When Brandon Williams sent a teasing low cross scuttling through the Burnley six-yard box at Turf Moor on Saturday he could feel rightly aggrieved that there was nobody on the end of it.
There was 37 minutes on the clock when Williams' left-footed ball just evaded Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, causing panic in the massed ranks of Clarets defenders.
It was exactly the type of delivery that is usually so vital in breaking down a deep defence. Credit should go to Fred for his pass to play Williams into space, but the 19-year-old deserved an assist for the first-time cross.
It's a moment from the 2-0 win in East Lancashire that sticks in the memory, precisely because it's happened so rarely for United this season.
There's been an obvious lack of creativity for United so far in 2019/20 and much of the blame for that has been laid at the door of the midfielders. But in the modern game creativity has to come from all over the pitch, particularly from full-back.
Comparisons with Liverpool's raiding duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson will do nobody any favours now, but United need more from their full-backs.
United have been reliant this season on their front three of Daniel James, Rashford and Martial, as well as valued contributions from 18-year-old Mason Greenwood. That quartet have scored 37 of United's 46 goals in all competitions and they've claimed 18 of the 34 assists that led to those strikes.
Only Andreas Pereira (three) and Juan Mata and Paul Pogba (two each) have claimed more than a single assist. Of United's four regular full-backs this season all have claimed a sole assist.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka's came in the Boxing Day win against Newcastle and his cross to tee up Rashford's header was a wonderful delivery, but it's been a rarity this term. His defending remains faultless but his attacking play is still a work in progress.
Luke Shaw set up Jesse Lingard's strike against Astana in Kazakhstan with a short pass to feet before the midfielder fired home from 20 yards, while Williams claimed an assist in Belgrade for winning the penalty which was converted by Martial.
Ashley Young's only assist this season also came in Europe, with a clever first-time lay off to Rashford in the 3-0 Old Trafford win against Partizan Belgrade.
So that's four assists in 62 appearances between those four - and only one assist in the Premier League. The concern for United is that the record of their two first-choice full-backs isn't great long-term either. Shaw has nine assists in 118 appearances for the club and just 11 in 185 games for United and Southampton. Wan-Bissaka has now created five goals in 67 games for United and Palace.
Those records compare unfavourably with the full-backs in every other regular 'big six' side, plus Leicester City, and is an obvious area of improvement for United.
Shaw is currently averaging an assist every 16.8 games and Wan-Bissaka every 13.4 games. At Manchester City Kyle Walker records an assist every 10 games and Benjamin Mendy every 6.5 games, while at Liverpool Alexander-Arnold is every 3.7 games and Robertson every 7.3 games.
At Tottenham Serge Aurier sets up a goal every seven games and Danny Rose every 8.5 games, while Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta records an assist every 10 games. Emerson and Marcos Alonso have shared left-back duties at Stamford Bridge this season, with the former claiming an assist every 13.8 games and the latter every 10 games.
When fit Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney would be the first-choice full-backs at Arsenal, with Bellerin recording an assist every 7.5 games and Tierney every 4.6. Finally, at Leicester City, Ricardo Pereira sets up a goal every 8.5 games and Ben Chilwell every 10.4 games.
Those records prove the importance of full-backs who can attack in the modern game. While United's midfield is short of a playmaker at the moment, they also need more from those players occupying the full-back slots.
Wan-Bissaka has admitted his attacking game is still in development, with his cross against Newcastle suggesting he's making progress in that department. On the other flank Shaw is often considered an attacking full-back, but doesn't have the numbers to back it up. Some of this improvement is about finding a way to get the full-backs further up the pitch, but from the evidence so far Williams could be the solution to adding more creativity to United's game, having shown himself to be a dangerous crosser of a ball with his left foot and his right.
lewcekmsty
783
I think right now we need to sign a creative midfielder more than any other positions in the team,our frontline seems to have remembered where to put the ball-hence they are becoming more clinical,yet we stl have a suspect defence,with our usually trusted man btwn the goal post becoming the most culprit of late
PierreMushongi
501
As long as no one is getting passed him as for now he is mastering an attacking outlay...WE ALRIGHT
12UnitedGuyReborn
162
Wow, those stats are just SAD for me, imagine having 46 goals so far and 38 of them are from our 4 forwards, what happened to the rest of the team?, I mean the middle of the park is the worst and our defenders might not be very good coming up to assist the forwards with the loads but at least they are doing their own job pretty well so far, why is the midfield not scoring or assisting ? we have to add more creativity to the middle of the park and meanwhile Brandon Williams is the full package honestly, he is a terror going forward and a beast at the back at least our academy players are slowly coming to our rescue
Buchi109
102
Ole is not mad enough to start Williams just because of all this hypes and comparisons with shaw... Brandon Williams will still have his chances, but not in big games please, he hardly can handle pressures....