Jose Mourinho: Romelu Lukaku Should Be 'Untouchable' from Fan Criticism

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes star striker Romelu Lukaku should be "untouchable" from supporter criticism despite his recent lull.

After a blistering beginning to the 2017-18 season, the former Everton man has slowed down a little in recent games, failing to find the net in his last five appearances for the club.

Speaking on Monday ahead of the team's Champions League Group A clash with Benfica, Mourinho backed the Belgian wholeheartedly.

"The fans paid their ticket, they are free to express themselves the way they want to express," he said, per James Dale of Sky Sports. "But my job is to protect my players, and I think Romelu is one of the players that should be untouchable in terms of the respect from everyone."

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As noted by Dale, there were some murmurs of discontent at Old Trafford on Saturday as Lukaku toiled against Tottenham Hotspur. Mourinho told MUTV (h/t Jamie Jackson of The Guardian) after the game he was "disappointed" by the way the fans reacted to Lukaku.

When asked on Monday about a quiet game for Lukaku, Mourinho said the Tottenham defence would disagree with that sentiment, per Kris Voakes of Goal:

Rich McCarthy of the Press Association relayed the clip of what the United boss had to say about his team's top goalscorer:

While his goals have dried up as of late, Lukaku was actually involved in Anthony Martial's winner against Spurs.

The striker brilliantly headed on David De Gea's long ball forward to release the Frenchman, who finished calmly. It was the only goal in a crucial 1-0 win for United, who ensured they remained in touch with league leaders Manchester City, who are five points clear.

Lukaku's form has taken an undeniable dip, though ESPN's Mark Ogden believes the reaction from the manager towards the supporters has been overblown:

Indeed, there was always going to be a spell in the season when the striker found the going tough, and in some respects, he's a victim of the excellent standards he himself has set early in his United career.

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Already this season he's netted 11 goals for his new club, and in the main he has led the line with distinction. Perhaps it's not a surprise that in matches where United have adopted a more defensive approach—Liverpool, Benfica and Spurs spring to mind—he's become isolated in the final third.

Rob Dawson of ESPN noted just how much of an impact the team's tactics had on the striker in the win over Spurs:

Journalist Liam Canning also added that Lukaku has been asked to play a lot of football since his big-money move in the summer:

Some will still be calling for more from the Belgian, though, as the best forwards in the game have an impact on the biggest matches. As of yet, the United supporters have yet to see that from Lukaku.

Even so, his start to the season has been exceptional overall. Few players take to life at United as quickly as Lukaku has done and even when he isn't at full throttle, he's still having a positive impact. You sense that a glut of goals is just around the corner for a striker who's long been one of the most prolific in English football.