If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the boffins at INEOS haven’t already done their sums, they might like to know that Manchester United’s collection of attackers cost just short of £300million to put together.
An attack that had gone more than six-and-half hours without a goal before Alejandro Garnacho’s double got United back into this game last night before Rasmus Hojlund snatched a dramatic winner.
Erik ten Hag’s side were in danger of becoming the first United side to go five matches without a goal for the first time since the drab days of 1981 under Dave Sexton, a very capable coach who older United fans will remember was sacked largely on the basis of the bland football his team produced.
More than 42 years later and now it’s Ten Hag feeling the heat. United’s football isn’t bland – at least it wasn’t here at Old Trafford – but this is a team that has been in chronic need of goals.
Only Burnley, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have scored fewer than the 21 goals mustered by Ten Hag’s team in the Premier League. Villa are now on 40.
Consider this: Ollie Watkins’ nine league goals this season is only two less than Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Garnacho, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen and Facundo Pellistri combined.
United came into this fixture having failed to score in their last four games – the defeats to Bournemouth, Bayern Munich and West Ham, and the draw at Liverpool. Perhaps even more damning was the fact, in those four games, they managed a grand total of eight shots on target, which is quite staggering for a club so synonymous with attacking football. This was much better but the killer touch still eluded them for almost an hour.
'The next step in our process has to be about becoming more clinical with our chances,’ Ten Hag wrote in his programme notes last night. ‘The creativity and imagination is present in our play, so if we start translating opportunities into goals then teams will really struggle to contain us.'
Only creativity and imagination hasn’t been present in United’s until they rediscovered their mojo here. After the defeat at West Ham on Saturday, it was highlighted that wingers Antony and Garnacho have averaged roughly one pass per game to striker Hojlund in the Premier League this season.
When Garnacho had the simple task of squaring the ball to Hojlund to tap in from close range in the 32nd minute, he inexplicably overhit the pass.
Hojlund had gone 14 league games without a goal since signing for £72m in the summer when he finally scored in the 81st minute. Antony, who cost £86m last year, is without goal or assist in any competition across nearly 20 hours of football.
The Brazilian was dropped last night to give Rashford his first start in six games. Rashford has been a shadow of the player who scored 30 goals last season, but he this was much more like it as he forced Emi Martinez into two smart saves in the first half.
His pass released Garnacho to score three minutes after the restart, but the young Argentina international couldn’t stay onside and it was ruled out.
When Rashford produced again in the 59th minute, Garnacho delivered before striking again.
The long wait for goals was over and then Hojlund conjured a winner. Maybe Ratcliffe does have the Midas touch.