03 Apr 2021 12:55:54
While I completely agree that Martial doesn't appear to be up to being the kind of striker we need to fire us to a league title, I think there needs to be an appreciation that a new striker must surely be a little way down our priorities list this summer.

For starters top class strikers come with hefty fees, Martial cost us 38m raising to 54m dependant on clauses. That was 5 years ago when he was a promising 20-year-old with less than 2 full seasons under his belt.
In the current market a top-class striker costs at least 80m, with young strikers with top class potential costing upward of 45-50m.

That would be a huge chunk if not all of our budget on one player. While there are only a few top strikers who may be available. The true top-class strikers like Haaland (120m), Mbappe (200m) or even Kane (100m) are all either beyond what we can afford or would rather join another club (with offers from those clubs as well) .

If we cross those names off straight away, who does that leave? Edouard, Moussa Dembele, Lautaro Martinez, Patson Daka maybe. All of them would cost between 35-80m none of them really proven at the highest level. Would any of them take us to that next level? Maybe, but probably not in their first season. All of them are potential stars rather than genuine top-class players.

Then of course there is the real issue is that we struggle to create good goal scoring chances. We lead the way in penalties won mostly because our players run with the ball in the penalty area rather than look to pass to a teammate. They are looking for a way to goal for themselves.

Bruno and Shaw are the only players in our squad who average more than 2 chances created per game. With only another 3 players averaging more than 1 chance created on average per game.

Our inability to breakdown low blocks is well known, and even a tactic deployed fairly often against us. Particularly by the less ambitious teams.
When it comes to creating chances Bruno leads the way with 2.8 per game, this is down from his 3.7 per game last season. Was his form from the second half of last season just too good to keep up? Has he been found out? Or is it just fatigue?

Either way it highlights a big concern for us, it's almost a 25% drop off in output. Will he bounce back to those previous levels? Well that depends on what has caused the drop.

Personally, I think the most important thing is to bring in someone to shoulder the burden of creating chances, that would take the pressure off and give the opposition another player to think about, maybe stopping them doubling up or crowding Bruno out.

The more troubling thought is how would we have coped this season had Bruno suffered a season ending injury like VvD has? More importantly how would we cope next season if that were to happen, or if Bruno comes back from the Euro's with an injury?

That is why I think we need a creator more than we need a goal scorer. We have Martial, Rashford and Greenwood who have all proven when given enough chances they can score comfortably. They outscored Liverpool's front three last season. Yet without Bruno who do we have to load the gun for them to shoot?
Pogba who might be leaving, or might stay, if he stays will he be fit? If fit can he be relied on to turn up in every game?
Donny maybe? He'd need to dramatically improve on his first season's showing.
Maybe Andreas Pereira will be revitalised after his spell on the Lazio bench.
Maybe a 300-year-old Mata can pull a rabbit out the hat for one more season.

The reality is we are an injury to Bruno away from dropping from 2nd to 5th or 6th, simply because we have no one else creating those goal scoring chances to turn losses into draws and draws into wins.

While a striker must surely figure on our list of priorities it has to be further down that list than a creative player who can lift the burden off of Bruno and make us a multiple attacking threat rather than a one dimensional one.

1.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 15:56:44
I think the main issue is that our setup is always defensive.
More or less every game we play with 2 holding midfielders who lack vision and passing range.

Another issue is that players look strangers in the field and rely on individual brilliance far too often.
There is no proper co-ordination in our attacking phase, a proper style is not instilled among the players.
This is down to poor coaching.

Finally I feel that our coaching team is not utilizing a player of DVB's caliber.
Tuanzebe is overlooked most of the time. Even Bailly when fit should be ahead of Maguire or Lindelof.

Then we have a lazy striker in Martial whom nobody can trust. Cavani stretches opposition defence by making runs off the ball and has good hold-up play.
Therefore, an out and out striker with good attitude, work rate is a necessity for our team.

2.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 16:34:35
TrueRedDevil, we often play with 3 strikers, a No.10 in Bruno and have Shaw on the overlap. That's 5 of our 10 out field players on the offensive.

Which tactically is about right, if you're looking to maintain balance and shape. You might then have a 6th player normally a midfielder breaking forward if the 1st phase attack breaks down, joining for the second phase. Players like Scholes and Lampard made a career from being that midfielder breaking forward to score after the 1st phase of the attack has broken down.

For us this season McTominay has played that role pretty well picking up 4 goals along the way.

The issue is that playing with 3 strikers in attack along with a full back and one creative player in Bruno is very limiting in our ability to play those defence splitting passes quickly and accurately enough.

Having 3 of our 5 offensive players all looking to shoot themselves rather than play the ball to the more creative player is limiting.

Name me one top side that plays regularly with 3 natural strikers on the pitch at the same time?

City only play with one striker, normally Aguero, they then play with 4 creative players normally Sterling, Mahrez, KDB and one of Bernardo Silva or Foden this season.

Liverpool only play with one natural striker in Salah, with Mane, Firmino and both full backs (TAA and Robertson) being more creators than goal scorers.

That's not to say that the other players don't shoot, but their natural instinct is to look for the pass rather than head down towards the goal.

Having 3 of your 10 outfield players all looking to do just one job (score) creates huge imbalance.

Adding another striker does not readdress that balance but instead only makes it worse.

We need another creator before we need another tap in merchant.

3.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 16:35:10
I think eliminating the big three strikers we’ll probably end up with a Depay or Milik type on a free with the serious money only being used for first choice targets. It’s clear Sancho was the target not so long ago but less certain if signing Diallo has changed that. Whether they grab a RW, CB, DM or CF, they will be shot down for overlooking the others. The reality is they need strengthening all, as well as GK when Romero and potentially another leaves, not to mention Pogba. In my view a top DM seems to be the position that will have the biggest impact as it will eliminate the need to play two defensive midfielders which presumably means more games for VDB.

