It was thanks to the goal of midfielder Rafael Varane that Man United kept all 3 points at home on the opening day of the Premier League season 2023-2024.
It is not known what Rasmus Hojlund will bring to Man United’s attack but in the match against Wolves, Man United fans are looking forward to this striker appearing more than ever. Although still winning, 3 points in hand did not necessarily make Erik ten Hag happy, there were many worries after a summer of preparation that seemed to be fine.
This is a problem that is not only new at Manchester United, it has been smoldering for the past decade. Since Sir Alex Ferguson brought Robin van Persie back and won the 2012-2013 Premier League, the “Red Devils” have not had a quality and persistent “Number 9”. There are very good people like Wayne Rooney or Marcus Rashford, but in general, they are not pure strikers and do not often shine when forced to kick around in the opponent’s box.
At this point, there are not many “Red Devils” fans who regret the Harry Kane deal anymore because unfortunately, they can’t do anything when the English striker has worn the Bayern Munich shirt. They have the “raw gem” Hojlund and need to know how to sharpen it so that the young Danish star can shine at its best.
The pressure in the match against Wolves not only came from situations when Man United were pressed by the opponent with high intensity, it also came from their helplessness in front of the opponent’s goal. Stars like Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, or Antony still suffer from an old disease of the team, which is a lack of cohesion. Simply, they are also being pushed against each other. If Anthony Martial is not injured, Garnacho will not appear and Rashford will be like a storm on the left wing.
MU’s lack of a striker is clear and they have also failed to test other stars in this position. Immature, lost and somewhat weak are the most general descriptions of the “Red Devils” attack trio. Ten Hag is very good at changing the lineup, but in this case, he also had to give up.
“I think the whole team had about 5-6 chances to score but the performance just showed the overload. The strikers did not do well and there is a lot of room to improve. That hopefully will come. soon in the future” – Ten Hag shared after the match.
It was only when Jadon Sancho and Christian Eriksen entered the field that things gradually improved. However, improvement does not mean scoring. Sancho himself is not an attack that can be trusted when the team is thirsty for goals and Eriksen is no longer so explosive.
With Mason Mount, he only enthusiastically went on the offensive and defended, but did not really contribute much to the offensive front. Man United is lacking a striker and also lacks other players who can take on the role of scoring.
