Manchester United have struggled in front of goal in the Premier League this season, but Paul Parker believes the answer to their troubles could lie in a recently-relegated young star.
Manchester United’s league form this season has been abysmal, so much so that this campaign has been statistically the club’s worst since the Premier League began over 30 years ago.
One big problem this season has been goals, with the club currently sitting in 16th place with a goal difference of -11, again, the worst they have ever had in a Premier League season.
For former United defender and club legend Paul Parker, the solution to their goal deficit lies not in chasing another superstar with a hefty price tag, but in bringing in a player with the grit and desire to play for United that a lot of fans feel the current squad is lacking.
Parker, who won two Premier Leagues, an FA cup and a League Cup in his time at Old Trafford, believes that Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap could be exactly the type of player United need to reignite their forward line.
Parker urges Amorim to sign young Mark Hughes
As per FourFourTwo, Parker says: “Manchester United are crying out for a young and hungry centre forward, and I would take Liam Delap all day long.
“He’s a fabulous player. I love his work ethic, the fact that he’s never beaten, and he’s desperate to prove himself and has a burning desire to score goals.
“He wants to run past people, make unselfish runs and turn the bad into the good.
“Liam Delap reminds me of a young Mark Hughes, and he’s not afraid to put himself about. A bit of a Mark Hughes trademark.”
High praise coming Delap’s way
Comparisons to Hughes, a United great renowned for his physicality, bravery, and spectacular goals, show just how high Parker’s praise for the young Englishman is.
What also excites Parker is Delap’s refusal to conform to the rigid, possession-based style often drilled into players at elite academies. Despite his Manchester City upbringing, Delap is a player with his own style who isn’t afraid to try things his own way.
“Delap has his own ways of doing things, willing to improvise things and do it his own way,” he added.
“A bit like Cole Palmer or Morgan Rogers. These players that came through Man City are a bit more alternative to typical players and are willing to think for themselves and play more instinctively.
“The game used to be flooded with players like that in my time, but we’ve lost it now. Today’s footballers are too systematic and can’t do something off their own back, not willing to put themselves out there and be brave, but Delap is.
“The club needs players who are desperate to make a name for themselves at the highest level, Liam Delap is that player. He would give United something they’ve been missing for a long time.”
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