Every striker of Erik ten Hag's reign at Manchester United [RANKED]

Manchester United's issues this season have largely been down to a lack of goals and it's perhaps put Erik ten Hag's job at risk. Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt all sit on one goal each.

It's an alarming run in front of goal that Ten Hag needs rectifying and the Dutchman has arguably never had a potent goalscoring centre-forward at Old Trafford. Poor recruitment decisions and injury issues have plagued the club since his arrival in July 2022.

Here, we look at every striker who have played under Ten Hag during his managerial reign and how they fared. Zirkzee's United career is starting, so he's out of the equation.

5. Anthony Martial

We start the list with Anthony Martial, a player who failed to fulfil his potential at Manchester United. The French attacker looked likely to become a megastar when he arrived from AS Monaco in 2015 but injury issues plagued his entire Red Devils spell.

That was the case under Ten Hag who couldn't rely on Martial to be available on a consistent basis. When he was fit he did manage 11 goals and four assists in 48 games across competitions including a goal in a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Dutchman's third game in charge.

Martial's fitness problems were a real problem for Ten Hag in his debut season but fortunately Rashford came to the fore. He was constantly absent in the 2023-24 campaign and put in perhaps his worst performance in a 1-0 loss to Newcastle United in November 2023.

The French forward left United in the summer as a free agent and has joined Greek outfit AEK Athens. It's a sad end to what was supposed to be the second coming of Thierry Henry at Old Trafford.

4. Wout Weghorst

Wout Weghorst's loan signing in January 2023 didn't go down well with fans who felt he wasn't the answer up top for Manchester United. That much was true, when it came to goals, with the tall Dutch frontman managing just two goals and three assists in 31 games across competitions.

However, Weghorst played with passion and at least got on the pitch unlike Martial. He fell in love with the club and his relentless work ethic helped United win the Carabao Cup. He sometimes linked up well with Rashford during the English attacker's best season at the club.

He didn't manage a Premier League goal under Ten Hag but showed resilience, particularly after the 7-0 thrashing away at Liverpool. The Netherlands international, now at Ajax, will go down as one of the worst signings of the Ten Hag era though.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

The one everybody has been waiting for, Cristiano Ronaldo comes in at third place after a tumultuous spell under Ten Hag that led to his second Manchester United exit. The pair clashed during their time together as the Red Devils coach handed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner a bit-part role.

Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure on the bench everytime United played without him on the pitch. Whether or not Ten Hag was trying to freeze the five-time Champions League winner out is anyone's guess but the duo didn't take to one another.

For the most part, the iconic Portuguese forward fared well in Ten Hag's team when playing, registering three goals and two assists in 16 games across competitions. His contributions lessened as his time with the former Ajax coach wore on and he gave a controversial interview in which he said he didn't respect him.

Ronaldo agreed to mutually terminate his contract with United in November 2023 and joined Saudi giants Al-Nassr two months later. There was no way back for the Red Devils hero but one has to wonder how he'd have got on had he stayed beyond that season.

2. Rasmus Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund arrived at Manchester United from Serie A side Atalanta in August 2023 for a reported £72 million. The young Danish forward became the club's most expensive U21 signing in history and was tasked with becoming the main outlet in Ten Hag's attack.

The Denmark international didn't boast the goal record while in Italy that suggested he was the proven goalscorer United needed. His arrival came amid links to Harry Kane who ended up at Bayern Munich. This proved detrimental for him as many expected him to be a prolific frontman and the closest rival to Erling Haaland.

Hojlund has bagged 17 goals and two assists in 48 games across competitions for the club. His hold up play and pace has been on display but a lack of service has been problematic. He's a likable character but given his age, thrusting him into the main striker's role was a tough ask.

1. Marcus Rashford

Fans seem to have forgotten just how deadly Rashford was during Ten Hag's debut season at Manchester United. He not only hit a career-best tally of 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 games across competitions, he dominated defences with his pace, agility and dribbling abilities.

Ten Hag put a smile back on Rashford's face that season after a miserable 2021-22 campaign that had many thinking he was on his way out. That smile has since faded, with the England international regressing last season and making a topsy-turvy start to this campaign.

Rashford has managed 42 goals and 19 assists in 110 games under Ten Hag. The problem is that is his inconsistency and he should be a talismanic prescence, but instead can go into hiding for weeks.

Ten Hag needs goals, and maybe the answer is to move Rashford into the central striker's role with Garnacho and Amad out wide. There is no question that he's been the Dutchman's best attacker during his reign, playing a crucial role in their Carabao Cup triumph in 2023.

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