Man Utd news: Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku must accept criticism - Gary Neville

MANCHESTER UNITED star Romelu Lukaku needs to take flak from fans.

That's the verdict of former Old Trafford favourite Gary Neville.

Lukaku hit the ground running after joining United from Everton for £75m over the summer.

But he's not found the back of the net since the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on September 30 and that dry spell has seen him targeted by the boo-boys.

Lukaku came in for criticism for his performance against Premier League rivals Tottenham last weekend.

He'll be looking to bounce back when United take on his old club, Chelsea, this afternoon (4.30pm).

I think when you are out there at Old Trafford you have to take criticism

Gary Neville sends a message to Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku

And Neville says Lukaku must learn to accept the rough with the smooth.

"It was the Romelu Lukaku stuff that annoyed him [Jose Mourinho] last Saturday. There were a couple of moments where he didn't chase a ball down and the fans got on his back a little bit,” Neville told Sky Sports.

"I think when you are out there at Old Trafford you have to take criticism, there are 75,000 people there and they are not daft. You have to chase the ball.

"I said on commentary: 'A little bit of advice, chase the ball down, you have to chase the ball down'. Lukaku is a different kind of striker, he conserves his energy, he isn't somebody who hunts across the pitch.

Romelu Lukaku at Manchester United Benfica Champions League gameGETTY

Romelu Lukaku will be out to end his goalless run when Manchester United take on Chelsea on Sunday

Man United's Lukaku takes out defender then SCORES for Belgium

Jose Mourinho coaches Manchester United versus Tottenham in the Premier LeagueGETTY

Jose Mourinho fired back at fans that criticised Romelu Lukaku's performance against Tottenham

"United fans loved Wayne Rooney in his prime or Carlos Tevez or Mark Hughes, people who are ferocious, all-action, all-energy, looking like they are sweating and toiling on the pitch.

"But you have different types of players who play in different ways. Ruud Van Nistelrooy for instance conserved his energy by working within the width of the box, but he always looked alert.

"Lukaku can sometimes look a little bit like he is drifting through games but then all of a sudden comes alive. He doesn't do a lot of sprinting but when he does it's powerful, strong, impactful."

United can close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City to two points if they beat Chelsea and Pep Guardiola's side lose to Arsenal.

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