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His fellow forwards\u2019 failings have made it harder for the 20-year-old to ease into life at Old Trafford, though. \u201cI\u2019m convinced with the quality from our [forward] players that they will go and score more goals,\u201d Ten Hag said. The first step is to hit the target: Hojlund has done it with just three of 11 attempts, Antony three from 16, Garnacho two from 13 and Rashford seven from 33. There are reasons why United rank third for shots, but only joint eighth for efforts on target; only 29.4 per cent of their shots have been on target, the fifth lowest average. The forwards are not the only culprits, but a quintet of attackers with a combined xG of 6.95 have one goal between them.<\/p>\n
Ten Hag was keener to cite other statistics. \u201cThe pressing is quite good,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have the most ball regains and the most middle [third] regains in the whole Premier League. But we don\u2019t take benefit in attacking transition moments.\u201d<\/p>\n
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For him, the problem lies partly in decision-making, partly in execution. Certainly Hojlund is still trying to get to know his teammates, though there were signs against FC Copenhagen on Tuesday that he and Rashford are starting to strike up an understanding. But United, Ten Hag thinks, should have had more chances.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cooperation has to click, but we showed this week in the week some examples where they are so many we have overload positions, going in overload position to the opponents\u2019 goal and we don\u2019t net or don\u2019t even hit the target,\u201d he rued.<\/p>\n
It has led to a disjointed feel, to a sense that United have been less than the sum of their parts. Rashford has veered between arguably the best form of his career, scoring 30 goals last season, to some of the worst. \u201cI play him every game and so I have a strong belief he will return to scoring a lot of goals,\u201d Ten Hag said. Rashford delivered a winner, albeit a controversial one, on City\u2019s last trip to Old Trafford in January, but then he had also scored in his six previous games. Now he has no goals in his last eight outings for United.<\/p>\n
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Rashford scored the winner in last season\u2019s Old Trafford derby <\/p>\n
Yet Rashford\u2019s struggles have overshadowed the enduring ineffectuality of Antony. The Brazilian\u2019s season was interrupted by a leave of absence while he addressed allegations of assault from three women, which he denied. On the pitch, however, he has been dismal: his United drought stretches back 17 matches and Ten Hag\u2019s best option on the right against City may be Fernandes, particularly if shifting the captain into a wider role allows him to bolster his midfield.<\/p>\n
And there are other reasons to select midfielders. Casemiro is an injury doubt but remains United\u2019s top scorer in all competitions this campaign. Their leading marksman in the Premier League, somewhat improbably, is Scott McTominay, who got more goals in injury-time against Brentford than their five main forwards \u2013 six if the absent Jadon Sancho is included \u2013 have mustered between them in the top flight all season.<\/p>\n
It is hardly a Haaland-esque haul. And while – when Hojlund was still with Atalanta, and Rashford managed 30, the quartet of the Mancunian – Antony, Martial and Garnacho equalled the Norwegian\u2019s total of 52 goals for a Manchester club between them last season, now they are very much trailing in his wake. And whether or not Haaland would actually have joined United, they have added reasons to regret the one who got away and subsequently joined their neighbours as long as their own forwards are misfiring.<\/p>\n