MUFC Attackers Don’t Press Opponents Enough – Gordon Strachan

Manchester United’s forward line do not put in enough effort to score goals, Gordon Strachan has said. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

According to him, Brighton, Liverpool, City and Arsenal forwards constantly work tirelessly to press opponents in every game, but MUFC attackers rarely try to make the opposition uncomfortable during matches.

Gordon added that only Real Madrid can get away with being successful despite not pressing constantly.

His words, “I look at the way teams like Brighton, Liverpool, City and Arsenal play without the ball, and their forwards are working tirelessly to press and harry the opponent. They’re aggressive. They force the opposition into mistakes. Manchester United don’t do that. We haven’t seen Manchester United’s forward players doing that under Erik ten Hag and that worries me. Is it a case of fitness? Is it a case of attitude and desire? I just don’t see the United attacking players being positive in terms of hunting down the opponent and putting them under pressure.

With the exception of possibly Real Madrid, every single top team hunts down possession and presses with their forwards. PSG used to be like that with three world-class players in Messi, Neymar and Mbappe just trotting about – that is why they never won the Champions League. United’s front three remind me of them, and not in a good way! In a way that says, I’m going to saunter about and not put the work in off the ball.

When you close down and press as a team, every single player has to commit. I don’t see that whole-hearted effort, and it starts from the front three players.”

WOW.

Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division in the English football league system.

Nicknamed the Red Devils, they were founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, but changed their name to Manchester United in 1902. After a spell playing in Clayton, Manchester, the club moved to their current stadium, Old Trafford, in 1910.

Alex Ferguson and his assistant Archie Knox arrived from Aberdeen on the day of Atkinson’s dismissal, and guided the club to an 11th-place finish in the league. Despite a second-place finish in 1987–88, the club was back in 11th place the following season. Reportedly on the verge of being dismissed, Ferguson’s job was saved by victory over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup final.

The following season, Manchester United claimed their first UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup title. That triumph allowed the club to compete in the European Super Cup for the first time, where United beat European Cup holders Red Star Belgrade 1–0 at Old Trafford. The club appeared in two consecutive League Cup finals in 1991 and 1992, beating Nottingham Forest 1–0 in the second to win that competition for the first time as well.