Twelve months ago Manchester United’s forward line lacked experience and a sprinkle of stardust, but how different do things look now.
Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford can score world class goals, but it’s their ability to score all types of goals, no matter how scrappy they are which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants the trio to learn.
The additions of Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo means that United now possess two of the best predatory and clinical finishers of all time.
Speaking after Saturday’s 4-1 win against Newcastle United via United’s official website, Solskjaer said on Cavani and Ronaldo: “Edinson and Cristiano are notorious goalscorers and they have that sense and feeling of when to arrive in the box and what can happen
“They’ve played every single situation before, they’ve got that little knack as a striker where they know ‘I’ve got to arrive here’. People will say it’s a tap-in but there’s more to it than that. You’ve got defenders watching, but he’s anticipating that rebound so [for that it’s] a great goal.”
Learning from Ronaldo and Cavani
Ronaldo and Cavani’s movement and sixth sense of where the ball will drop in the opposition’s penalty area will no doubt rescue United on several occasions this season.
With United not yet ahead in Ronaldo’s return on Saturday, it was the 36-year-old’s predatory instincts which gave his side the lead and sent Old Trafford potty.
Last season away to Southampton, Cavani came off the bench to save United with a textbook poaching display.
Training with Ronaldo and Cavani day in, day out will only improve our younger forwards’ ability to smell blood and start scoring the type of goals that made their manager made a living from.
Without Cavani and Ronaldo, United’s forward line looks a lot more predictable, but having the pair inside the penalty area will mean opposition defences cannot switch off for a second otherwise they will be punished.
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