Manchester United are in urgent need of goals, and an unexpected solution might have a significant impact in the derby.
Manchester United’s Attacking Woes Continue Amid Tactical Adjustments
In a week where one Manchester club lost a key forward, another made an unconventional attacking switch. While Manchester City had to cope without Erling Haaland, Manchester United opted to push Harry Maguire into an attacking role during their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Had Murillo not made a last-minute goal-line clearance, Ruben Amorim’s decision might have been hailed as a stroke of genius. However, in the absence of a breakthrough, it appeared more like an act of desperation than strategic brilliance.
As the Manchester derby approaches, it will be missing a player known for scoring multiple hat-tricks, as well as the scorer of perhaps Amorim’s most celebrated goal at Old Trafford—Amad Diallo, who secured a dramatic win against Manchester City at the Etihad. That victory was somewhat of an outlier, with United’s most notable league results under Amorim otherwise being draws against Arsenal and Liverpool. That match’s goal scorers, Bruno Fernandes and Amad, are not traditional strikers. In fact, Fernandes often plays in midfield, while Amad has been sidelined for the past two months. Yet, under Amorim, they remain United’s most prolific scorers.
United have managed just 25 goals in 19 Premier League games—a tally that looks even more concerning when considering that nine of those came against the league’s struggling promoted sides and four more against Sean Dyche’s Everton.
A Team Over-Reliant on Two Players
Out of those 25 goals, Fernandes has netted six, while Amad has added five, accounting for 44% of United’s total. They have also contributed 76% of the team’s 13 assists, with Fernandes providing six and Amad four. With Amad unavailable, United’s attacking options look worryingly limited. The team’s reliance on just two players has exposed its lack of attacking depth, with the other forwards failing to deliver.
United did create chances against Nottingham Forest, registering 24 shots—their highest total in a game without scoring since 2021. However, an alarming statistic remains: since Amorim took charge, the team’s third-highest scorer is Marcus Rashford, who has been largely sidelined, with just three goals.
The remaining attacking players have struggled to contribute significantly. Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have each scored twice, while Alejandro Garnacho has just one goal. Curiously, after Hojlund finally broke a 22-game scoring drought with a goal at Leicester, he was benched for the following match. Amorim’s lineup choices have raised questions, particularly his decision to play Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine against Crystal Palace instead of using a natural striker.
Strikers Struggling with Service
Hojlund and Zirkzee have yet to establish themselves as a functional strike partnership, partly due to a lack of quality service. Their expected goals per 90 minutes are nearly identical at 0.21 and 0.20, with an average of just over one shot per game. In contrast, Haaland’s xG per 90 stands at 0.83, with nearly four shots per match. As of Tuesday’s game against Forest, 76 Premier League players had recorded a higher xG under Amorim’s tenure than Hojlund.
Hojlund thrives on runs behind the defense, as he showed with his goal against Leicester, but those opportunities have been scarce. Amorim’s system does not rely on traditional wingers, meaning United’s wide players—whether Garnacho, Amad, or the departed Antony—are not natural crossers and prefer cutting inside to shoot. Meanwhile, Zirkzee remains a puzzle, lacking a clearly defined playing style or a signature type of goal.
At the heart of United’s struggles is a broader issue: beyond moments of brilliance from Fernandes or Amad, there is little evidence of a structured attacking approach. The question remains—what is Amorim’s plan for United to score goals? Right now, the answer is unclear.
