It would be fair to suggest that Wout Weghorst's fortunes at Manchester United so far have been mixed.
On the one hand, the striker's strengths are there for all to see. His ability to hold the ball up has helped others and his work rate for the team has been a breath of fresh air.
However, a striker will always be judged by the number of goals they score in a season. Unfortunately for Weghorst, that part of his game has not been showcased in the best light to date.
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So far, the 30-year-old has scored just once in 10 matches for the Reds. Marcus Rashford's goalscoring hot streak has covered up this deficiency but it remains a problem.
Despite his track record of scoring goals with Wolfsburg, AZ Alkmaar and Besiktas, Weghorst has been known to hit a drought at a club before. Coincidentally, his first spell in the Premier League with Burnley was also defined by his inability to find the back of the net.
In April 2022, former Clarets manager Sean Dyche pinpointed what Weghorst needed to do to get himself back on the scoresheet. Dyche's theory, albeit surprising, could work at United this season.
He explained: "I think – and it is a positive, but it is a strange thing to mention – Wout is almost too team-bound at the minute. We need to get him to focus on him and his game.
"He is almost thinking of everything and ‘I need to do this for the team, this for the team’, and in an honest, authentic way because that is the type of character he is. But maybe it is almost like: ‘Okay, stop, stand still – we need to focus on your game and how you can bring yourself to work with the team.’
"I think he is still adjusting to that." There is no doubt that Weghorst works hard for the team but it is coming at the expense of his own form.
Take Erling Haaland, for example. He is not the greatest team player in the world but his record in front of goal this campaign speaks for itself.
Weghorst must now let those behind him do more of the running and allow himself to be a little more selfish. It may not be in his nature but it could help him to get back amongst the goals.
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