Manchester United came away from the 2-2 draw at Leicester City on Boxing Day rueing a couple of defensive mistakes and missed opportunities in front of goal.
Marcus Rashford in particular was guilty of missing two sitters in each half, either side of the goal he did score.
So it was interesting to see the choice of message assistant coach Mike Phelan posted on social media a day after the game.
He shared a wondrous video of NBA team the Golden State Warriors practising their shots in training, without missing a single one.
Phelan’s message might simply have been one of appreciation towards one of the best NBA teams of the past decade, and the work they put in.
Or it could be interpreted as a not so subtle dig at United’s misfiring forwards.
Either way, it is likely Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial will all have been doing extra shooting practice in training over the past couple of days.
No amount of training can truly replicate the pressure of an in-game situation, but repetitive success like this can help mental and muscle memory and make it easier.
Golden State have won two and lost two to begin the new NBA season with a mixed record. Obviously replicating training success for real is not always straightforward.
As for United’s strikers, they will have to step up over the upcoming games to show a more ruthless streak. The Leicester game demonstrated again that against top teams, you will be punished if you do not take your chances.
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