How to solve a problem like Manchester United

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There is an old adage in football which states that goals win games, and, while the sport has changed considerably through the ages, this is one rule that has remained constant.

If there is one team acutely aware of this rule at present, it is Manchester United. After all, the Reds are only the eighth highest scorers in the league with 43 goals (Bournemouth have scored more), and this haul corresponds directly with a record of 12 draws that has prevented them from mounting a sustained challenge for the Champions League places.

While the issue itself may be easy to understand, resolving it is proving to be a rather more complex challenge for Jose Mourinho and his staff. Here are some of the are key contributing factors, and an insight into what the Portuguese can do to reverse United’s fortunes in front of goal…

The lack of balance between pace and guile

After a challenging transitional period in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, Jose Mourinho’s appointment seemed to raise the profile of the club once again. This enabled the Portuguese to attract world class talent in the form of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, after both Louis Van Gaal and David Moyes had failed to fill the shoes of their predecessor.

While signing great players may be one thing, knitting them into a cohesive attacking force is quite another. Make no mistake, Mourinho has struggled to harness the individual talent within his ranks at times this season, while the all-important balance between pace, power and guile has often been lacking.

This is particularly prominent at home, where teams play with a deep defensive line and minimise the space in behind them. This renders pace and power largely ineffective, restricting the impact of regular starters such as Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The key is to supplement the quick and direct attackers with creative players who can pick passes from deep, particularly those with excellent vision and quickness of thought.

On paper, United have a number of these players, including the Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba, who should be the first names on the team sheet when United play defensive-minded teams at Old Trafford. The aforementioned Mkhitaryan and the diminutive Juan Mata should also be deployed more in unison, as the movement and vision of this pair can unlock space in the final third for runners to exploit.

The combination play from these two was particularly evident during the Red Devil’s 3-0 win at Leicester, so their selection may help Mourinho to strike a better attacking balance and break down teams more consistently.

The wrong kind of fear factor at Old Trafford

We have already touched on the fact that United have struggled manfully at home, with just six wins, 21 goals and nine draws in 16 matches. This contrasts sharply with their form away from Old Trafford, however, as they retain the third best record on the road (behind Chelsea and neighbours Manchester City) and have scored 22 goals in three fewer games.

Some will argue that this is due to the philosophical bent of Mourinho, who has historically built organised and counter-attacking teams that are at their most dangerous without the ball. The statistics suggest that the Portuguese is striving to build a different kind of team at Old Trafford, however, with the Reds having completed the fourth most passes in the league while also attempting the third highest number of shots.

Instead, a more pressing issue is the emergence of the wrong kind of fear factor at Old Trafford, which has gripped the home players and made them increasingly tentative in front of their own fans. Much of this has to do with a succession of draws earlier in the season, when the Reds dominated games and missed multiple chances against inferior opposition.

This has gradually had a negative psychological impact on the players when they fail to score early at Old Trafford, while it has also encouraged visiting teams to adopt an ultra-defensive approach from the outset.

There is no obvious solution here, as Mourinho must work with his players to build their confidence and ensure that they maintain their patience. Having a more balanced side will also help them to play with greater fluidity, while the Portuguese coach may also place an emphasis on starting games with greater urgency so that they can score first and relieve some of the pressure.

A Lack of Individual Contribution (Outside of Ibrahimovic)

This is arguably the single most frustrating issue for United fans, as many of their individual attackers have failed to fulfill their potential this season. With the notable exception of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (and to a lesser extent Juan Mata), the Red Devils have struggled to find goal scorers and creators when they need them most.

The individuality that exists within football is crucial, even though it is a team sport and relies largely on unity, collaboration, and organisation. It is particularly important at a club like United, which has built much of its history on brilliant individuals and the unique contributions that they have made throughout the years.

It is also individual brilliance that turns dominant performances and draws into wins, whether this is in the form of a threaded pass through a massed defence or a last-gasp free kick that is curled into the top corner. This is something that has been clearly lacking for United this season, while it is a conundrum that each individual attacker has to take responsibility for and strive to resolve if the Reds are to reach the Champions League this year.

One player who particularly embodies this issue is Jesse Lingard, who recently signed a new, 100,000-a-week contract with his boyhood team. Blessed with tremendous movement, pace, and technique, he has developed a tendency of punctuating ineffective and indifference performances with spectacular moments of brilliance. The issue is that these moments are few and far between, and all too often the young Englishman’s end product is found wanting.

This is a challenge that the players must face both individually and as a collective, while the manager can also do his bit by unleashing his best players in their best positions. Now may be the ideal time to give Paul Pogba a free role from midfield, for example, so that he can let his immense natural talent influence the game at the most important times.

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