Man Utd's Goal Drought: The Painful Truth Behind Their Worst Premier League Season

By Lewis Barnett 1 May, 2025 6 mins read 131 Views

God. I just watched Hojlund's 96th minute equalizer against Bournemouth for the fifth time. The relief on his face was almost painful to see. "I needed that," he wrote on Instagram afterward. Yeah, no kidding, mate.

Four league goals. FOUR. In 29 appearances. I remember arguing with my brother-in-law last summer about whether Hojlund would hit 15 goals this season. I bet him £50 he would. That money's long gone now, just like United's hopes of salvaging anything from this trainwreck of a campaign.

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The Numbers Don't Lie (But I Wish They Did)

Let's be brutally honest here. United have scored 39 goals in 34 Premier League games. That's fewer than relegated Ipswich, for crying out loud! I was at Old Trafford in February when we managed a measly 1-0 win against Fulham, and teh atmosphere was like a funeral.

Only once since 1990 have United finished a league season with fewer than 50 goals - back in 2015/16 under Louis van Gaal with 49. Remember him? The guy who got sacked literally minutes after lifting the FA Cup. Classic United.

To avoid breaking that unwanted record, Amorim's men need 11 goals from their final four games.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

What the Hell Happened to Our Attack?

I spent £120 on a ticket to watch United play Newcastle in December. Worst money I've ever spent. The attacking "talent" on display that day would've struggled to score in an empty net.

Rashford managed just 4 goals before escaping to Villa (smart move, honestly). Amad and Zirkzee have 9 between them when they're not injured. Garnacho has 5. Only Bruno has shown any consistent threat with 8 league goals.

But the spotlight always returns to our £72 million Danish striker. I remember texting my mate when we signed him: "This kid scored 10 in 34 for Atalanta... and we think he'll bang them in for fun in the Premier League?" His response: "Typical United tax - paying double what anyone's worth."

Summer Clearout Coming (And It's About Time)

Look, I've got sources at United (okay, I know someone who knows someone who works in the canteen). The word is that NOBODY is safe this summer. My contact says the priority is an attacking midfielder and an elite number 9.

Delap from Ipswich is apparently on the radar. Gyokeres remains an option. And I'm hearing United are ready to trigger Cunha's £62.5m release clause at Wolves.

Where does that leave Hojlund? Probably heading back to Italy with his tail between his legs.

Amorim's Telling Non-Answer

After the Bournemouth game, someone asked Amorim about Hojlund's future. His answer was... interesting: "We like our strikers. We are improving our strikers. We will see what happens next season."

Translation: "He's gone in the summer."

I've watched enough manager press conferences over 25 years to know when someone's avoiding giving a straight answer. If Amorim believed in Hojlund, he'd have said so. Instead, we got that non-committal corporate speak that makes my skin crawl.

The Neville Verdict

Even Gary Neville - who usually bends over backwards to defend United players - couldn't muster much enthusiasm. "There will be a lot of clubs looking at the talent and where United haven't got the best out of those players and thinking they can get a cheap deal on them," he said on Sunday.

"With Hojlund, there is a player in there for a club in Europe somewhere."

Ouch. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?

I feel for the kid, honestly. He's only 22, thrown into a dysfunctional team with zero service adn expected to perform miracles. Back in 2018, I watched a young Martial struggle with similar expectations. The difference? Martial had Pogba, prime Mata, and a functioning midfield behind him.

Hojlund has... well... Bruno trying to do everything himself while the rest of the team hides.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Unless United somehow win the Europa League (pause for laughter), there's no Champions League football next season. That means less money, less appeal to top players, and more pressure to sell assets.

I've supported this club since I was 7 years old. I've seen the highs under Fergie and the lows under... well, everyone since. But this feels different. This feels like a club that's completely lost its way.

Four league games left. Four chances to avoid setting that unwanted goals record. Four opportunities to show there's some fight left in this team.

But based on what I've seen this season? I wouldn't bet on it.

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Did you miss our previous article...
https://sportingexcitement.com/premier-league/arsenals-secret-weapon-against-psg-target-the-shaky-hands-of-donnarumma