Ahead of the 2008/09 season, Sir Alex Ferguson was keen to repeat the impressive achievements of the 1999 Treble winners.”We need four strikers in Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to achieve what we want,” said the legendary Manchester United manager.
At the time, Scotland could call on Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov. Erik ten Haag has no such fortune. Anthony Martial is out until mid-April after undergoing hip surgery, while Rasmus Hojlond is United’s only senior striker after a quiet January transfer window.”It’s no secret that I want an extra striker,” said Ten Hag. “We need to be a bit more creative when it comes to nine-figure positions,” the manager admitted during the final five months of the campaign.If Hojlund can’t play every minute, here are some solutions Ten Hag can use: Ten Hag have had little hesitation in giving first-team opportunities to United’s youth academy graduates this season. Take a look at the arrival of Kobbi Mainoo.
Omari Forson was the man to take the ball back to Mainu before setting up the winner against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but you’d be hard-pressed to count that as an assist.Forson took part in United’s pre-season tour of the United States, which began against Borussia Dortmund, but missed the break following an altercation with Karim Adeyemi. Ten Haag admitted the 18-year-old could be sidelined but have kept a close eye on Forson since then and watched him make his Premier League debut on February 1.
Amad Diallo missed a game on Christmas Eve last summer with a knee injury. As he gradually earned first-team action, Amad found his way into United’s forward line.During his productive loan spell at Sunderland last season, Diallo was deployed on the right wing and in the centre. Whether the diminutive 5’8 Ivory Coast international has the physical profile to play up front in the Premier League remains to be seen, but Ten Haag mentioned Amad when listing alternatives to Hoylund.
