Do Manchester United Need a New Striker?
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The match against Watford at home in the English Premier League provided a fantastic opportunity for Manchester United to take 3 points.
A victory would have given the Red Devils 3 wins in succession as they attempt to finish in the top four.
Watford on the other hand are battling against relegation and entered the game at Old Trafford having conceded 4 goals in their previous Premier League fixture at home. There was only going to be one outcome, right?
Wrong. The match ended 0-0 and Manchester United suffered a major setback in their attempts to qualify for the Champions League next season. Watford were delighted with their point and it leaves them 3 points behind Everton.
There was much talk in the build up to the game about how the players were finally starting to apply the tactics of interim manager, Ralf Rangnick.
When the German first arrived at the club, he played a 4-2-2-2 formation and it did not work. The players were not suited to play the system and after failing to see the level of performance required, Rangnick switched to a 4-2-3-1.
Some of the pressing methods Rangnick is looking for have started to appear and Manchester United are more solid in defence than they were at the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign at the club.
In the match against Watford, not only did Manchester United keep a clean sheet but they created chances to score. They had 22 shots during the 90 minutes but could not make the breakthrough. Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were the main culprits, failing to convert good chances.
Speaking after the match, Rangnick said, "We did everything apart from score," before continuing, "It's hard to take that result. We need to be sharper in front of goal. You can hardly create more chances than we did today. In the end it is a very frustrating afternoon.
“Sometimes we are unlucky, when we hit the post, but we also had a few opportunities one-on-one with the goalkeeper. This is not luck, it is a question of sharpness and efficiency in front of goal.”
Manchester United are creating chances and no one can deny they deserved to take 3 points from the match against Watford. The question is, if they are to score goals, do they need a new striker?
Ronaldo is the top scorer for Manchester United this season but is 37 years old. Edinson Cavani is not fit and will be leaving in the summer. But who else is there in the current ranks who can step forward and consistently put the ball in the back of the net?
Perhaps, it is more about making the right choices in-front of goal. Fernandes could have passed to Ronaldo when one-on-one with the keeper against Watford and he would have had an open goal but Fernandes decided to go himself.
It is decisions like that which cost Manchester United against Watford. If that chance came to Manchester City, they would have passed the ball across the goal for the tap-in.
So, signing a new striker in the summer may not solve all the problems in-front of goal. Looking for a teammate in a better position is sometimes the answer.
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