Manchester United needed Harry Kane more than a new goalkeeper last week

There might have been some positional flexibility to the selections, but essentially Erik ten Hag picked three different strikers in three games for Manchester United last week. Nothing explains better why a goalscoring No. 9 is top of his transfer list this summer, despite David de Gea's wobbles in goal.

It was Marcus Rashford who led the line against Aston Villa, before Anthony Martial was restored at Brighton. Then came Wout Weghorst's selection at West Ham, albeit he ended up playing in a role just behind Rashford. None of the trio scored.

The tinkering to try and find a solution hindered rather than helped United, who scored one goal across the three games, a deflected Bruno Fernandes effort against Villa. Rashford played as a striker and a left-winger during the week. Fernandes played on the right, left and in his customary midfield role. No wonder there was a lack of rhythm to the attacks at the London Stadium.

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There is a feeling United are running out of puff after 57 games so far this season, but then it can be easy to confuse fatigue with just a loss of form and there is certainly an element of that among key players. The midfield has lost the quality and the control it had and none of the forwards look threatening at the moment.

Leicester City's three goals in defeat on Monday now mean that the team in 19th have scored the same number of Premier League goals as United this season. They have improved as a collective from last season but still need eight more goals to match last season's mark of 57. The four seasons before that saw 68, 65, 66 and 73 goals scored in the league, so it shows it has been a major issue this season.

That is made all the