Manchester United have struggled to score goals consistently under Erik ten Hag (Picture: Getty)
Former Manchester United centre forward Wout Weghorst has shed light on the reason he struggled to score goals under the management of Erik ten Hag.
Weghorst earned cult-hero status during his time at Old Trafford, but more so for his hardworking displays, rather than his goalscoring prowess.
Indeed, the experienced forward scored just two goals in the 31 appearances for the club, but he insists he was asked to fulfil a ‘different’ role under Ten Hag which played a part in his unflattering statistics.
“They were super successful months in which we hardly lost,” Weghorst told The Mirror of his time with United. ‘I was also very important for the team, as both a focal point of play and hard-working link between midfield and attack.
‘Only my goals were lagging behind. That gnawed at me and was the reason why I lost my starting place.
‘The Premier League is by far the toughest league in the world, with the best defenders. But we were rarely the dominant side creating chances. And the way we played was also different from what I was used to.
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‘In Germany and Turkey, the teams always played for me. I was the end of the line, while at United I mainly had to ensure that others could excel. I think I managed that very well. But whichever way you look at it, I would have liked to score much more often.’
Weghorst is far from the only forward to struggle to find the back of the net under Ten Hag, with summer recruit Rasmus Hojlund’s Premier League goal drought now standing at 14 matches after yesterday’s blank at West Ham.
‘I think he’s a very strong character and he can deal with the stress,’ said Ten Hag when asked about Hojlund’s goal drought. ‘I took him off.
‘He was ill during the week and so he had a little lack of power. So, yeah, in that sense, I protected him.
‘We have to play two more games this week. But we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. No one. And we have to take the responsibility.
‘If you are playing for Manchester United you have to do it together, but everyone has to be accountable and take responsibility.’
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He scored just two goals in 31 appearances.