Why are Manchester United struggling to score

[Zlatattack]

Saw this video on Tifo Football the other day, put a lot of emphasis on midfield creativity or lack of.

 

[manunited1919]

The reasons we aren’t scoring:

1) Lingard. Can’t control the ball, lacks creativity, lacks vision, lacks execution.

2). Overreliance on Rashford. He shouldbe more a winger than a striker.

3). Except for Martial who has been injured for a couple of months, we have zero options as striker.

 

[Judas]

Video really isn't need, is it? The issues are obvious, and were obvious before the season even started.

 

[AltiUn]

It really does boil down to not having a reliable system which can create consistent chances, without Pogba we don’t have another player capable of creating consistent chances, which is why not signing a number 10 and right winger this summer was unforgivable.

 

[Skills]

I would ask why are Manchester United failing to create chances?

Poor coaching.

 

[PaulRich]

Look at our goals scored to chances created and the ratio will be as good as anyone else's. Its just we aren't creative enough in the final third.

 

[Marcelinho87]

As I have said previously but it is not just lack of chances created but it's our strikers are unwilling to take risks.

James has put numerous balls across the box this season, all excellent balls too. Up until the Liverpool game, nobody took a chance or made a move for these crosses.

Had Rashford or Martial been attacking those balls we would be better off.

 

[Greck]

Without a system we are really just waiting on inspired moments of creativity from individuals. In short a manager without ideas is waiting on a squad of players with little creativity

 

[CLK_FPC]

The system and players we have isn't set up to allow us to be good at both ends of the pitch, we allow less chances for example but create and score less too

 

[Dve]

Without a system we are really just waiting on inspired moments of creativity from individuals. In short a manager without ideas is waiting on a squad of players with little creativity

In attack, players act more to their instinct, and there are limits how much a manager can structure a team to score goals. In short, most goals are result of inspired moments of creativity from individuals.

 

[Skills]

In attack, players act more to their instinct, and there are limits how much a manager can structure a team to score goals. In short, most goals are result of inspired moments of creativity from individuals.

Horseshit.

 

[Untd55]

Poor Manager - completely clueless tactically and building any patterns of play
Manager stripping the attack of any depth
Manager incorrectly believing that a 17 year old, who has played no professional football before, is ready to take over from Lukaku.
Manager failing to sign a midfielder and attacker

Is it any wonder our attack is worse than last season?

 

[zenith]

It's the midfield. There are no chances being created for the strikers. Our main creators are lingard and Mata (in the absence of pogba) and that says a lot.

We need at least two chance creators in our midfield and currently we don't even have one.

 

[Greck]

Horseshit.

Yes my good man, Horse excrement indeed. Individual brilliance can multiply the effectiveness of a system but that's not to say the system isn't there

 

[Dve]

Yes my good man, Horse excrement indeed. Individual brilliance can multiply the effectiveness of a system but that's not to say the system isn't there

Then your gargling in those excrements, my friend, as you seem to agree with me.

 

[Asger]

I would ask why are Manchester United failing to create chances?

Poor coaching.

I hardly believe because of poor coaching. It has been poor under Moyes, LVG, Mourinho and now Solskjær. Are they all poor coaches?

 

[Will Singh]

To score you've got to shoot and shoot in such a way that the opponents goal keeper doesn't save it as its he's job to stop it going in. I recon if Ole passes this information on it might have an impact.

 

[Judas]

At this point I wouldn't mind us taking shots from miles out, speculative efforts, something just some sort of effort at goal.

 

[Lentwood]

Saw this video on Tifo Football the other day, put a lot of emphasis on midfield creativity or lack of.

Agree with the analysis - the midfield two can’t play the ball between the lines at pace (hence Solskjær having tended to pick Pogba at the base rather than at #10)

Also agree with the demolition of Mata - see my post’s from after the game on Thursday. The man is never in the right position and when he does receive the ball, totally kills any attacking momentum by going backwards

 

[Leftback99]

Apart from the obvious lack of passing ability in midfield, the attacking players we have to show for £900 million of investment in the squad since SAF retired are Mata, James and Martial. Shock, we don't score many goals.

The only benefit i see to 3 at the back is that it might get Maguire on the ball more who can actually pass a ball.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

So in a nutshell:

- Our midfielders are not creative enough. Too many side and backwards passes.
- Set pieces not good enough. When they are, we don't take advantage.
- Relying on Maguire to be our creative source.


How do we fix this?

- Get midfielders who can pass a ball and take risks
- Get a set piece specialist

 

[Lentwood]

Then your gargling in those excrements, my friend, as you seem to agree with me.

I agree with you. During the LvG era, when fans bemoaned how boring and static we were, compared to City, Thierry Henry sat on Sky Sports and explained how LvG and Guardiola’s systems were virtually identical

The difference being our players are short of the level required to play that quick one two at speed, or drop a shoulder and beat a man or whip a dangerous cross into the right areas

As I’ve said elsewhere today, a team can be pretty pedestrian for an hour and then a moment of magic from an attacker leads to a comfortable 3-0 win

 

[Greck]

Then your gargling in those excrements, my friend, as you seem to agree with me.

