Since selling Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2006, we have failed to bring in an out-and-out striker to replace him. Coupled with Louis Saha’s injuries, United have found themselves playing a different style of football to what they’d played for years, particularly when Ruud had been in the team.
Basically, our wingers bombed down to the corner flag, crossed in to the box, and Ruud put the ball in to the back of the net. Other than holding the ball up at times, he contributed little to our all around attack, but excelled in positioning himself perfectly to score when the ball found him.
For the last two seasons, our forward players were given the freedom to the attack the box more equally. There was no longer the pressure to find Ruud, with the likes of Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo and Nani being able to share the scoring responsibilities.
Whilst United have faced the criticism of being a "one man team" following Ronaldo’s phenomenal season, it is interesting to point out that because we no longer had an out and out goal scorer, the goals were spread out far more evenly.
At the end of 2006, Ruud finished our top scorer with 21 league goals (24 in total), after him came Rooney with 16 (19 in total), then came Ronaldo with nine (12 in total), followed by Saha with seven. We had three players featuring within the 19 highest scorers in the league.
At the end of the 2008 season, Ronaldo finished our top scorer with 31 league goals (42 in total), after him came Tevez with 14 (19 in total), then Rooney with 12 (18 in total), followed by Saha with five. We had three players featuring within the 11 highest scorers in the league.
However, whilst I’m happy with the greater freedom our attacking players enjoy, I can’t help but feel we need an out-and-out striker.
Whilst not trying to sound ungrateful about the brilliant season we have just enjoyed, our performances in several games could have seen the year end very differently indeed.
There were too many games in which we totally dominated, but dropped points because we couldn’t convert our chances. Reading at home, City away, West Ham away, and Blackburn away are the most obvious examples of this.
Now, of course I know United can’t win every game, and there are going to be games where it just doesn’t work out the way we believe it could and should. But with the league becoming more competitive every season, we are going to have less and less room to manoeuvre in.
Chelsea were a long way off their best last season, yet took the title to the last day of the season. We need to improve next season to ensure the title stays in its rightful home and the most obvious way to do this is to bring in a prolific striker.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is a player we have been linked to for years, and now that interest is apparently becoming more concrete.
“I love clubs with great history like Ajax, I also love United,” Huntelaar said. “It’s a club that makes me dream, especially as Ruud van Nistelrooy played there and did great things with them. I know certain English clubs are following me, like Manchester United, who are very interested in me.”
Here is a player who, if he can make the transition from the Dutch League to the English League, could light the Premier League up.
We wouldn’t necessarily need to change the football we play either, using Huntelaar as an impact substitute to begin with. Playing him from the start would mean dropping Tevez or Rooney, which on occasion would be fine. Rotating our three main strikers could see improved performances due to fiercer competition and fresher legs.
For his goalscoring stats, click here.
His scoring record is out of this world, with him enjoying several seasons where he’s almost scoring a goal a game. He’ll turn 25 this summer, which makes it rather make or break for him.
If he’s going to come to England, he needs to do it now. We want to sign him, he "loves" us, so do we want him to be the one signing Fergie makes before the start of the new season?
"What's So Special About Huntelaar and Do We Need Him?" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.
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3 months ago
I think Huntelaar would be a great addition to ManU. At the start of the season he would be a perfect player to come in off of the bench and by the end of the season he could be put into a regular rotation with Rooney and Tevez. But it sounds like Sir Alex is only planning for one signing this summer and I feel their most pressing need is more depth in defense and more specifically right back. I was hoping for Alves but that's not going to happen. I'm not sure who else would be available but I think this is definitely needed. Their defense was worn thin by the end of last year and it almost cost them the title.
3 months ago
Can i just say that this is a quality article and covers several points of view and vital statistics that others lack. The talk of the style of uniteds play is spot on and I totally agree with your view that we need an out and out striker. This was clear in the frustrating games you mentioned e.g. Reading when simple simple chances went begging. I give credit for you accepting that there is something missing in man uniteds play as evry1 else on this site seems to think that with ronaldo evrything is perfect and we are unbeatable which is simply untrue. Huntelaar would definately be a class act for united going off his goalscoring record. We can only wait and see what the transfer window brings us...
3 months ago
Huntelaar has a higher scoring average than any other top attacker that played in the Netherlands, which includes famous names like Cruijff, Van Nistelrooy, Van Basten, Romario, Ronaldo, etc who all played in the Ducth competition and he has the same scoring average for the national team and was also top scorer in the last European U21 that the Netherlands won. At the moment there is no other player in the world at this young age who has shown an immense scoring ratio for several years in a row. He also has made some very beautiful goals and is famous for what they call in the Netherlands the "bicycle kick", check out YouTube for:
Huntelaar: Bicycle Kick King
The majority in Holland blame Van Basten for not allowing him to play more, probably the reason why he doesn't want to play under Van Basten who is the new Ajax coach.
Even 35 million Euro would be a bargain.
3 months ago
And btw, I'm not the "John" who replied before me.
3 months ago
You don't NEED Huntelaar, but it certainly wouldn't hurt if Cristiano departs!
3 months ago
What’s So Special About Klaas-Jan Huntelaar?
- He scores goals for fun?
And do we need him?
- Yes
about 1 month ago
We do need an out and out striker, Huntelaar would be perfect, more clinical than Berbatov and in the same vein as Van Nistelrooy. With Ronaldo out for 2 months, we only have Tevez, Rooney & an unproven Campbell as strikers (I've given up on poor Saha!).
I believe Huntelaar could make a bigger impact than Torres did for Liverpool, which I must grudgingly admit was quite phenomenal. Regarding Fergies 'one big signing', I think may be some kidology involved, but looking at some of the young defenders we have coming through I think the squad with Huntelaar added would be fearsome again!
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