Marcus Rashford has scored 28 goals for Manchester United in all competitions this season.
The next best player is Bruno Fernandes (10). United forwards Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial scored two and six goals respectively. Cristiano Ronaldo took three before his abrupt exit in November.
When asked if his side were too dependent on Rashford for goals scored – after the England international did just that in a 1-0 win over Brentford – Erik ten Hag couldn’t tell the truth. .
“That’s true. But we know other players can score too,” Ten Hag said. “We have a lot more players who can score.”
Previous evidence of Weghorst’s borrowed spells indicates that he cannot be assigned to this group. The Burnley striker on loan is a diligent worker, but his two goals for United were secondary; his finish is too unpredictable to count on goals.
The only other possible answer with the transfer window closed until the summer is Martial. It’s hard to believe that the peppy Frenchman is now 27, it’s like United fans have been waiting ages for him to hit the stage. Many believe that due to various problems with keeping fit and in shape, this simply will not happen.
After only one appearance between 16 January and 1 April, Martial was off the bench for United’s last two games and looked well. Ten Hag insisted that it was too early to think about Martial from the start, but his relationship with Rashford, his interaction in the box and his real pace in defense once again delighted United fans.
“Obviously when you look at Anthony Martial’s results over the past few years, you have to plan very carefully,” Ten Hag said after the match against Brentford about the Frenchman’s fitness, which is a cautionary tale to all of this.
“I don’t want to take risks because I know that when he is on the field, he has a huge impact on our game.”
Ten Hag was also quick to point out other options. He is unlikely to completely edge out Weghorst simply because Martial is now in good shape after using the Dutch star in 19 straight games – a streak that ended on Wednesday.
In the game against Brentford, United started with Rashford in the centre, but it is clear that he does his most dangerous work in slalom from the left, moving there after Martial’s entry in the 71st minute.
“I think you can take on this discussion, this debate, Jadon Sancho too,” added Ten Hag. “But I am sure that if there are three or four of them on the field, we will have a really good front line.
“A lot of creativity, a lot of intelligence, a lot of speed, a lot of cohesion. I think that if we do more, we will have more threats. And the balance of this front line will be good.”
A bid for Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen in the summer could completely balance United’s front line. But until then, in the next 10 Premier League games and the Europa League and FA Cup playoffs, Anthony Martial in full form can answer the prayers of United fans.
Source: I News
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.