What is the factor behind Manchester United’s terrible goalscoring form?

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Manchester United’s 0-0 draw with Hull City on Tuesday night was yet another example of their struggles in front of goal this season. It was the fourth time that United have drawn a blank, one that has left them four points outside the Champions League places with 15 Premier League matches remaining. Jose Mourinho’s side have scored only 33 times this campaign, a statistic that compares unfavourably with their rivals. As well as their latest setback, United also recorded a 0-0 draw at home to Burnley last October and have failed to score on two other occasions.

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The Red Devils’ inability to translate their dominance into three points more often is a cause of real concern for Mourinho, who admitted in his pre-match Press conference on Friday that his players have been wasteful. By way of comparison, United have scored 19 fewer goals than Liverpool and of the so-called ‘Big Six’, they are last by a considerable margin. According to Opta, United rank second in terms of shots attempted but 18th for conversion rate. It is a similar story in relation big chances missed; a category of which they are top and one which their conversion rate is the worst in the Premier League. These statistics reveal that creating opportunities is not the problem – it is putting them away.

United are overly reliant on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has 14 goals to his name. He has spearheaded the attack superbly since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but he cannot win matches single-handedly. Adequate support has been in short supply, with no other United player having accrued more than four league goals. Ibrahimovic is Mourinho’s preferred number nine and has repaid that faith. There has been no continuity elsewhere, however, with Mourinho experimenting with various attacking combinations. Arguably, this has had a detrimental effect.

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Mourinho’s teams are not renowned for being free-scoring. Defensively they are always sound and the current United side are no different, underlined by the fact that only leaders Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have conceded fewer goals. United are unbeaten in the Premier League since a 4-0 hammering by Mourinho’s former club back in October, but so indifferent was their early-season form that they have been playing catch-up ever since and can afford no further slip-ups if they are to sneak into the top four. Three consecutive draws with Liverpool, Stoke, and Hull have stalled their momentum and it is their profligacy in front of goal that is primarily to blame.

Mourinho has identified the problem and will doubtless be working on rectifying it in training. Once the match has kicked off though, there’s little more he can do. That’s when his players need to take individual responsibility and show more composure at crucial moments. Aside from Ibrahimovic, this has been sorely lacking. That United have scored only 33 goals from 391 chances is a shocking indictment of their shooting accuracy. It’s one that threatens to derail their Champions League aspirations.