Manchester United Show Desperate Need for Striker in Draw with Arsenal

Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie both tried, but neither could provide a decisive contribution in Manchester United's draw with Arsenal, and addressing the problem up-front should be a key priority for Louis van Gaal in the summer.  

The theme of effort without reward has become well worn for both players. Falcao's four-goal return has been way below expectation, given the cost of his loan. When he was substituted on Sunday evening, the Old Trafford crowd rose to applaud him, but it was applause in appreciation of his endeavour rather than his output.

Van Persie has mostly looked like a shadow of his best this season. In Wayne Rooney's absence both men had an opportunity to stake a claim for United's No. 9 spot, but neither was able to.

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There were a couple of moments during the game which seemed to encapsulate the striker problem. Marouane Fellaini and Daley Blind both had opportunities to play through balls between the Arsenal centre-halves to Falcao and Van Persie respectively, but they did not choose to play the pass.

It may have been that they did not see their strikers' runs, but it was hard not to think that they considered the lack of pace in their forwards when choosing to pass laterally.

The strikers had two shots between them—one each, both off target. Neither created a chance for their teammates. The best that could be said of either was that Falcao's hold-up play was better than it has been on occasion. Of course, that is nowhere near good enough.

United's possession-oriented style runs into trouble when the forwards underperform. The patient buildup in midfield would benefit greatly from in-form strikers ready to finish chances. 

It is easy to pine for Rooney in his absence, but his output has hardly been spectacular this season. He probably warrants selection over Falcao or Van Persie on form, but that really is not saying a great deal at this point.

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It is possible that this is a problem that can be solved with the players who are already at the club. Van Persie may yet prove to have another good run in him. After all, his form was poor before the goals started to come in late 2014. Rooney has always been a player who scores in streaks, and he will surely hit a purple patch again.

While it seems logical to assume Falcao will not be at United next season, nothing has been publicly announced, and maybe with a good pre-season under his belt, even he could improve.

That last possibility in particular seems a long shot. What seems more plausible is that James Wilson's development could reach the point where he could be relied upon to regularly contribute. However, next season, relying on one of the senior strikers to find consistent form and Wilson to develop beyond his cameo role would seem to be a gamble too far.

At the beginning of this season, United seemed almost too well stocked with centre-forwards. Van Persie, Falcao and Rooney, on paper, looked to be the best selection of strikers in the league, and the difficulty looked like it would be choosing between them. In the end, the difficulty has been that the first two have not lived up to their billing.

With the summer transfer window approaching, Van Gaal must consider investing heavily in a proven centre-forward. His system would look much more effective with a spearhead. Gambling on strikers who have let him down this season will be a dangerous game.

Advanced statistics per WhoScored.com.