Which is exactly why this self imposed sanction is veering on malpractice.
We are not going to score enough goals
- Thread starter careca07
- Start date
That's not what I said though is it? I never talked about whether he should play or not. If you look at it objectively and think about what the glazers will do, it's not hard to imagine what's going to happen. You have two players who are the same age, and both aren't guarantees. One is going to cost 60+ million while the other costs nothing, and is also on ~60k a week. Knowing how cheap the glazers are, it's entirely reasonable to expect that they will say they can't justify the outlay on Hojlund when MG is at the club. Again I'm not saying that he is the answer or that he should or shouldn't play. I'm only looking at it from what I expect is the glazers point of view.
Its a sad situation to be in. Desperately need a striker when theres a shortage of good ones in the market and its actually the final piece of the puzzle. Which means clubs will rip us off and we dont have a choice.
We can agree on that for sure. And don't get me wrong, I am fine with DDG having left but I think, overcooking the silly goals is a bit funny. I mean, we conceded 43 goals, same as Arsenal on 2nd, 10 goals against more than City and Newcastle. We scored 58 while City scored 94 and Liverpool (in a bad season) scored 75.
Yeah I know what you mean. And at the end of the day, the reason will be the owners who havent provided the funds to splash on Kane and Bellingham... The biggest steps towards a title challenge happen within the team, developing a collective and training stuff. Our last managers made sure, that we are probably around 5-6 years behind the curve (thankfully, we are finally getting somewhere now). A striker is necessary, no question about that, maybe even two (I'd love to bring in Taremi as some sort of buffer for a younger striker), but we shouldn't do the same mistake over and over again: convincing ourselves that only the best of the best are good enough to improve our team.
So we're going to win more games by scoring less, yeah right OK
In total our wingers created 8 assists last season in the league
I really hope the manager will hold them to task to create more when we get a striker
And how does Antony keep doing the same thing but seems to be regressing with it. When he joined he scored goals cutting in on the left now he can't even hit the target
I really hope the manager will hold them to task to create more when we get a striker
And how does Antony keep doing the same thing but seems to be regressing with it. When he joined he scored goals cutting in on the left now he can't even hit the target
We'll dominate more games with Onana at the back but yes I can see us having a pathetic goal difference again this year unless two good forwards are brought in.
It is a concern and even ten Hag has said as much. I guess it depends on how well Hojlund settles, if Rashford can maintain a similar output as last season, and if just one of the likes of Antony or Sancho can step up and start producing much better numbers for goals and assists. Garnacho is still very young and will no doubt produce moments of brilliance but also periods where it doesn't quite happen for him and the balance between the midfield remains to be seen.
Onana
AWB Varane Martinez Shaw
Bruno Casemiro Mount
Antony Hojlund Rashford
It's a good team on paper, i'm just not quite seeing the evolution of the team into title challengers just yet unless several players really step up.
Onana
AWB Varane Martinez Shaw
Bruno Casemiro Mount
Antony Hojlund Rashford
It's a good team on paper, i'm just not quite seeing the evolution of the team into title challengers just yet unless several players really step up.
Totally agree. I think it’s patently obvious actually.
We are not in that market for a 120 mil Osimhen who could have directly catapulted us into title challenge territory. Neither can we attract top tier youth unfortunately. That's why we are settling for good young players such as Hojlund. He will be better than Weghorst. Am taking it as a positive and hoping for the best.
Somewhat related: The fact that the club hasn't made a fecking decision one way or another on Greenwood is yet another show of incompetence. He's been free for months from any legal issue, and yet we are almost in August and what was once a 100m budding star striker hasn't A.) trained with us in preparation for this upcoming season B.) Been shipped off to a club to regain form/increase value nor C.) been sold entirely based on name value.
Even putting aside whether or not he SHOULD come back, the fact that we haven't even made a fecking call is idiocy.
Even putting aside whether or not he SHOULD come back, the fact that we haven't even made a fecking call is idiocy.
When your best goalscorers and creators always need to receive the ball facing the goal, and when that doesn't happen, the plays either slow down to a halt or the ball is passed backwards to switch sides, you will struggle to score goals. We can't set up a decent one-two on the edge of the box when the spaces become tight, but a striker will make us title contenders. Well, i hope he does.
Our attacking 3 players hardly ever pass the ball to each other. There is complete lack of any attacking play by us. I don't think we can fix that this season. This season is about us managing to dominate weaker teams more and being more consistently difficult to beat by fixing the GK and midfield.
Hopefully, one or two of Antony, Garnacho, Amad and Hojlund (if signed) would develop sufficiently well this season to combine with Rashford, so that we can hope to mount a title challenge in 2024 along with a big name reinforcement.
Hopefully, one or two of Antony, Garnacho, Amad and Hojlund (if signed) would develop sufficiently well this season to combine with Rashford, so that we can hope to mount a title challenge in 2024 along with a big name reinforcement.
I think that they very much do know what they are doing with him - just will not publicly say so until after transfer dealings concluded with. They won’t want this distraction now.
Rashford will score more than ever, he’s here to stay she has a point to prove, Ten Hag is bringing out the best in him.
We’ll get a great season out of Bruno like his first year now that he’s captain.
We’ll have a striker, look at the chances Weghorst missed, any other striker would have buried half of them at least.
Anthony and Cas will have settled and we’ll get much more, especially from Anthony.
sancho? Who knows.
We’ll get double figures from Gernacho.
Martial? Who knows.
I’m confident we’ll score more. We just need a few to step up.
