Manchester United were sent an untimely reminder that they should have pushed to sign England international forward Ivan Toney in the summer transfer window.
That was the blunt verdict of former Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy, who believes their lack of goals so far this season is already a problem for Erik ten Hag.
United were held to a 0-0 draw away at Crystal Palace on Saturday evening, despite having the lion's share of possession and 15 attempts on the Eagles goal. READ MORE: I spotted how Manchester United players reacted to benched star - it felt significant READ MORE: Why Manchester United substitutes failed to have an impact vs Crystal Palace They have scored just five times in five Premier League games so far this season and heading into the weekend United had the third highest expected goals (XG) rating in the top flight, with only Southampton's XG underperforming more than Ten Hag's side so far this term.
It was a problem that plagued them last season, too, and despite bringing in five first team signings, only one of them was an attacking player.