You might have to clarify your position then. I fail to see what part of what I wrote agrees with your excrement. You say goals are a function of individual brilliance (to the exclusion of coaching/system), I say they are a function of both with a system being just as imoprtant if not more

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Agree with the analysis - the midfield two can’t play the ball between the lines at pace (hence Solskjær having tended to pick Pogba at the base rather than at #10)

Also agree with the demolition of Mata - see my post’s from after the game on Thursday. The man is never in the right position and when he does receive the ball, totally kills any attacking momentum by going backwards

Exactly, and whenever Pogba has played deep, apart from probably the Rochdale game, we have looked a lot more creative and on average have had more shots. Imagine having a top class number 10 and winger in addition to that.

 

[Falcow]

So in a nutshell:

- Our midfielders are not creative enough. Too many side and backwards passes.
- Set pieces not good enough. When they are, we don't take advantage.
- Relying on Maguire to be our creative source.


How do we fix this?

- Get midfielders who can pass a ball and take risks
- Get a set piece specialist

We lack creativity all over the pitch including our full backs. 23 assists from liverpool's full backs last season which is unbelievable. Shaw and AWB will never be capable of that.

 

[Dve]

You might have to clarify your position then. I fail to see what part of what I wrote agrees with your excrement. You say goals are a function of individual brilliance (to the exclusion of coaching/system), I say they are a function of both with a system being just as imoprtant if not more

I said it´s limited (not the same as non existent) how much a manger can structure a team to score goals, which is in absolute agreement with your view that individual performances are most important. In general, I think there is are not much disagreement about that. You can set up a team to play in a certain way offensively, but in the decisive moments, players act to their instincts.

Edit: In agreement with your original post, that is, where you said that individual performances can multiply the system. In example, multiplied with 0, the system counts for nothing.

 

[TrustInOle]

I think we will look slightly better now Martial is back with Andreas in the middle, and even more so once Pogba is back. Wont solve all our problems, but there is a gulf in class between Martial, Pogba, maybe Maguire and the rest of the squad, and when either of them our out, let alone both, we are always going to struggle. The rest of the squad is top 10 at a push, and that's being nice.

 

[SteveW]

The players generally. Martial being fit helps a lot.

 

[SteveW]

I think we will look slightly better now Martial is back with Andreas in the middle, and even more so once Pogba is back. Wont solve all our problems, but there is a gulf in class between Martial, Pogba, maybe Maguire and the rest of the squad, and when either of them our out, let alone both, we are always going to struggle. The rest of the squad is top 10 at a push, and that's being nice.

Pretty much.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

I feel that our biggest problem is that our players don't like to make runs into space. Everyone is checking in for the ball and receiving a pass to their feet while they have a defender on them. Then it's just our players trying to score individual goals. We don't try to get to the byline enough, and when we do our players aren't busting a gut to get back post. Typically everyone just stops around the penalty spot. City score so many tap ins because they play wide and get to the byline. Typically Aguero will run near post, the oppisite winger will run far post, and a midfielder will make a late run into the box to be around the penalty spot. This gives the man with the ball options and it works. They also tend to have right footed midfielders on the right (DeBruyne) and left footers on the left (Silva or B Silva). This allows them to whip in crosses from deep that go behind the defense but bend away from the keeper where their wingers will again be making far post runs. Our midfield will typically have Pogba on the left. His crosses will be bending towards the keeper and have to be over the defense (not curl around them). So most of the time it just gets headed out if it's not absolutely perfect.

 

[SteveW]

I challenge someone to explain how Matic, Fred, Lingard, Mata and Pereira can make up the fulcrum of a high scoring team.

Genius tacticians step up now

 

[Judas]

I think we will look slightly better now Martial is back with Andreas in the middle, and even more so once Pogba is back. Wont solve all our problems, but there is a gulf in class between Martial, Pogba, maybe Maguire and the rest of the squad, and when either of them our out, let alone both, we are always going to struggle. The rest of the squad is top 10 at a push, and that's being nice.

Martial shouldn't be in the same bracket as Pogba. I find it so strange that he's put on the same level as him.

 

[TrustInOle]

I challenge someone to explain how Matic, Fred, Lingard, Mata and Pereira can make up the fulcrum of a high scoring team.

Genius tacticians step up now

I feel Pereira can work well as part of the squad and still only 23, love that he has a bite about him. The rest, agreed. Unlike most, I am willing to give this time, because Ole has left the squad thin, but perfect to start rebuilding and adding to it. Add a solid 6 next to Pogba (if we persist playing him in a 2) a top number 10 then a top RW and I feel our first 11 and squad on a whole would look and work better.

Ddg
Awb....Lindelof.....Maguire.....Shaw
???....Pogba
???.....????.....Rashford
Martial

Romero, Axel, Jones, Young, Dalot, Scott, Fred, Andrea's, James, Lingard, Greenwood
​

Depending who we can get, I would be happy with this next season, knowing we are on the right track and the club are focusing on the right areas. Maybe going in 3rd year, we bolster defence, Martial, Rashford and AWB will have improved and suddenly we could be coming good again. So I can (hopefully) see signs of a plan, and dont totally blame Ole's tactical inexperience for everything. Just trying to have a little more faith than most.