We’ll get a great season out of Bruno like his first year now that he’s captain.
We’ll have a striker, look at the chances Weghorst missed, any other striker would have buried half of them at least.
Anthony and Cas will have settled and we’ll get much more, especially from Anthony.
sancho? Who knows.
We’ll get double figures from Gernacho.
Martial? Who knows.
I’m confident we’ll score more. We just need a few to step up.
If we are going to score enough goals this season, we are going to need Rashford to keep up his goal scoring form, Antony to suddenly start banging those edge of the box curlers, our striker whoever it may be to get at least 15 league goals. Then the likes of Mount and Bruno to also retain their goal scoring ability. The likelihood of all of this happening is near zero
Is it any wonder when we refuse to spend the money to get a CF?
With all the doom and gloom maybe just maybe if we get for instance 15 goals from Hojlund, Antony chipping in some more with goals, Sancho discovering his form, Bruno and Mount adding some more and Rashford keeping up his form of last year it might be enough or at least some more than last year which isnt saying much I know. Not all of this needs to happen, if just some things happen we'll come good. Also our gameplay will become better and more advanced with having a keeper who starts plays instead of not leaving his 5 meters.
We need more goals from everywhere to be honest, think only Rashford and Casemiro basically got the required output from there positions last season.
Honestly, other than Rashford, I don't see any other player who can get double figures this season.
There was a time when the whole team chipped in with goals. We have to get that right, contributions from all over the pitch.
Hojlund - 10-15 (or other striker we end up signing)
Rashford - 15-20
Bruno - 8-10
Antony - 5-8
Sancho - 3-5
Mount - 5-8
Casemiro - 3-5
Other midfield - 3-5
Defence - 5-8
Upside: 84
Downside: 57
I fully expect us to score more than last season and imagine we’ll be somewhere in the middle of the above (71ish), which is still short on the front runners, but progress which is the main target at this stage imo.
Rashford - 15-20
Bruno - 8-10
Antony - 5-8
Sancho - 3-5
Mount - 5-8
Casemiro - 3-5
Other midfield - 3-5
Defence - 5-8
Upside: 84
Downside: 57
I fully expect us to score more than last season and imagine we’ll be somewhere in the middle of the above (71ish), which is still short on the front runners, but progress which is the main target at this stage imo.
The likelihood is the Premier League will have 5 teams qualifying for the CL next year anyway if I remember correctly
Might reassure a few on here
Might reassure a few on here
Right side is completely sterile. This will be a recurring problem next season, striker or no. Midfield doesn't look particularly productive either. We are fecked if Rashford is gone or loses form.
Enjoy your top 4 contentment.
That is what we have become, a team quite happy to finish 3rd 4th or even 5th.
The fact that the fans are even considering giving green light on Greenwood return really tells how pathetic our strikers situation is. Remarkable really how we managed to lose 3 CFs in 3 years (actually all of those are different situations and nothing could've been done by the club). I don't think there's a solution to it, basically we need to hope for the best with Hojlund/Rashford/Martial.
Ideally United needed to sign two CF this summer, but so far we haven't heard any rumours of a cheap/experienced 2nd option.
Hojlund + older/cheaper/experience would help balance the squad a lot.
Hojlund + older/cheaper/experience would help balance the squad a lot.
Lots of good stuff in your lengthy post. The bolded bit struck me particularly though, and took me back to the arrival of Eric Cantona all those years ago. He of course was not only brilliant from the moment he arrived, but galvanised the rest of his talented but underachieving teammates into being brilliant also.
I wonder whether that has left a subconscious belief among United fans that the next big signing will be the one to replicate what Eric did.
no we are a team in transition after a decade of mismanagement at all levels....
next Summer should see transfers which result in a realistic title challenge.....
I expect/hope
One thing United always had was a whole squad capable of chipping in with goals. I don’t think we’re a million miles off that now - our midfielders and defenders were capable of scoring last year. The big thing we are missing is firepower upfront, and that’s with Rashford getting 30 goals. It’s very worrying.
Before ETH arrived we'd already become a team that missed out on CL football five seasons in nine. So yes, consistent CL football across multiple seasons would be a significant improvement and help put a stop to the disorder of the last decade.
Our issue is more creative than just scoring I feel. Which is why to me a Harry Kane would be the player to get. A striker who can finish but is equally very creative and can take on the assists too. We have Bruno and thats it across the whole team, that is awful.
We need a fully fit Rashford firing. We need Antony to start chipping in with a lot more goals. Bruno always gets his fair share of goals throughout the season. Hopefully Mount adds some goals. Think the new ST will get 10+ goals in the season.
38 0-0s incoming
A few seasons ago I’d of agreed with you. But I feel like we have enough creativity in the team now. We just lack someone to finish them off. Last season we created so many good and easy chances but we didn’t score them. We lacked end product. We drew so many games due to not finishing them off early and that was in games we had 20+ attempts.
Totally agree there!
I don’t honestly think the Glazers will do anything about this, they will just kick the can down the road until it becomes somebody else’s problem.
You don't need a prolific striker to score tons of goals.
City have topped scoring charts for years while playing false 9s and having Gundogan as their leading scorer.
Arsenal last season scored a lot of goals with everyone chipping in.
Focus on the quality of attacking play and the goals will come.
City have topped scoring charts for years while playing false 9s and having Gundogan as their leading scorer.
Arsenal last season scored a lot of goals with everyone chipping in.
Focus on the quality of attacking play and the goals will come.
Where are the goals going to come from indeed x2