Our Forwards - Do we have enough goals?

MyOnlySolskjaer

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Time will tell but going into the season it feels our front line is a level behind the rest of the Top 6. We're not outscoring City, Liverpool or Spurs who have pretty dependable goal scorers in their side. I wouldn't have our front 3 beating Arsenal with Jesus and Saka either for that matter.

Maybe we'll sign another attacker but it feels a bit undercooked at this stage. I'm really questioning who in our side can get over 15 league goals and in the current position we're one injury away from starting Elanga.
 

Skills

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Dunno, we'll have to see. It'll show in XG if we're underperforming it significantly.

Interestingly what were the XG scores of the pre-season games
 

CallyRed

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Nope.
We have the creativity but we don't have the execution.
 

amolbhatia50k

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We don't.

This season will probably see another low goal tally from us. Hopefully we make up in the development of the buildup phase and style of football.
 

Teja

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The only thing that matters is xG. Create enough good quality chances and the forwards will score.
 

sullydnl

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No, which is exactly why we've been linked with signing an attacker all summer.

But it's worth saying that it's not just on the front three to provide goals. Looking at City last season for example, Gundogan, Rodri and Laporte provided 19 league goals between them, let alone their main attacking players. Other players need to step up too.
 

Trequarista10

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I think as the season progresses we'll start to see more of Bruno as a false 9, because his possession play is infuriating but he's a genuine goal threat. Still need a LW, replacement for Ronaldo (either this summer or next) and ideally a young CF like Sesko for depth. Nothing we didn't know already.
 

Borys

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Can't tell until we see some changes ETH wants to see. I feel like there's enough goals between Ronaldo, Bruno, Sancho, Eriksen, Martial and Rashford. I worry about creativity in first part of the season, but I wouldn't panic about it.

That is as long as they can stay fit. We need some backup unless someone like Garnacho steps in.

Midfield is a bigger worry.
 

Irwin99

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So much depends on Martial and Rashford rediscovering their form from two years ago. I expect a much bigger contribution in assists and goals from Sancho and Ronaldo (hopefully) will contribute around the same as last year. Need a bit more from Bruno too.
 

Teja

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xG only counts if there is a shot. If the forward isn't there to make the shot, there is no xG
Any average PL forward will provide that in a side that can actually make the chances not to mention guys like Rashford, Martial, Ronaldo, Sancho, Bruno etc.
 

izak

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I think we have some goals but enough I don't see it so, we are short up front.
 

theatreofdreams777

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No. Get rid of Ronaldo and add two attackers (one RW & one ST).

Those two signings should also be established players. Not young kids like Amad or Pellistri.
 

Strelok

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Reading threads like this make me really wish we still have Greenwood. He's incredibly talented.

Before people jumping on me:

1. What he did was really terrible and he's 100℅ finished at United.

2. However, I do wish if people would give him another chance. Not necessarily in football. I don't think any club would take him anyway even if he's not found guilty. But in life. People can learn and change. If you condemn someone for life for a bad thing he did in the past then his future is finished. My current pastor is an ex convict. He was a drug dealer, even shot some guy, did a number of years and came back a completely new man.
 

Leftback99

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Not a chance. Today showed what we have in reserve and it was dreadful.
 

Van Piorsing

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Injury to just one player (Jadon) unbalanced the attacking setup.

Erik needs to push the board for more if this team aiming to score vs defending opponents. United had that problem earlier and now we're without two main goal sources (Cava & Greenwood), while Cristiano remain mystery.
 

georgipep

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Not far enough
Any average PL forward will provide that in a side that can actually make the chances not to mention guys like Rashford, Martial, Ronaldo, Sancho, Bruno etc.
Rashford, and to an extent Martial, rarely lurks in the box to produce shots. Amad's goal today never gets scored (because he won't be there to pounce) with Rashford playing the striker.
 

DJ_21

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Time will tell but going into the season it feels our front line is a level behind the rest of the Top 6. We're not outscoring City, Liverpool or Spurs who have pretty dependable goal scorers in their side. I wouldn't have our front 3 beating Arsenal with Jesus and Saka either for that matter.

Maybe we'll sign another attacker but it feels a bit undercooked at this stage. I'm really questioning who in our side can get over 15 league goals and in the current position we're one injury away from starting Elanga.
Don’t think we’ll out score them teams you’ve mentioned however I think Ronaldo, even martial could get 15+ goals this season if we create enough chances and play as a team and unit. Do think we need another forward player though like you said, the level of quality drops massively when we have to play Elanga.
 

SAFMUTD

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Reading threads like this make me really wish we still have Greenwood. He's incredibly talented.

