Manchester United's Erik ten Hag Tackles Struggling Strikers Zirkzee and Hojlund
- Manchester United has significantly reduced the number of shots faced this season, improving from 660 to 9.8 per game.
- The team's strikers, particularly Joshua Zirkzee, are not shooting enough, which is a new challenge for the manager.
- Erik ten Hag aims to enhance Zirkzee's shooting skills to convert defensive improvements into offensive success.
Erik ten Hag has successfully improved Manchester United's defensive performance this season, significantly reducing the number of shots faced by the team. Last season, the club allowed 660 shots, averaging 17.37 per game, but this season that number has dropped to 9.8 shots per game. However, a new challenge has emerged as the strikers are not taking enough shots on goal. Ten Hag is particularly focused on developing Joshua Zirkzee, a summer signing from Bologna for £36.5 million, into a more effective goalscorer. Despite Zirkzee's adaptability and creativity in supporting teammates, his shooting ability has been identified as an area needing improvement. Ten Hag acknowledged this limitation, indicating that it was anticipated prior to the signing. The manager's goal is to enhance the attacking capabilities of his squad to ensure they can convert defensive stability into offensive success.