Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has criticized the performances of January recruit Wout Weghorst after he once again failed to score in the Premier League.
The Dutch striker came to Old Trafford after scoring eight times in 16 Super Lig appearances for Besiktas, but has struggled to replicate that kind of scoring form in England.
Weghorst has only one goal to his name so far, in the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest, and is yet to break the score in the Premier League, although he recorded an assist for Alejandro Garnacho against Leeds at the weekend.
While Saha acknowledges Weghorst’s work rate and willingness to try to fill in for others, he feels United need a lot more from their leader, particularly in front of goal.
“I don’t want to be someone who rides on Wout Weghorst’s back, but he is struggling to link up with other players,” Saha told Paddy Power.
He is having a hard time finding the technical aspect that a Manchester United striker needs.
“He made eight appearances, and it was an incredible offer for Manchester United’s Weghorst, but it’s difficult because a player in this position needs goals, assists and impact in the game and it’s not enough to have good energy.”
“This shows that anyone who wants to be Manchester United’s number nine has to have great energy and show that they are capable of playing.”
“I would ask a lot more of Wout Weghorst, especially winning headers given his size. He should have the ball under control more often because he should have no problem keeping his composure.
‘He’s a bit harsh, but I want to see a lot more of him. He is far from what we expect at Manchester United. Being number nine, with very fast players around you is a big task and you have to be efficient in front of goal.
‘You have to strike a balance between running, pressing hard and then being effective in the box. You can’t do it all, especially when you’re a big guy like Weghorst is.
You want to please the team and the coach, but you need to have the right instinct to be in the right place at the right time.
“He’s not there to defend, we don’t judge him by his energy levels and commitment. It’s not enough. He knows he can do better, and hopefully some goals will help him.
Manchester United and Erik ten Hag have given him a great opportunity. I don’t remember another striker having been given so many chances to start running.
MORE: David Beckham approached Manchester United ‘front’ takeover bids
MORE: Roy Keane disagrees with Gary Neville over Manchester United’s title chances
For more stories like this, check out our sports page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
