How do you replace Cristiano Ronaldo? Most teams would struggle with this dilemma, and find it to be an impossible one to solve.
Manchester United have already stumbled upon a solution, with a trio of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial clicking instantly.
The three players have each combined to score three goals each in four games, two of which they played just 45 minutes each.
This is an attack where the goals are spread around, and not all channeled through one centre-forward.
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Sancho, Martial and Rashford together
Last season United’s top goalscorer chart told its own story. Ronaldo scored 24 goals, and no other forward reached double figures.
Marcus Rashford only scored five, Jadon Sancho four, and Anthony Martial just one in his half-season before his loan.
United saw in 2019/20 what a dangerous three-pronged attack could do, when they are all in-sync and working for the benefit of each other, and the team.
Anthony Martial scored 23 goals, Marcus Rashford 22, and Mason Greenwood netted 17 times.
Swap out Greenwood for Jadon Sancho, who hit 20 goals that same season for Dortmund, and United have a trio who can as a unit, be better than what we saw last season.
United struggled to score goals last season, with just 57 in the Premier League, fewer than the 73 scored in 2020/21 before Ronaldo arrived.
Ronaldo did great to score 18 league goals at the age of 37 last season, and its possible that last season, he was the player the team needed to get through it.
But the future could lie without Ronaldo, especially considering his widely reported desire to quit the club, via BBC Sport.
Last season none of United’s players struck up a connection with Ronaldo, not even international teammate Bruno Fernandes, who didn’t provide an assist for him after November.
Rashford went into his shell, while Sancho couldn’t strike up a rapport with him either.
Anthony Martial may be a far lesser player than Ronaldo, but what he can do, is bring out the best in his teammates, and that’s invaluable.
If Martial scores 15 goals this season and both Sancho and Rashford score 15 each, that’s 45 – more than the 33 which Ronaldo, Rashford and Sancho combine for last season.
And that’s a conservative estimate on what this United attack could achieve. All three of them could reach 20 goals if it goes well.
Ronaldo is a great player, but an attack led by this trio could be better than the one we saw him lead last season. United just need to sign sufficient cover, with the number 7 looking to depart.
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