Manchester United legend Paul Scholes labelled the club’s current forwards “toothless” after a dour goalless draw in the Manchester Derby at Old Trafford on Sunday night.
It was a game of few clear-cut chances, with United enjoying the better of the goalscoring opportunities, in Ruben Amorim’s counter-attacking system.
Joshua Zirkzee of United and Omar Marmoush of City forced good saves from goalkeepers Ederson and Andre Onana, respectively, in the second half.
Fifth-placed City had more possession, while United had more shots at goal.
“I think (Alejandro) Garnacho is the only threat, but again you talk about a threat where he scored once in 25, 26 games. It’s not enough,” Scholes told Premier League Productions in the post-match analysis.
“He needs to be more consistent with his chances. He should have scored again with his chance today, a diving header five yards out. It should have been the goal that probably wins the game.
“So, we know that reinforcements are needed possibly all over the pitch but especially in forward areas. They’re just toothless in attack.”
Show host Steve Bower pointed out that since Amorim’s arrival at the club in November, only second-bottom Leicester City had scored in fewer games than Manchester United.
“So actually the goalscoring record has gone backwards since this manager came in with the shape and with the players that he has available to him,” he said.
Amorim has clung doggedly to his preferred 3-4-3 formation that brought him success at Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, despite mounting criticism that he does not have the players for it at United.
“It doesn’t seem to matter to him now,” Scholes said.
“From what we’ve seen now, he’s not going to change his shape, whether it’s winning games or losing games. I think deep down he knows he doesn’t have the players that he needs for the shape that he wants to play, but he’s just getting on with it, hoping eventually it does come.
“I think defensively he feels like it’s working … but to win games of football you’ve got to score goals.”
Striker Rasmus Hojland’s positioning and number of touches in the first half of the game, where he had little impact, were once again questioned on Sunday.
The Dane has netted a mere three league goals for United this season as they continue to struggle in 14th place.
Scholes, who played alongside great strikers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney in his heyday at United, feels Amorim’s system can be an attacking one but he “doesn’t have the ammunition to go out and out and score goals”.
“He’s got Bruno Fernandes who’s capable, Zirkzee, Hojland (they’re) not goalscorers, Garnacho doesn’t look like a goalscorer enough.”
Amorim was frank in his response, when asked in his post-match interview by Sky Sport where United needed to improve.
“Everywhere,” he said. “We need to improve in every aspect of the game: build-up, transition, decisions clearly in the final third.”
While he and Scholes are probably in agreement on that, there is one thing they are unlikely to agree on.
The Old Trafford legend feels that some of the attacking talent United recently released could have been the answer to the Red Devils’ struggles in front of goal.
United have managed a paltry 37 goals in 31 league games so far.
“I look at that forward area and think about (Jadon) Sancho and (Marcus) Rashford not being there. I think that’s a disgrace for a club like that,” he said.
“Man United are missing the quality of them two. If you add them two proper players playing at their best to that team it makes a helluva difference, but the two of them gave up on a struggling team.”
It is a debate that has been reignited by Rashford’s recent return to form at Aston Villa, as well as that of fellow United attacking reject Antony at Real Betis in Spain.
