Romelu Lukaku has been urged to become more selfish for Manchester United if he is to live up to his goalscoring potential by a man who knows a thing or two about finding the back of the net.

Former England striker Alan Shearer believes Lukaku’s run of seven matches without a goal can be put down to his current desire to bag goals himself rather than play in his teammates.

United manager Jose Mourinho has refused to criticise Lukaku, and called for fans to get behind the Belgium international after signs of frustrations began to creep into the atmosphere at Old Trafford last weekend. Mourinho also drew on his assist for Anthony Martial’s winning goal against Tottenham as evidence that Lukaku was still having an impact in other areas, even if the goals had dried up.

Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Show all 23 1 /23 Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings We run the rule over the two teams at Stamford Bridge. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Thibaut Courtois - 7 out of 10 Wasn’t overly tested but denied Lukaku in the first half and Fellaini at the death. AFP Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta - 8 Got the assist for Morata’s goal with a magnificent cross. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Andreas Christensen - 7 Repaid his manager’s faith in him after Antonio Conte named him in the starting XI ahead of David Luiz. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Gary Cahill - 7 Marshalled Lukaku and Rashford well alongside Azpilicueta and Christensen Chelsea FC via Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings N'Golo Kante - 7 Chelsea have missed his energy dearly. This was a solid comeback performance. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Davide Zappacosta - 6 Solid down the right but was replaced by Antonio Rudiger when United made a couple of attacking changes. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Cesc Fabregas - 9 The best player on the pitch by a country mile. Controlled the game and, as always, his passing was magnificent. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Tiemoue Bakayoko - 8 Magnificent in the heart of midfield but lacked quality when he strayed into more advanced areas. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Marcos Alonso - 7 Showed close to the form he was in last season as he got up and down the left wing all game. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Alvaro Morata - 8 Planted a sumptuous header beyond De Gea to give Chelsea the lead. Chelsea FC via Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Eden Hazard - 8 Always seems to turn it on when it matters. Stung De Gea’s palms with a fierce first-half drive and, as we’ve come to expect, was one of Chelsea’s most dangerous players. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings David De Gea - 7 Made a few good saves to keep United in it but could do nothing about Morata’s winning goal. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Eric Bailly - 6 An erratic performance by a player who usually defends so well for United. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Chris Smalling - 7 Probably United’s best player on the day after being left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Phil Jones - 5 Put the ball into his own net early on only to be bailed out by the referee, who deemed Morata to have fouled him. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Antonio Valencia - 6 Solid at the back but looked to be struggling with injury towards the end of the match. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Ander Herrera - 5 Combative but lacks the creativity that the injured Paul Pogba possesses. Was part of a United midfield that just couldn’t link defence and attack. Man Utd via Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Nemanja Matic - 6 One of United’s better performers on the day but was outshone by Tiemoue Bakayoko, the man who replaced him at Stamford Bridge in the summer. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Ashley Young - 5 Should’ve claimed an assist for the game’s opening goal but Rashford headed his cross over the bar. Quiet otherwise. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 3 The game passed him by. He’s in poor form at the moment after a superb start to the season. Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Romelu Lukaku - 6 Delivered an energetic performance against his former employers and was denied the game’s opening goal by a good Thibaut Courtois save. Faded after the break. AFP/Getty Images Chelsea vs Manchester United: Player ratings Marcus Rashford - 5 Had a superb headed opportunity in the first half but appeared to back out slightly with Courtois charging towards him and ended up missing the target. Getty Images

Shearer though believes that the £75m signing should make it his priority to break the dry spell, and that means altering his game slightly to become something of a poacher.

“When you're on a barren spell, forget everything about going out wide, about coming deep, thinking I'm not getting a touch of the ball,” Shearer said on the BBC’s Match of the Day.

“It's time to be selfish. Width of the 18-yard box, that's what he's got to think about. He isn’t going to score by running into corners.

“Let the people create the chances for you. He's a goal-scorer and he’s getting judged on scoring goals.”

Lukaku hit the ground running at United, scoring 12 goals in just 11 games as he settled into his new team following his move from Everton in the summer. But it has now been seven matches in all competitions without finding the back of the net, with his latest blank coming in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea – the club he could easily have been playing for had he decided to return to Stamford Bridge instead of moving to Old Trafford.

More worryingly, three of those games came against top six opposition in Liverpool, Tottenham and now Chelsea, which has not helped in ridding his reputation for being a ‘flat track bully’ that only scores against the lower-ranked teams in the Premier League.

While Shearer wants Lukaku to do more for himself, fellow former England striker Ian Wright had much more sympathy for the 24-year-old, and blamed attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan for failing to adequately supply him with the opportunities to score.

Lukkau has not scored in seven matches for United (Getty)

“I do feel for him,” Wright said. “He seems to be making the wrong moves and the chances aren't coming.