I Warned Mourinho To Not Sign Lukaku – Steve Walsh

Jose Mourinho and Manchester United were warned to run away from £75 million ($97m) deal for Romelu Lukaku, but they ignored the warning, according to Steve Walsh.

Steve, who had previously worked with Jose has said he attempted to inform him at Old Trafford that the Belgian was a gamble who was not strong mentally to play for a club as big as Man United, but he did not listen.

Walsh believes Jose proved that he is no longer the manager that once saw recruitment as a key factor in a club’s success.

He added that current RB, Bissaka is also a waste of £50 million because he is not that great with the ball.

His words, “He would be the first to admit that he probably needs to reinvent himself now a little bit.

“Obviously, it didn’t go right at United. Pep Guardiola was asked in an interview with a newspaper how he accounted for his success. He said 80 per cent of it was recruitment. I think Jose may have lost sight of that fact.

“You have to work out what you want and need. Don’t try to attract players with no plan: ‘He’s available so we will take him.’

“Alexis Sanchez is a good example. During the title-winning season we only lost three times but two of those were against Arsenal. They pasted us at Leicester, 5-2. We played well and Jamie [Vardy] scored a remarkable goal, but Sanchez was outstanding that day. He was instrumental in both games.

“But it is not about collecting players, it is about having a clear plan and a strategy of how you want to play.

“When Jose signed Romelu Lukaku from Everton, I remember saying to him, ‘You have to be careful with Lukaku. He is a big baby, you know.’ He said he could handle him.

“I don’t think he really got Lukaku on-side mentally, which you have to do. That is the case with him and Paul Pogba. They aren’t my type of players. They are more about themselves than the team. I wouldn’t have touched them. Because they are good players doesn’t mean you are going to get a good team out of it.”

On the spending at the club after the Jose era, “United have made a lot of signings. Look at £50 million for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

“Now, perhaps it is too early and he will improve, but my eyes tell me when he gets the ball he is not the best. He is a good athlete and very quick, strong, and a good defender, but United don’t need a good defender, they need someone who can play, get on the ball.

“If I had been at United, I would have said, ‘Put your £50 million away, go and get Kieran Trippier for half that. He is an England international. He isn’t a great defender or a physical specimen, but he can play right-back and get the ball in early and you have strikers who can score goals.’ It is common sense.”