Anfield didn’t just kill that match but also killed all the momentum and confidence they had together, but that would be unfair, and as premature as saying Lukaku has lost his form. It is likely just a temporary blimp, mostly a side effect of the gameplan they put out rather than anything serious.

One element, though, still does feel especially relevant to Lukaku, and Mourinho’s approach. This is essentially why the Portuguese has previously favoured his main striker being in their prime, like Diego Costa or Didier Drogba, because it is one of his genuine lynchpin positions. Mourinho knows he will be able to apply any time of approach with someone whose game is complete; who isn’t still honing key aspects.

It also shows that Lukaku still has a little way to go before he becomes the type of truly dominating forward his talent dictates he should become.

Everyone at United could just do with everything flowing that little bit better. They could do with a quick goal against Huddersfield on Saturday.