Premier League title winning is something Jose Mourinho knows all about. It is also something Sir Alex Ferguson knows all about. The common denominator between the two is Manchester United. So how come one of the most expensive squads in the world is struggling to get into the top four?
The answer to the question is very simple even if the solution to the problem isn’t quite so straightforward. They are struggling due to an inability to score goals.
This inability has resulted in too many drawn games which should have been comfortable victories.
The beginning of the season was quite misleading, as it was with Manchester City as well. United, City and Chelsea all started off as though they weren’t going to lose all season, yet only Chelsea have continued in that vein, even if they did lose at Tottenham recently.
Jose Mourinho brought in Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer and the Swede hasn’t looked back. He is comfortably the top scorer at United and this is the problem. He shouldn’t be “comfortably” the top scorer, he should be a couple of goals, no more, ahead of the next player. There should also be many more goals coming from other positions on the pitch.
In bygone years, when Fergie was in charge, goals appeared from all angles and many different sources. As well as the likes of Cole, Yorke, Sheringham, Solskjaer and van Nistelrooy other players could always be relied upon to chip in with a few. Beckham, Giggs, Keane, Scholes and even Denis Irwin managed to get their names on the scoresheet reasonably regularly.
In this current team, if Ibrahimovic doesn’t score, there are not many others who are a surefire bet for a goal.
The other problem this generates is that, because Ibrahimovic doesn’t often score more than one in a game, then United seldom score more than one in a game. This has seen some 1-1 draws where United have been by far the better team, but have been unable to score a second goal.
Although I say the solution to the problem isn’t so simple, it should be to a club of United’s standing and riches.
The purchase of Antoine Griezmann will almost certainly add goals but he is not a recognised goalscorer who will get thirty goals in a season. To address this potential problem which, when Ibrahimovic leaves, will only get worse, then Mourinho needs to buy a proven goalscorer and this means a striker, not a winger or a midfielder who will score a few. United do not appear to have a problem creating goalscoring opportunities they just have a problem applying the finishing touch to as many of them as they should.
The frustration for the United faithful is when watching the games and seeing the amount of chances that go begging.
Maybe it is something which could be addressed on the training ground. Maybe it isn’t because, judging by the amount of times United STILL give possession to the opposition, it obviously isn’t easy to resolve issues at Carrington!
In conclusion, if the scouts at Manchester United can tear themselves away from watching the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona and do some REAL scouting, then maybe another thirty goals per season player will arrive at Old Trafford in the not too distant future.
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 