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Manchester United don’t score goals. As contrary to the club’s rich history as that sounds, it is sadly true. How can it be that the club of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, doesn’t score goals?
The Telegraph have taken a deep dive into the statistics behind the club’s meagre goal tally in this season to date and have found some truly shocking issues that reveal the reasons behind the club’s malfunctioning attack.
The Old Trafford crowd have not seen an attacker score at Old Trafford in the Premier League since the exiled Jadon Sancho found the back of the net versus Fulham on the last day of the season in May. In that time, two defenders and five midfielders have had to do the strikers’ job for them.
The statistics are just as gloomy on the road. The recent 3-0 win against Everton saw a welcome change as all of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Alejandro Garnacho netted. However, the only other goal was Rashford’s strike against Arsenal at the start of September.
The much-maligned Antony’s last goal or assist came against Nottingham Forest. That was back in April and 26 games ago. It was probably also the last time the £82 million signing played well. It just isn’t good enough.
In fact, it is worse. It is relegation form. For all the critiques about the team’s sieve-like defence and erratic goalkeeper, Andre Onana, the biggest issue this season lies with the blunt attack.
The Telegraph asserts, “United … are the only team with a negative goal difference in the top eight and the 18 goals mustered in 16 league games is the fewest in the competition bar the bottom three and Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, who are 15th and 16th respectively. In other words, relegation-battling numbers”. Even Palace and Luton have only scored one goal less than the Red Devils. Depressingly only Sheffield United, who bring up the rear, have significantly fewer goals than the Old Trafford side.
So how can it be that such an expensively assembled attack fails to score goals?
United don’t pass to their strikers
There are some damning issues with United. The first is they don’t pass to their strikers. New summer recruit, Rasmus Hojlund has not scored a Premier League goal in 12 appearances. Anthony Martial has one in 13 games. This reflects poorly on them but seen in the wider context, they seem much less to blame than first thought.
Hojlund is not completely in the clear, as he is “underperforming his expected goals (xG) by 2.6, more than all but five other top-flight players”. However, the outlet claims, “the sight of team-mates not spotting his runs or passing into Hojlund when the opportunity demands has become a frequent frustration for United fans”.
Club captain and chief playmaker, Bruno Fernandes passes more to Hojlund than any other player. But the striker “is only the 12th most regular recipient of his passes”. This lays bare the true lack of connection between the team’s most creative midfielder and first-choice striker.
As you can see from the shocking chart below, Hojlund and Martial sit bottom of the passes received. Even the lethal Harry Kane or Erling Haaland would struggle for goals if they weren’t passed to. Luton Town’s Carlton Morris has received the ball almost double the times either United striker has. Son Heung-min has scored ten goals this season but he has received the ball almost three times more than United’s number 11. A basic premise of football is getting the ball to your striker. United, embarrassingly, don’t.
source: The Telegraph
United cross but poorly
Wing play is a crucial aspect of how Manchester United have played football. Old Trafford remembers Ryan Giggs and David Beckham firing in pinpoint crosses, and before them, the likes of Steve Coppell and Gordon Hill. Ten Hag’s side does cross, but does so poorly.
“United have managed the sixth-most shots in the league this season but are comfortably bottom for chance conversion,” The Telegraph continues. Despite delivering the third-most crosses, including corners, they have managed just two goals from them – which explains why they have the second-lowest success rate on crosses after Burnley. United have also produced the third-most crosses from open play but have the fourth-lowest success rate from them”.
This could be partially explained by poor finishing, but the main issue seems to be that the quality of the crosses coming in is extremely poor. How often have we seen United ping in dreadful corners that don’t even clear the first man?
As the chart shows, United love to cross but they don’t score much from them.
source: The Telegraph
Overall, the tragic fact is that United’s goal drought is not due to a lack of trying. This chart shows they are actually the fifth most attacking team in the league, and the most inefficient of all 20 teams at turning those attacks into goals. The number of passes received by the centre forwards is surely a key explanation for that and something that Erik ten Hag needs to fix urgently.
source: The Telegraph
If United are to start scoring goals again, which they need to do if they are to fulfil the club’s basic ambition of playing Champions League football, there are two lessons. Pass to your strikers and cross better. Easier said than done, but not as difficult as United make it seem.
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