{Ed077's Note - didn't Milik join Marseille? So he won't be on a free.

4.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 18:33:15
I'd argue that a striker is one of the top priorities for us. As the old saying goes goals win games. If we had a striker who could score 30+ league goals we would be in with a shout for the title.

5.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 20:13:12
Shappy, Rashford is not a natural striker. His best position is cutting in from the left in a front 3.

Because of 2 Defensive midfielders over protecting our CB's, our transition from defense to attack is not slick enough.
Most of times we see just side ways and backwards passes from Fred and McTominay.

6.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 21:21:01
Mane, Sterling, Mahrez are all head down shoot first players. Firmino is an actual striker (although I give you that he is one if the least selfish 9s out there) .

We are seriously lacking a proper striker. Cavani if he stays is perfect. If he goes, we need one. Simple.

7.) 03 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 22:17:48
Danny, if we had a striker who could score 30+ goals then who do you see getting 30+ assists?

Strikers are the players who put the finishing touches on a good attacking move. But who is orchestrating it?

TRD, Rashford is a natural striker, as you say he cuts in from the left. That puts him on his stronger right foot for him to shoot. His first thought when he receives the ball is how can he fashion himself a shooting opportunity, rather than how can he fashion the best shooting opportunity for the team.

Dodgy, I'd agree Sterling is a little greedy, yet Mane and Mahrez will look for teammates more often than shoot themselves.

Firmino used to be a midfielder who was converted into a false 9. He isn't a natural striker who's first instinct is to shoot.

I agree we are lacking a top class striker, but I feel we need a creative player to make the chances more than we need a striker first.

No one has answered my question, who creates chances in our team if Bruno gets a long term injury?

8.) 04 Apr 2021
03 Apr 2021 23:45:34
Supposed to be donny Shappy, everyone keeps saying he is a worldy but I am yet to be convinced. I truely hope he is though.

Also Greenwood, Martial and Rashford make their own, as you keep saying.

Pogba, is he staying?

Shaw.


If Kane (for example) played. He is very creative as well as being good In the box. AM could play 10 behind him.

Not to mention Amad, who I think is ready to feature. Pellestri is further away from first team I think.

9.) 04 Apr 2021
04 Apr 2021 09:44:19
Shappy I don't see one player getting 30+ assists it will be a combination from the team, rashford, greenwood, Bruno, Shaw and wan bissaka are more than capable of chipping in with 5 or more each.

I think cavani has shown when we have a focal point in attack then we are a lot more dangerous, if we had a striker who was attacking balls in the box then we're bound to score more goals. At the moment we either have nobody in the box or its very static, if we had a target the ball would come in more often and we would score more goals as a result.

10.) 04 Apr 2021
04 Apr 2021 09:48:25
Dodgy, that's the problem though. Donny has played nearly all his games for us in the No.10 position and has looked no better than Lingard for us there. Lots of hard work but lacks the cutting edge.

He is well versed in the Ajax style and mentality, which seems at complete odds with how we are playing.

Martial, Rashford and Greenwood look to make their own chances, but how many do they actually make? They have 14 EPL goals between them this season, 9 of which have come from Rashford.
Also who plays the pass to set them off on their way? We have seen time and again they struggle to create themselves chances when the defence they are up against is packed. If the pass to them is delayed then they will struggle more as more defenders can get back between them and the goal.

Pogba is Pogba. He wants to leave, so it's a big if he stays. Then if he does stay can he stay fit? He has spent long spells last season and this season out injured. While if he can stay fit then will he make an impact, he has often gone missing during games and often went 2 games doing very little only to score and grab an assist in the third game. Which meant he had decent stats for goals and assists, but they often all came in a few games.

So with Pogba it's a case of if he stays, if he can stay fit, and if he can perform consistently if he manages the first two ifs.

Shaw will hopefully continue his current form, but he plays every week anyway. He wouldn't increase his impact due to Bruno not being on the pitch.

Amad looks exciting. But come on, expecting a kid with a handful of games under his belt at senior level to potentially step in to Bruno's boots if the worst should happen is massively unfair on the kid.

When Ronaldo effectively replaced Beckham it took him 2-3 years to become the great player we remember. He also had Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, RvN, Rio etc all around him. Top players with bags of experience.

If Bruno is out next season who would Amad have to shoulder the burden with him?

Like I said I agree we need a striker. I just feel that without us signing another creator we would be buying a gun but have no bullets. We need a player who can provide the bullets for the gun, otherwise the gun is useless.

11.) 04 Apr 2021
04 Apr 2021 13:48:01
I think there is enough creativity in the team. Poor form and the dodgy formation are the issue. Obviously Pogba is meant to be the creative force but it's been another injury-ravaged season. When he has played recently he has done well in my opinion. The 'ideal' midfield should be Pogba and a class DCM, which we don't have. So in light of Pogba's injuries we get two very average DCM, any combination of Matic/ McT/ Fred. Obviously there is something going on with Donny as he should certainly be in the two if Pogba isn't.

12.) 04 Apr 2021
04 Apr 2021 14:47:24
Shappy,

I think you and others are missing the point. You ask “who creates chances in our team if Bruno gets a long term injury”. However, the fundamental tactical problem is that the set up is pass it side to side across the front, give it Bruno. There is little else tactically, which makes Bruno ridiculously important. There is no plan B, we don’t get in behind full backs, we don’t cross the ball, we got rid of a strong centre forward to play the managers favourite Martial. Rashford doesn’t create, just runs with the ball at people and most times gets tackled, when it comes off he is spectacular, yet he never goes on the outside of the fullback or gets a left footed cross in.

That is why you are asking the creative question.