Lack of Focal Point
It is no secret that United are lacking a natural number 9.
This is evident both in the final output as well in the build-up.
Whilst Rashford had a really impressive output last season, he still isn’t a natural number 9 and it shows.
His movement in behind in transition is decent, but his predatory instinct in the box is poor. His hold up play also isn’t very good, often leading to United losing the ball under pressure.
With Rashford struggling with the intricacies of being a striker, when it comes to body language and using his body to shield the ball, he struggles. He also likes to operate out wide, and drop deep in frustration when not involved in the game.
The clear fix, is to integrate Hojlund when he is fully fit.
However, until that is the case, we will have to look to use Martial or Sancho in the false 9. We’ve lost a dimension to our game with Rashford not being on the wing.
