Rio Ferdinand has highlighted an immediate concern that Rúben Amorim must address promptly if he is to succeed at Manchester United.
Last season, Manchester United struggled for goals far too often, with Rúben Amorim’s men lacking physically imposing forwards who were able to finish their chances consistently.
In the summer transfer window, the club sought to address the issue and invested around £200 million in a new front line ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Matheus Cunha joined in June from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Bryan Mbeumo then secured his move to Old Trafford around a month later from Brentford.
Then, just before the season kicked off, United signed 22-year-old striker Benjamin Šeško from RB Leipzig, who made his debut against Arsenal on the first day of the season.
Ferdinand highlights chance creation concern
Following United’s first four games, in which they registered one win, one draw, and two losses, many statistics emerged that the club were creating plenty of chances, which seemed in contrast to the lack of consistent goal-threatening scenarios fans were seeing.
This strange phenomenon seemed to be on display against Manchester City during the 3-0 loss last weekend, too. United created nine statistical chances on the night, but never looked like a serious goal threat at the Etihad Stadium.
Speaking on his podcast, former United defender Rio Ferdinand has explained that he is becoming worried about Šeško, but not through any fault of the Slovenian striker. United seem to be creating no chances for him, handing him little opportunity to score.
“The one I’m worried about is Šeško,” Ferdinand said. “He ain’t getting no chances man, he ain’t getting no opportunities, there’s nothing created for him.
“That’s the concern. A new striker comes in the football club, gets in the team, you’ve got to think about creating chances for him. Getting him on the end of things. He’s got to think about getting on the end of things.
“That’s something I think has got to be looked at, and fixed quick. I don’t want to think about what it could turn out to be.”
Amorim has a simple solution available to him
“It’s depressing watching United like that,” Ferdinand continued. “The way we allowed them to get in and get goals and get opportunities – it was weak, it was powderpuff, it just lacked anything.
“I thought in the first half, we pressed them quite well, and we had possession at times. [But then we] got in the final third, and there was zero creativity. Without Bruno [Fernandes], you’re looking at it going, ‘who else is going to create something – [Bryan] Mbeumo?’ But there’s no real guile.”
As Ferdinand explains above, not having Fernandes closer to the opposition box is really hurting United. The club captain is playing a deeper role and is being asked to progress play forward, but when he’s passing from deep to the front line, by default, he is not near the attacking players.
The simple solution is to play Kobbie Mainoo in Fernandes’ current role, and allow the Portuguese captain to stay closer to goal, which is where he plays his best football.
The key difference between how Mainoo progresses play compared to Fernandes is that while the latter passes, the former runs. This allows Mainoo to arrive on the edge of the area with the ball and play a closer, neater pass, while also staying as an extra man and an extra option in attack.
If Amorim can switch these roles against Chelsea and allow Mainoo to progress play while Fernandes continues higher up near Enzo Maresca’s box, United will be able to create many more genuine chances for Šeško to finish.
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