MOURINHO AND UNITED'S FANS
Mourinho,
and United’s fans, do not exactly need statistics to remind them that
there is a problem in front of goal that needs curing but, in the
interests of underlining that problem, and why Griezmann is considered
so important, here they are...
Only Spurs (404) have had more shots in the Premier League this season than United’s 390, an average of just under 17 per match, but only Hull and Southampton have a worse shot conversion ratio than United’s 8.46 per cent. To put that into context, Liverpool have had an almost identical number of shots (388) but have a shot conversion ratio of 13.4 per cent.
It is not as if a lot of those shots are speculative, either. United have created 41 of what Opta call “big chances” but their big chance conversion rate is so far and away the worst in the league it is alarming. United have converted fewer than 30 per cent of those big chances – think Juan Mata flunking an open net against Stoke or missing from yards out with just the goalkeeper to beat against Hull – a figure that is a staggering 10.02 per cent worse than the next most wasteful side Southampton, who convert just 39.29 per cent of their best openings.
Only Spurs (404) have had more shots in the Premier League this season than United’s 390, an average of just under 17 per match, but only Hull and Southampton have a worse shot conversion ratio than United’s 8.46 per cent. To put that into context, Liverpool have had an almost identical number of shots (388) but have a shot conversion ratio of 13.4 per cent.
It is not as if a lot of those shots are speculative, either. United have created 41 of what Opta call “big chances” but their big chance conversion rate is so far and away the worst in the league it is alarming. United have converted fewer than 30 per cent of those big chances – think Juan Mata flunking an open net against Stoke or missing from yards out with just the goalkeeper to beat against Hull – a figure that is a staggering 10.02 per cent worse than the next most wasteful side Southampton, who convert just 39.29 per cent of their best openings.
Burnley’s
big-chance conversion rate is a whopping 60 per cent and, for all Pep
Guardiola’s bleating about Manchester City’s profligacy, City’s ratio is
an impressive 59.62 per cent.
United scored 49 goals in 38 league games under Louis van Gaal last season, their worst return in the Premier League era. If United continue at their current rate this term, they will finish the campaign with only five more goals than that total. Put another way, that is only two more than the 52 Liverpool have scored after 23 matches.
It is barely worth thinking where United would be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season but, when the 35-year-old Swede fails to find the net, the team invariably suffer and the need for a finisher, a predator, is becoming ever more apparent. And that is where Griezmann comes in. Until he does, though, Mourinho must find an alternative solution.
United scored 49 goals in 38 league games under Louis van Gaal last season, their worst return in the Premier League era. If United continue at their current rate this term, they will finish the campaign with only five more goals than that total. Put another way, that is only two more than the 52 Liverpool have scored after 23 matches.
It is barely worth thinking where United would be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season but, when the 35-year-old Swede fails to find the net, the team invariably suffer and the need for a finisher, a predator, is becoming ever more apparent. And that is where Griezmann comes in. Until he does, though, Mourinho must find an alternative solution.
Has he
been tempted to play Marcus Rashford through the middle with Ibrahimovic
in some games? The need for an extra midfielder against Hull was hardly
pressing. Rashford’s sharp edge certainly seems to have been blunted by
too long playing out wide. He snatched at an excellent chance against
Hull that he would have buried last season.
Wayne Rooney can probably be relied upon for another goal or two between now and the end of the season but there is not exactly a clamour among fans for the club’s all-time leading goalscorer to resist the advances of China this summer, and a dismal 45 minute showing against Hull was not going to alter that stance. Rooney used to dictate the tempo of matches, now he seems to struggle to keep pace with too many of them.
Wayne Rooney can probably be relied upon for another goal or two between now and the end of the season but there is not exactly a clamour among fans for the club’s all-time leading goalscorer to resist the advances of China this summer, and a dismal 45 minute showing against Hull was not going to alter that stance. Rooney used to dictate the tempo of matches, now he seems to struggle to keep pace with too many of them.
And then
there is Anthony Martial, who appears to be on something of a collision
course with Mourinho, with supporters anxiously wondering how that
particular scenario will play out.
Mourinho had spoken publicly on Tuesday about how Martial had not done enough, in his eyes, against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup two days earlier to keep his starting place against Hull.
Mourinho had spoken publicly on Tuesday about how Martial had not done enough, in his eyes, against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup two days earlier to keep his starting place against Hull.
So the
France forward was dropped to the substitutes’ bench, failed to appear
for the warm-up and was then overlooked for Rooney and Mata as United
searched desperately for a goal.
United are adamant there is nothing sinister in that but it is proving a very taxing second season at Old Trafford for Martial. Given his talent, and how heavily United invested in him, his future really should not be a subject up for discussion but the player’s relationship with the manager is a curious dynamic at the moment.
This part of the fixture list was supposed to offer United an opportunity to make up ground at the top. But they have drawn against Stoke and Hull and so what can fans expect against Leicester, Watford, Bournemouth, Southampton, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion next in the league?
Eighteen points are up for grabs and, looking at the league table, with Liverpool and City both four points in front, United will probably need to claim all 18 of them. The question is whether their attackers are up to the job?
United are adamant there is nothing sinister in that but it is proving a very taxing second season at Old Trafford for Martial. Given his talent, and how heavily United invested in him, his future really should not be a subject up for discussion but the player’s relationship with the manager is a curious dynamic at the moment.
This part of the fixture list was supposed to offer United an opportunity to make up ground at the top. But they have drawn against Stoke and Hull and so what can fans expect against Leicester, Watford, Bournemouth, Southampton, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion next in the league?
Eighteen points are up for grabs and, looking at the league table, with Liverpool and City both four points in front, United will probably need to claim all 18 of them. The question is whether their attackers are up to the job?
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