It's been a difficult afternoon of turmoil in which the house just won't crumble no matter how much you huff and puff and then finally, in the last few seconds, a golden opening presents itself. A close-range header, the goalkeeper flatfooted and scrambling, the winner there for the taking. The ball floats wide and everyone is left with their hands on their heads in disbelief.
Of all Manchester United's many problems in which Erik ten Hag is gradually trying to rectify it's scoring goals which is proving to be a debilitating and costly one at present. United were not good against Newcastle and fortunate not to be behind at the break but by the time the full-time whistle blew they should have had three points.
Marcus Rashford did miss the last-gasp header, the sort of lack of cutting edge that has prevented him from really making the No.9 spot his own, but it was at least his introduction that added some much-needed verve and impetus to the attack. The other galling miss of the game came when he rounded Nick Pope and instead of shooting from a tight angle teed up Fred instead. The shock of that miss wasn't quite as unexpected.
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United have been losing their ruthlessness in front of goals over the last two years. While there were serious issues with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's set up his side was exciting to watch for a significant amount of time. They scored 126 goals in all competitions in his final full season in charge (2020/21). The next year saw a dramatic decrease down to just 71.
The trend appears to be continuing under a third manager this season, with just 19 goals scored so far. 13 have come in the Premier League, making them the 10th highest scorers in the division. 19th-placed Leicester have more as do Fulham, Brentford and Brighton. You don't need to be free-scoring to win games but when you can't be clinical enough to even claim narrow victories or need 93 minutes to defeat the seventh-best team in Cyprus then it starts to be an issue. One that needs resolving.
A big cause is United's complete lack of striking options. Though Cristiano Ronaldo was by far the club's top scorer last season with 24 his introduction did stifle Solskjaer's attacking plan and the whole team scored less as a result, sparking the decline. Additionally, his powers are fading and he doesn't suit Ten Hag's ideal set-up. Anthony Martial has looked bright when he's played but he hasn't played anywhere near enough due to repeated injuries. Rashford has started well but, as Sunday showed, can't be relied upon when it really matters. That's it.
It's clear that reinforcements are needed up front and if United are to make progress this season then they need to come in January. However, football director John Murtough has already explained that the club will not be spending big in the winter.
"Overall, we are ahead of schedule in our recruitment plans as envisaged at the start of the summer, and we do not anticipate the same level of activity in future windows," he said last month. "As always, our planning focuses on the summer window."
If that remains the case then United will have to be smart in their recruitment in January and try to see if they can replenish their forward options on the cheap side. Thankfully, there are several talented strikers whose contracts are set to expire next summer and may be available for lower than their usual valuation in the opening month of 2023.
The most attractive of which is Lyon's Moussa Dembele, a player United are very familiar with after tracking him for the last year at least. They are yet to make a move but January could be the perfect time to turn their interest concrete. Dembele is a seasoned goal-scorer with over 150 to his name during his career despite only being 26.
The Frenchman grabbed 21 of them over 30 league games last season in a very decent return alongside four assists. Dembele is the proper, modern striker that United are lacking. One who can physically and positionally lead the line but also has the skill and agility needed to function in Ten Hag's system with a repeatedly proven reliability in front of goal to boot.
Despite his great campaign last term he lost his place at the start of this season to new signing Alexandre Lacazette and has struggled to get back into form once called upon when Lyon began to struggle. With his side not doing well and replacing him for no reason in the summer, he may well look to move on as soon as possible and with his contract ticking down the Ligue 1 side could be tempted to cash in.
Dembele could certainly be a smart and cost-effective to solution to their scoring problem.
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