SOLSKJAER: Plenty of goals in this squad!
UNITED plan to continue developing Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as an attacking trio amid frustration in their attempts to sign Jadon Sancho.
The trio scored 62 goals between them last term and Greenwood, 18, became only the fourth teenager to score 17 goals for the Reds in a single season after George Best, Brian Kidd and Wayne Rooney.
United earmarked the right wing as their priority position for this transfer window but have not even made a bid for Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho. The German club have repeatedly insisted Sancho, 20, is staying at the club.
With deadline day in just over a week’s time, the Reds are under pressure to finalise a deal for Sancho or find an alternative for the right flank. Daniel James struggled in the role against Crystal Palace last week and was substituted at half-time.
“They are top players and I think any of the top teams lose two or three of their forwards, the creators, those who make the difference, of course that can be an issue,” Solskjaer said of Greenwood, Rashford and Martial. “Then that gives a chance to anyone else to believe that they should be playing more to stake a claim.
“Those three - Mason, Marcus and Anthony - had a fantastic season last season. We want to develop them, of course, together as a three.
“Then you have players behind them who create chances for them, so it’s not just up to the front three. It’s the relationship, they get used to each other, you are a splitsecond ahead. The more you can play with the same players of course the better the team will be. Of course, you are lucky sometimes with injuries and you don’t lose them. If we lose one of them I am pretty confident that we have players who can step in.”
Juan Mata lined up on the right in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Luton but Greenwood is expected to start in today’s lunchtime Premier League kick-off at Brighton.
United have shown interest in Sancho, Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish and James Maddison over the last year and the contracts of all three players have been extended this summer. Odion Ighalo is on loan to United until January 30 but has underwhelmed since the restart.
With an over-reliance on the attacking trident of Greenwood, Rashford and Martial, Solskjaer has demanded the squad’s other attacking players offer more of a goal threat.
“We had the front three who scored 60-odd goals, then you had Bruno (Fernandes) who chipped in with penalties and free-kicks.
“We need more goals from our set-plays. Harry (Maguire) is one of the best in the league of first contacts from set-plays. Can we get more from that? Can we get more goals from midfield? Of course that could give us extra points. It needs to give us extra points.
“We have got players in Donny (van de Beek) and Paul (Pogba) who can definitely chip in with more goals. Jesse (Lingard), Juan, Dan James, they can get up there with a bigger tally as well.”