Cristiano Ronaldo has just sent a wake-up call to Erik ten Hag and Manchester United fan after his Horror Injury
Erik ten Hag's present attacking alternatives may not be reliable enough to help Manchester United achieve their objectives.
Erik ten Hag may have assembled a formidable attacking lineup in the short term, but Manchester United’s striker problem remains unresolved.
Marcus Rashford’s record of three goals in his previous four games is encouraging, but there’s no guarantee he’ll keep up his hot streak. Anthony Martial is magnificent on his day, but many wonder if that day will ever come given his horrific injury record.
Both strikers are currently out, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the line for the past two games. He may have scored 24 goals last season, but his age appears to be catching up with him, even though he did score against Sheriff Tiraspol last time out.
Furthermore, the superstar has not withdrawn the transfer request he made in the summer and may try to go again in January. On Saturday, he suffered a serious facial injury while playing for Portugal against the Czech Republic.
He was alright to continue playing the remainder of the game – and even managed to provide an assist and surrender a penalty – but the event served as a reminder that United is still vulnerable at the top of the pitch.
Ten Hag understands that he needs a long-term talisman capable of scoring at least 15 goals per season, if not more if he wants to complete his rebuilding effort. Ronaldo’s time is up, and Martial spends more time off the field than on it.
Rashford is on fire, but his form has peaks and valleys, as Reds fans are all too aware. Ten Hag requires a striker who can outperform all three of his existing alternatives on a consistent basis.
Ten Hag knows he can’t rely on Martial and Rashford to carry United. Alejandro Garnacho is a promising young player, but he won’t be ready for such a high-pressure situation anytime soon.
For all of these reasons, United will do everything they can to keep Ronaldo in January and look to next summer for their new man, but Ten Hag would be foolish not to make future attacking transfer preparations.
