Man Utd are suffering goal drought and here is why the system is the problem

Manchester United’s struggles seem never-ending, with problems both on and off the pitch piling up.

Despite handing Erik ten Hag a contract extension last summer, the club made the costly decision to replace him with Rúben Amorim in November—yet the managerial change has failed to spark a turnaround.

In fact, United’s situation has worsened since Amorim’s arrival, with the club languishing in 15th place, alarmingly closer to the relegation zone than the European spots.

At the time of Amorim’s first game against Ipswich, United were just four points off the Champions League places. However, since matchday 12, they rank 17th in the league for form, collecting just 15 points from a possible 45.

As they prepare to face Ipswich again on Wednesday night, the focus will be on their struggling attack—an issue that has been central to their continued decline.

The statistics make for grim reading. Amorim has been unable to revitalize United’s misfiring forward line, with his insistence on a 3-4-2-1 formation coming under scrutiny. The system simply isn’t working, and the squad lacks the personnel to make it effective.

Since Amorim’s arrival, United have scored just 18 goals in 15 league games—the 16th-lowest tally in the Premier League during that period. Meanwhile, Liverpool have netted 25 more goals in the same timeframe, highlighting the gulf in attacking quality.

To make matters worse, United’s attacking depth is worryingly thin. Following Amad Diallo’s season-ending injury, Amorim has only three forwards at his disposal: Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Højlund, and Alejandro Garnacho. The situation has been further compounded by Marcus Rashford and Antony finding form since their January exits.

Amorim’s three remaining senior attackers—Garnacho, Højlund, and Zirkzee—have a combined market value of €152 million, yet they have scored just eight league goals between them this season. By comparison, Liverpool’s three most prolific forwards have netted a staggering 43 goals.

Adding to the concern, none of United’s front three have scored a league goal since December, placing them among the top 20 players in the Premier League for longest ongoing goal droughts. Their inefficiency in front of goal is further underlined by the fact that United have missed 43 of their 46 big chances this season—the worst record of any team in the division.

With their league campaign effectively over and their worst-ever Premier League finish looming, United’s hopes of salvaging their season rest on their performances in the Europa League and FA Cup. If their goal-scoring woes continue, those competitions may slip away just as quickly as their domestic ambitions.