THE SHARPE END: Erik ten Hag is no idiot, he can see Manchester United are struggling in front of goal – but the issue isn’t the number of shots they’re taking
Erik ten Hag, whatever you think of his management, is no idiot. He can see the problem. ‘We are not scoring enough goals,’ he said this week. That is the key area.’ He’s right, of course.
Manchester United have scored five league goals this season. Five. Before this weekend, only three Premier League sides had scored fewer.
That’s why they’re in the bottom half and that’s what happens when you don’t have a top-class striker.
Rasmus Hojlund’s injury meant Bruno Fernandes started the season up front. He’s not a centre-forward.
Joshua Zirkzee keeps getting hooked early. He and Hojlund need time, Ten Hag says. Ten Hag won’t be blessed with oodles of that given he’s spent over £600m. He needs the tide to turn. United are creating chances, they just don’t have anyone to finish them.
Erik ten Hag knows that his team are struggling in front of goal in the early weeks of the season
Rasmus Hojlund’s preparations for the campaign were abruptly halted by an injury in pre-season
Shots aren’t the issue for United
Only four sides had more shots on target than United over the first five games…yet only four had a worse shot conversion rate than Ten Hag’s side.
Only Man City (11.5) and Liverpool racked up a 5.8. In higher Expected Goals (xG) over the first five games (9.6) than United but only scored five times only Saints underperformed their xG by more.
Only four sides had more shots on target than Manchester United over the first five games
United stars among the league’s worst converters
Three of the six players worst at converting their chances this season, are United forwards.
Bruno Fernandes, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho are among the league’s worst sot converters
Bruno Fernandes has attempted 17 shots so far this season without scoring, the most of any player in the division
Compare that to Erling Haaland, the PL’s top scorer and best striker in the world. who has already scored 10 goals this season from an xG of 5.8. In his first PL campaign, he bagged 36 from an xG of 28.6. That’s what top strikers do and what United’s front men don’t
Bruno Fernandes has attempted 17 shots so far this season without scoring, the most of any player in the division. Well, it’ll help if Fernandes can start finding the target with his scattergun shooting.
United have kept four clean sheets in their last six PL games, more than in their previous 24 games combined. The defence is there, they just need someone to be ruthless in front of goal.
