24 games, 13 losses, 11 wins. Four games without a goal scored. Rasmus Hojlund is yet to score a Premier League goal. Antony is as bad as ever. Alejandro Garnacho can score bicycle kicks but not simple finishes.
And those facts are not all-encompassing.
Manchester United’s attacking struggles reached anaemic levels against West Ham United as they fell to a limp 2-0 defeat.
After their performances against Bayern and Liverpool were termed “heroic” defensively, sweeping their attack under the rug, it got exposed against the Hammers.
The one stat that summed up the shameful state of their attack is that Jarrod Bowen had more goals than the entire United starting XI combined.
It’s fair to say that it is beyond a crisis now.
Unlike in defence, which is holding the fort appreciably despite a barrage of injuries forcing Willy Kambwala into action, the attack is not missing much.
Except for Jadon Sancho’s self-imposed exile, every attacker is available.
Therefore, when the result is this lethargic performance devoid of creativity, the excuse of injury no longer flies.
Erik ten Hag is stuck in a vicious cycle where his solutions create problems he meant to solve, perhaps personified by the
United limped to an abject 2-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham today. They played reasonably well at times but West Ham’s incisive forward line of Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta ultimately proved the difference between the sides, combining to score two goals in the space of six minutes.
Ten Hag’s side had no answer to going one down, let alone two. But the match was characterised by the same disjointed midfield performance United fans have grown painfully used to seeing this season.
At the heart of this fundamentally weak heart? McTominay.
