Martial, Rashford, Lukaku and Pogba out to prove Solskjaer need not add to Man Utd's attack
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Updated 31/03/2019 at 13:32 GMT
Manchester United’s attacking quartet reached an impressive milestone on Saturday, and they have two months left to convince Ole Gunnar Solskjaer it is worth sticking, not twisting, this summer – writes Michael Hincks.
Lukaku, Rashford, Martial and Pogba
Image credit: Getty Images
Solskjaer’s reign as permanent United manager got off to a victorious, albeit unspectacular, start at Old Trafford on the weekend.
The 2-1 victory over Watford saw United leapfrog Arsenal into fourth, piling the pressure back on the Gunners as they prepare to hose Newcastle on Monday night.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were both on target against Watford, and the pair joined Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba in scoring ten or more Premier League goals for the season.
In doing so, the quartet became the first to score 10+ league goals in one Premier League campaign for United since Paul Scholes, Andrew Cole, Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona in 1995-96.
It is undoubtedly a remarkable feat, particularly given Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov once graced the same United squad in 2008-09.
And while with seven league games to go there is still time for Lukaku, Rashford, Martial and Pogba to add to their respective tallies, it also provides them with seven more opportunities – plus the Champions League, of course – to persuade Solskjaer against bringing in attacking reinforcements this summer.
The Norwegian is adamant on turning United from top-four chasers to title challengers once more, but to do so, at least one, though arguably two, of this fab four will have to build on this promising platform if they are to win a first Premier League in the post-Ferguson era.
Manchester City duo Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling currently occupy two of the top six spots in the Premier League top scorer’s list, so too Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane (as well as Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).
It is blatant proof of the old adage that a title-winning side needs a striker capable of scoring more than 20 goals, but the fact City and Liverpool have two players on course to break that barrier shows the bar has been raised.
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Anthony Martial of Manchester United celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Watford FC at Old Trafford on March 30, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Image credit: Getty Images
As a result, Solskjaer will have to consider his options this summer. Under his guidance, Rashford certainly looks capable of reaching that mark, and while Pogba’s haul is impressive for a midfielder, does the now-permanent United boss believe Lukaku and Martial can offer adequate goalscoring support?
We could well find out that answer in the coming months, and whether Solskjaer looks for fresh attacking impetus will depend on who is available and for what price, while there are also other areas United desperately need to address.
But first, let's see how the final auditions of the season play out.
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