It has been a dreadful season in front of goal for so far. Erik ten Hag's side are the second-lowest scorers in the , netting just FIVE times in seven matches.
Only Southampton (four) have scored fewer in the top flight, while both (nine) and Ipswich (six) have scored more without actually winning a single game. As for individual players, Erling Haaland (10), Cole Palmer and Bryan Mbuemo (both six) have struck more than the entire United team combined this term.
It is a damning record that United supporters are concerned about - as well as the fact they have picked up just eight points from a possible 21 - and fans are demanding the club to sign a new striker in January. As highlighted by the , United need to bring in a centre forward.
From over 9,300 votes submitted as of Thursday afternoon, a . Thirteen per cent think United need to strengthen in the attacking midfield department, with full-back coming in at third with 12% and defensive midfield (11%) just behind. There were fewer votes for goalkeeper (4%), centre-back (3%) and winger (3%) - which isn't much of a surprise.
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Calls for United to sign a new striker based on their damning goalscoring record is a given, but why else have they been so poor in that area of the pitch this season? Well, Rasmus Hojlund's absence has not helped. The Dane, who arrived for £64million plus add-ons from Atalanta in August 2023, scoring 16 goals in 43 matches during his debut season but missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury.
With Hojlund not available, Joshua Zirkzee helped fill that role following his £36.5m move from Bologna, but he has flattered to deceive. After scoring as a second-half substitute on his debut against Fulham, Zirkzee has since failed to find the net in each of his last nine appearances for United. The Dutchman even managed to deny Alejandro Garnacho a potential winner at Brighton in bizarre circumstances, glancing a goalbound effort in while in an offside position on the goal-line with the scores at 1-1. The effort was ruled out and United went on to lose 2-1.
That incident aside, Zirkzee has missed FOUR big chances this season. Only nine players have missed more than him, with Garnacho also on four and Bruno Fernandes just behind with three. As a team, United have created 16 big chances - the eighth-highest total in the Premier League - but have scored the second fewest goals.
Those statistics show that United are creating opportunities - albeit not as many as the likes of Arsenal (24), Chelsea (24) and Liverpool (23) - but are not putting them away. Having scored just five goals from 16 big chances and 89 shots, it is a clear problem that Erik ten Hag must fix as soon as possible.
The stats also support Mirror readers' poll votes on a new forward being United's priority: despite spending over £100m on two strikers over the last three transfer windows, the Reds need someone at the top end of the pitch who can stick in the ball in the net. They are not clinical enough and haven't been for some time.
Hojlund's return to fitness is no doubt going to be a boost to try and get their goal tally moving, while there is some hope that Zirkzee can start taking his chances more often. As well as the two forwards, Garnacho has to be more clinical and Fernandes must rediscover his form soon, with the Portugal international enduring his worst start to a campaign since his move to United almost five years ago.
After the international break, United face Brentford, who scored five against Wolves last Saturday. Given the Bees conceded three in that game despite winning 5-3, it feels like a huge game for Ten Hag's attackers as they bid to get back on track.
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