Before people jumping on me:

1. What he did was really terrible and he's 100℅ finished at United.

2. However, I do wish if people would give him another chance. Not necessarily in football. I don't think any club would take him anyway even if he's not found guilty. But in life. People can learn and change. If you condemn someone for life for a bad thing he did in the past then his future is finished. My current pastor is an ex convict. He was a drug dealer, even shot some guy, did a number of years and came back a completely new man.
Well...that escalated quickly.
 

Varane around town

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We need at least one more. Even if Ronaldo stays.

We're only one injury away from throwing in some completely improving players because we've no other option. Also, two of our forwards are Rashford and Martial. Who are- shall we say- very liable to drastic drops in form.
 

Todd

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We managed a whopping 57 goals in the league last season and the only thing that has changed is that we lost Cavani...and Greenwood I guess.

So no, going into this season our attack looks pathetic and I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't score 60 goals this season either. We are in trouble.
 

Stig

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I don't understand why we haven't bought Jimenez.

I doubt he would be too expensive and would give us a new direct centre of the forward line dimension.
 

ManUnitedCanuck

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No. And we don’t get the help from other positions as well. our defenders and kids don’t pitch in enough.
Maguire should be getting more on set pieces etc
 

bosnian_red

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Starting lineup sure, squad no. Its not so much about "where are the goals going to come from" though. It never is. That always misses the point. Is do you have the players to execute the system that Ten Hag wants. We do as a starting 11, but we don't in terms of depth, as we don't have depth past Sancho/Rashford/martial in the front 3. Even to change the game as a sub, nothing. Ronaldo for me is still not worth considering, maybe once the window is done we can plan with him again.

Get a right winger in who can compete with what we have, garnacho as deeper depth... I'm ok with that group. Can have enough goals throughout the team with Ten Hag's system.
 

Tallis

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We probably don’t but I would still rather fix the MF. If we had a Barcelona or RM quality midfield, our forwards would probably get enough goals to make us competitive
 

Siorac

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I don't understand why we haven't bought Jimenez.

I doubt he would be too expensive and would give us a new direct centre of the forward line dimension.
Probably because he suffered a horrific injury in 2020 and after his return he scored a very underwhelming 6 in 36 last season.
 

sunama

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With CR7 in the team, if the other forwards can improve their level of play, we can definitely score a good amount of goals. Remember, Rashford, Martial and even Sancho were all dreadful last season. For them all to be dreadful 2 seasons in a row would be incredibly unlikely.
 

Abraxas

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It feels like we've got a lot of squad options, and young players that can play forward positions. Technically there is easily 2 bodies for every forward position. But as for proven quality with any sort of recent form, then no. We're sorely lacking. That's what's really missing, a signing or two that comes in and is competing straight away.
 

arthurka

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Need couple of forward players, a wide player on the right and a center.
 

pocco

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No. Two top class Attackers required. I genuinely feel this is more pressing than CM. Eriksen, Iqbal, Savage and Garner I feel could be used there to good effect. Plus VDB. Can we say that for our attack? Maybe Garnacho, based on the RV game alone. But I doubt we'll use him much at this stage.
 

pocco

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Reading threads like this make me really wish we still have Greenwood. He's incredibly talented.

Before people jumping on me:

1. What he did was really terrible and he's 100℅ finished at United.

2. However, I do wish if people would give him another chance. Not necessarily in football. I don't think any club would take him anyway even if he's not found guilty. But in life. People can learn and change. If you condemn someone for life for a bad thing he did in the past then his future is finished. My current pastor is an ex convict. He was a drug dealer, even shot some guy, did a number of years and came back a completely new man.
I understand what you're saying and in time he'll probably be forgiven if he turns himself around. However, it's a long road to redemption.

Your pastor probably didn't become a pastor 6 months after what he did. Where are you from, out of interest? I'm guessing somewhere in the US.
 

Lee565

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My main concern is do we have enough creativity in the side to get give our forwards clear opportunities to score the goals and it has been a problem for a long time.

man City have been able to get away with not having a striker for 2 seasons and not really having anyone in their side that screamed goal getting midfielder/winger outside of maybe sterling but because they created chances for fun they were still consistently one of the highest scoring teams in a season.
 

Rozay

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Could go either way. Rashford and Martial are both capable of 20 goals. Martial put up 20 from open play a couple years back. But we can’t say that they will get them. Ronaldo will score goals if he stays, and we need to get Sancho up to 15.
 

Dravy

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The answer is no, we don't have enough goals. Given that it looks doubtful we'll get anybody other than maybe Sesko, is it ridiculous to hope Garnacho might get a chance?