Manchester United are entering the most important period of the 2020-2021 campaign. They are the highest scorers in the league and the first team to reach 50 goals. However, it is their leaky defence that has been their undoing, with the side conceding a whopping 31 Premier League goals.
Old Trafford is no longer a fortress where teams struggle to get any type of result. It is where Manchester United have lost most of their games this season. Without Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United would be fairing a lot worse in all competitions.
Manchester United attacking lineup also includes Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood. However, it has been Fernandes who has made the biggest impact in terms of goals and assists.
While a lot of criticism has been aimed at United's defence, their attacking unit has also failed to score goals at various points this season. We look at Manchester United's least effective forward players and their goal returns based on the number of matches they have played.
#3 Mason Greenwood
Mason Greenwood impressed in his first season at the club, scoring an impressive 17 goals in over 40 appearances. His ability to use both feet to score goals was something that made him stand out. Many have even drawn comparisons between Greenwood and former United striker Robin van Persie.
Greenwood may not have played as much as he wanted because of Cavani's arrival at the club, but the young forward still has a lot to prove. In 29 appearances this season, he has scored only 4 goals for a 0.13% goal/game conversion rate. Only time will tell if he can get to double digits for Manchester United before the season ends.
#2 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial has the second-lowest game/goal conversion rate among the Manchester United forwards at the moment. He has made 29 appearances this season, scoring a total of seven goals for a 0.24% conversion rate.
Martial has been criticized because of his lack of work rate whenever he has started as a centre-forward. Given that Cavani is viewed as a more clinical finisher, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has pushed the Frenchman to the left wing in recent months to switch things up. However, there hasn't been a significant improvement in Martial's game with this change.
At 25, Martial has yet to live up to his full potential. Questions remain as to whether he can be the electrifying player who lit up Old Trafford on his debut against Liverpool.
#1 Daniel James
Daniel James has featured the least among all of Manchester United's forward players. The speedy Welsh winger only has 3 goals to his name in 11 appearances this season with and his goal/game rate is 0.27%.
It will be hard for James to nail down a starting position given the experience of the players around him and the urgency to pick up points at this stage in the season. James is far from a natural finisher but his speed could be vital when it comes to stretching defences.