 

[TrustInOle]

Martial shouldn't be in the same bracket as Pogba. I find it so strange that he's put on the same level as him.

I dont mean it that they are of the same quality. Agreed, Paul is a step above, but even Martial is a level beyond the rest of the squad. Not enough quality, that's what we are seeing.

 

[SteveW]

I feel Pereira can work well as part of the squad and still only 23, love that he has a bite about him. The rest, agreed. Unlike most, I am willing to give this time, because Ole has left the squad thin, but perfect to start rebuilding and adding to it. Add a solid 6 next to Pogba (if we persist playing him in a 2) a top number 10 then a top RW and I feel our first 11 and squad on a whole would look and work better.

Ddg
Awb....Lindelof.....Maguire.....Shaw
???....Pogba
???.....????.....Rashford
Martial

Romero, Axel, Jones, Young, Dalot, Scott, Fred, Andrea's, James, Lingard, Greenwood
​

Depending who we can get, I would be happy with this next season, knowing we are on the right track and the club are focusing on the right areas. Maybe going in 3rd year, we bolster defence, Martial, Rashford and AWB will have improved and suddenly we could be coming good again. So I can (hopefully) see signs of a plan, and dont totally blame Ole's tactical inexperience for everything. Just trying to have a little more faith than most.

100% agree. We need to sign well. That will be the deciding factor. Ole has done really well in the players he's brought in. Just needs more.

 

[Judas]

Martial has yet to convince me he's good enough to be our main striker. He'll probably have a run of games soon where he looks good, before either getting an injury or having a period where he looks uninterested.

 

[TrustInOle]

Martial has yet to convince me he's good enough to be our main striker. He'll probably have a run of games soon where he looks good, before either getting an injury or having a period where he looks uninterested.

That would be my only Concern with him, very injury prone. But the quality is there for all to see, and was easily our best performing player before instantly being displaced by Sanchez. If by end of the season, we havent seen enough to convince us, the maybe enough is enough, but I have faith in him, ever since that first season.

 

[The Urban Goose]

Simple. Look at today's line up.

Defence: DDG, AWB, Maguire, Lindelof, Young. With the exception of Young, that's easily a top-4 defence.

Forward line: Rashford, Martial, James. Although not championship contending, that's again a top-4 attack. However take Martial out and there's no replacement. So reason 1 - lack of attacking depth.

However.

Midfield: McTominay, Fred, Andreas.

None of those should be anywhere near first choice midfield for Manchester United. In fact 1996-2008ish, none of those even get on the bench.

Ok, McTominay as potential, but the other two are barely West Ham level players.

This really isn't rocket science, it's the logical consequence of the quality of the midfield players.

 

[Fahad Jawaid]

Its a combination of two things.

One is lack of coaching and patterns of play which are not there. You see smaller teams work on their set pieces. For eg Burnley knew if they would score against Chelsea yesterday, it would be through set pieces so they worked on them and at every set piece they looked a threat.

Some teams are better through the middle others outwide. We actually have no patterns no style. We don't attack through wings or through the middle there is only constant slow passing here and there and then hoof.

Second which is more problematic is we lack quality. Even in moyes time or Mourinho days we had days where we scored 4 goals. We even scored 5 against Levekrusen away in Moyes time. We had players but either system was lacking or players not playing for the manager or manager is clueless.

But now we just lack proper quality players. Our front line and most reliable players are Martial and Pogba who are inherently moody and don't know which of their version will turn up. Whereas others (Lingard, Rashford and Scott, Perriera, Fred) are just average players.

The difference between good and average players is good players keep.hold of the ball when pressed, are always available, find good passes when opportunity presents itself, quicker passes, high tempo, linkup play and above all their lower level is very high.

Now we have players who take 2 or more touches to even control simple passes, they play horizontally but cant pass vertically or between the lines and within close quaters where deft touches are required they are jusy not capable and lastly they always take wrong options and play the safer pass.

We badly need injection of quality, then even the likes of Ole can get better results as having superior players half of the time is good enough. However now even against the likes of Leicester, Everton and Wolves they are players who are soo better than us. For eg Jimenez, Traore, Neves will all start for us. For everton Bernard, Richarlson and Gomes will start for us. Vardy, Ngidi, Maddison and Tielmans are also better than whay we have.

You look at Arsenal and why they keep winning against smaller clubs they just have superior players on top which manage to do business against lower sides although their manager is also inept like ours which is exposed against bigger teams.

 

[FattyFooty]

Isn't this overthinking?

We have:

Rashford a player never reached 15 league goals.

Martial a player never reached 15 league goals.

Lingaard a player never reached 15 league goals.

I read all the time about how it's the managers fault. None of them have proven they can be relied on for a season. Yet somehow people think that they are top Premier league attackers given the right manager.