Former Manchester United forward Luis Nani has pinpointed the key reason why Ruben Amorim’s players are struggling to find the back of the net consistently.
United have struggled to score regularly this season, netting just 39 goals in 34 Premier League matches. This tally places them among the lowest-scoring teams in the league, with only Leicester City (27 goals), Ipswich Town (33), and Everton (34) having fewer goals.
A number of key attacking players have underwhelmed. Rasmus Hojlund has managed just four league goals in 29 appearances, while other attackers including Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee have proven to be unreliable.
With just four matches left to play, United would need to score 11 more goals to hit the 50-goal mark – a tough ask considering their woeful form.
Nani spoke to The National and explained that confidence is why United are struggling in front of goal.
He told the new outlet, “Talking about the attacking line is always difficult because sometimes it’s about motivation, confidence. But when you play at that level, your confidence must always be on the top [level].”
“The players who are playing, they need to switch on and give everything in every game because we need them, the club needs them. They are there because they have the quality to play for the club. So, yeah, they need to change the moment.”
Nani backed Amorim to come good at Old Trafford despite a difficult first few months at the helm.
“I think we have a great coach. We all know that it’s a matter of time. It’s a big club. It’s a big pressure for everyone who comes next [after] a very good generation with a lot of success. So everyone who comes to the club, you know, they have a lot of work to do. I always say it’s a matter of time.”
“I think the coach is the right coach. We have some [some] world-class players. We need to bring some more quality and in the future we will get back to our normal life.”
“I think [Amorim] is a great coach. He just needs time to adapt and learn more [about] how to play the game in the Premier League. How to put the best teams on the field in the right games because every game is different, every team is different, so he needs to learn that.”
“The secret before with Ferguson was he knew which team [he needed to pick] to win that game, so I think that’s the problem.”
With United’s season already a write-off, full focus is on the Europa League and Nani insisted this is the right approach.
“We have a big chance to win that trophy and winning that trophy gives us the chance to get back to the Champions League. So it’s a big achievement for him to think about and he needs to work very hard on that.”
Nani was in Dubai as part of a delegation of retired Portuguese footballers invited to take part in matches with the UAE Under-17 national team and other up-and-coming players.
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
