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After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over in December last year, Manchester United initially played a blockbuster-style of football, scoring goals galore which eventually lifted the spirits of frustrated supporters at Old Trafford. Unfortunately for the Norwegian, the run fizzled out before the end of the season, where United won just 2 of their last 12 games.
While there were a lot of reasons for United's drastic downfall, perhaps the biggest issue was that the Red Devils had failed to carry on their goalscoring form. The diabolical performance of the defense certainly took all the criticism, but it cannot be denied that the forwards were not prolific either. The Norwegian certainly had that in the back of his mind and cut to pre-season, there seem to be plans to ensure that there is no repeat of the same.
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Solskjaer is desperate for his team to play a high pressing, attacking brand of football and he has used a front three in all games in pre-season. One of the main highlights of the Norwegian's style of play is a fast, dynamic front three, with wide-men who continuously drift inside and switch positions at ease. Solskjaer's forwards are expected to implement a high press and also incorporate a combination of speed and trickery to impact the game, with fluidity being an extremely key component.
The Norwegian does have quite a few choices for the attacking trident, and unless United make any further significant offensive additions in the team, the three players mentioned below could be the preferred picks in attack. Read on to find out Manchester United's ideal forward line for the upcoming season.
Left Wing Forward - Anthony Martial
Last season, Anthony Martial scored 12 goals from 38 appearances for Manchester United and was largely criticized for his languid stance on the field. There is no doubt about the Frenchman's qualities, however, Martial has been guilty in the past of being too casual and not working hard enough on the field. But it cannot be denied that he is United's best choice on the left at the moment.
Alexis Sanchez has consistently failed to impress down the left, while new signing Daniel James is too inexperienced to immediately perform at the top level on a regular basis. However, there are quite a few reasons as to why Martial could be Solskjaer's preferred choice for the left forward position.
For starters, the Frenchman's partnership with Luke Shaw had been one of the few positives from last season. Also, on his day, Martial can churn up magic on the field and destroy any defense in the world. His finishing is clinical and there have been subtle indications in pre-season that the Frenchman has brought another significant change in his gameplay.
In the three games so far, Martial has shown a desire and hunger to track back and press -something that has been missing from his game. Maybe an arm on the shoulder from Solskjaer has done the job, but the Frenchman certainly looks interested and involved on the field and also appears comfortable in the pressing style of football so far.
Martial could finally reach the standards that he promised early in his career in the upcoming season as a part of Solskjaer's zestful front three.
Center Forward - Marcus Rashford
Solskjaer has clearly stated that Marcus Rashford is his preferred player for the center forward role. The Englishman might still be a little raw around the edges, but the qualities are there for everyone to see. Rashford was initially brilliant for Solskjaer after the Norwegian took over the caretaker role, however, like the rest of the team, he too faded away as the season reached its climax. Needless to say, he does have the perfect mentor to get back his scoring boots and stamp his authority in the league next season.
Manchester United have made a very promising start to preseason and Rashford's role in the team has been consequential. Rashford has shown the hunger that every center forward thrives on and he has looked in great shape as well. The Englishman is blessed with a stellar combination of speed and skills and there have also been signs of an understanding developing between him and Pogba. Rashford has also been timing his final runs beautifully so far and he will only improve as the season progresses.
Solskjaer's system demands a very mobile central striker, who can help the team establish a fast transition of the ball. This is one reason why Romelu Lukaku has not flourished under the Norwegian and also the main reason as to why Solskjaer wants to use Rashford as his main striker. All the Englishman has to do now is be ruthless in front of goal and break the 20-goal barrier in the upcoming season.
Right Wing Forward - Juan Mata
The right-wing forward role has been Manchester United's Achilles heel for a few seasons now. United do still lack a proper right forward and while Solskjaer has used quite a few players in the role, it is perhaps Juan Mata who could be extremely effective in the position, courtesy of United's front three's insistence on being extremely fluid and swapping positions regularly.
The Norwegian does have the option of using Mason Greenwood or Daniel James in the role, and in such a case, Mata could tuck into the central attacking midfield position while one of those two play in the forward role. However, having Mata in the team does give the Norwegian quite a few options.
The Spaniard, who loves playing through the middle, will most definitely interchange positions with the central attacking midfielder. Mata could start in the right forward role and then switch positions centrally with Lingard, who has been preferred in the central attacking midfield role in preseason due to his relentless energy which aids United's attempts to press from the front.
The Spaniard might be lacking speed, but his vision and passing range, coupled with his qualities on the ball, make him a dangerous proposition, especially with all the speed around him in the team. His ability to pick a pass and thread those inch-perfect final balls could actually be an asset in the team. Mata's tendency to drift inside from the right will also open up spaces for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been good whilst bombing down the right flank for United in preseason.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of having Mata in the team is the experience that comes with the inclusion of the Spaniard. Needless to say, the young United attack line is a little short of worldly wisdom that comes with age, and Mata's inclusion could provide certain stability and composure that will complete the team.
