"The attacking players have to step up" - Paul Scholes calls out Manchester United's attackers after their 2-0 loss to West Ham
Manchester United were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United at the London Stadium on December 23.
United came into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield. West Ham, on the other hand, were beaten by the same Liverpool team, 5-1, in the EFL Cup in their last match.
Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus scored in the second half (72' and 78') to hand the Hammers an important 2-0 win. The win allowed West Ham to leapfrog United into the seventh place, with the Red Devils dropping to the eighth spot.
United last scored a goal on December 6 against Chelsea, when they won 2-1 against the Blues at Old Trafford. Since then, the Red Devils have gone scoreless in four games (3-0 against Bournemouth, 1-0 against Bayern Munich, 0-0 against Liverpool, and now 2-0 against West Ham).
Former Manchester United captain Paul Scholes was disappointed with the attackers and said during the post-match assessment:
"Goalscoring is a big issue. Four games without a goal, without creating anything, really... the attacking players have to step up, bring some confidence, and bring some threat to the team." [TNT]
United's next game is against the high-flying Aston Villa on December 26.
Pressure building on Erik ten Hag at Manchester United
Erik ten Hag's Manchester United were handed their eighth league defeat of the season on December 23 in 18 gameweeks. They have also lost four times in the UEFA Champions League this season and were defeated by Newcastle United in the EFL Cup earlier in the campaign.
This means United's Dutch boss has racked up 13 defeats in 25 games this season. United continue to look rudderless in front of goal, with the club netting just 18 times in 18 PL games this season. Their mainstay forwards - Antony, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho, and Rasmus Hojlund - have racked up a cumulative tally of three league goals in this campaign.
Ten Hag will be aware of the building pressure at Old Trafford and hope for a quick turn of results before the calls for his sack get any louder.