Erik ten Hag’s team has only scored once in their first two Premier League matches and is in dire need of improving their attacking prowess against Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United has been known for their fast starts, not just under Sir Alex Ferguson. Even in the last few unsuccessful seasons, the Red Devils could still rely on an explosion of goals.

In the 2021-2022 season, they began with a 5-1 victory over Leeds. The season before that, despite losing the opening match to Crystal Palace, they defeated Brighton 3-2 in their first away game. In the 2019-2020 season, they thrashed Chelsea 4-0 right from the opening day. In Jose Mourinho’s first season, they scored five goals in their first two matches. In the second season, that number rose to eight.

However, in both seasons under Erik ten Hag’s leadership, they have only managed to score one goal in their first two matches. After a hard-fought 1-0 win against Wolves, Man United failed to score in a 0-2 defeat to Tottenham, and there’s a familiar feeling to how they started ten Hag’s first season in charge, with a home defeat to Brighton followed by a 0-4 drubbing by Brentford.

United managed to recover from their poor start with a win against Liverpool in their third match of the previous season, and at least they have a relatively easier game coming up, at home against Nottingham Forest. But despite eventually finishing third, they only scored 58 goals. That’s at least 10 goals fewer than any other top-six team and equal to Brentford, who finished ninth.

The scarcity of goals is something that United wants to address in the summer, but despite spending over £165 million ($209 million) on new signings, Man United still seems lightweight in attack…

1. Hojlund has not been in good form after his injury. This player is rarely given opportunities from teammates

United’s top priority for the summer was a striker, and ultimately Rasmus Hojlund was chosen to lead their attack in the coming years, as they decided to recruit the 20-year-old player for £72 million ($92 million) from Atalanta instead of spending even more money to buy Harry Kane.

However, their biggest hope in the attack has suffered a back injury and is still awaiting his debut. Hojlund stands at 6’2″ and possesses explosive speed and strength, which will make him a valuable asset once he recovers, perhaps just in time for the trip to Arsenal on September 3rd.

United had to go through most of the previous season without a genuine striker due to Anthony Martial’s fitness issues, and ultimately Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, along with Wout Weghorst’s lack of impact. Even the Dutchman was often used in the number 10 position rather than as a number 9. Therefore, it’s not entirely surprising that United encountered similar issues in attack as the previous season until Hojlund steps onto the field in the long-awaited debut match.

2. Rashford has not lost his form miserably

Another consequence of Hojlund’s injury is that Marcus Rashford had to play as a substitute in the center forward position. Last season was Rashford’s highest-scoring season of his career, but his best moments came when he played from the wings, such as when he troubled Barcelona at Camp Nou or scored a superb long-range sliding goal against Burnley.

Rashford admitted to Gary Neville on The Overlap show in the summer that his favorite position is on the left wing in the attack because he can get involved in the game more. He said: “Playing on the left wing is easier to get involved in the game, and since I was young, I always wanted to be involved in the game. That’s why I struggle sometimes playing as a center forward because of my patience. You may not touch the ball for 20 minutes, and then the first touch could be a chance to score. You have to stay mentally focused. Meanwhile, on the left wing, it’s more natural, feels more normal.”

Rashford had to take on the role of the main striker in the first two matches, and he didn’t look like himself as usual. He had four shots in the game against Wolves, but three of them were blocked. He had three chances in the game against Spurs, with one blocked, one saved by goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and a free header after a rabona pass from Bruno Fernandes, flying over the crossbar.

As he was substituted, he was seen sitting with a frustrated expression on the bench. The forward who scored 30 goals last season has only had a total of two shots on target so far in this season, and Hojlund’s return didn’t come at the right time for him.

3. The wing stars played poorly

United has always been known for their exciting wing play, but their wing players are struggling to perform. Rashford playing in the center is just part of the issue. Antony still has much to prove after an unsuccessful debut season, where he only scored four goals in the Premier League and provided two assists, numbers equivalent to those in the Eredivisie with Ajax. His price tag of £85 million ($107 million) only adds more pressure on his shoulders, and he hasn’t been able to justify the value United paid for him.

Antony hasn’t had a strong start to this season; he was unlucky to hit the post in a good opportunity against Spurs and didn’t make much of an impression in the game against Wolves. Alejandro Garnacho, who shone last season, has also been disappointing and only adds to the argument that he’s more effective coming off the bench than starting.

Jadon Sancho deserved to start ahead of Garnacho in the game against Forest after being on the bench in the first two matches, but he has lacked confidence and creativity in most games since his move from Borussia Dortmund, failing to live up to the £74 million ($93 million) transfer fee he set for himself.

4. Good opportunities are missed

While United haven’t performed well in their first two matches, at least they’ve created chances, showing that the reason for their low goal tally is more about failing to convert attacks rather than lack of creativity. In the game against Tottenham, they had 14 shots in the first half, more than any away game since they faced Blackburn Rovers in October 2008 when they were Premier League and Champions League champions.

Rashford and Antony missed good opportunities in North London, but the clearest chance fell to Fernandes, who headed over the bar after a great cross from Luke Shaw. After the Tottenham game, Ten Hag emphasized the importance of scoring first in the Premier League.

Starting well but not taking advantage of chances and then losing is a familiar theme from last season, with United paying the price for wastefulness in games against West Ham and Brighton, in particular. They will surely create chances in the game against Forest; they need to capitalize on them.

5. Mason Mount is like an invisible man at Old Trafford

Ten Hag’s first move in the transfer market was to sign Mason Mount, a move that puzzled many fans and observers, but the Netherlands coach asserted that this would make United much more versatile. However, Mount has struggled to adapt and is currently sidelined until at least after the September international break due to a thigh muscle injury.

Mount failed to impress in the preseason and has found it difficult in competitive matches. He has been playing deeper than usual at Chelsea, alongside Fernandes. This positional change has had a dual impact, making United more vulnerable defensively with Casemiro isolated and less sharp in attack.

The English midfielder had only 26 touches in the game against Spurs, the second-lowest among United players who started. He also didn’t have any touches in the opposition box.

6. Spending too much effort in pre-season

Another concern from United’s first two matches is how some players looked fatigued. The Red Devils played 62 games last season, and some members of the squad already appeared exhausted in June. Some players, especially Casemiro, now seem similarly tired after just two matches.

United didn’t help themselves by organizing a hectic preseason campaign, playing eight friendlies in 25 days across five different states. Most of their preparations took place in the United States, where they traveled across the country, visiting four different states, accumulating over 5,700 air miles. They went from New Jersey to San Diego, then to Houston before ending up in Las Vegas.

While these tours bring significant commercial value for United, the primary goal of a preseason campaign is to prepare for competitive matches, and it seems like the tour had the opposite effect.

“This tour has been good, but there have been too many games and too many trips,” Christian Eriksen said after the defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas. “We expected a tough preseason, but perhaps there have been too many trips. Playing in different places had to happen, and we adapted, but everyone is glad to be back home.”