Piece by piece, Manchester United's ideal attack has begun to form this season, but the battle for Erik ten Hag is trying to get them out on the pitch at the same time.
It says much for the start Ten Hag has made at Old Trafford that he's recovered from those two disastrous defeats in August to steer his side to the brink of the top four, despite navigating injury issues in defence and attack.
Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire were the only central defenders left standing at the weekend but the picture hasn't been much clearer in the front three. Anthony Martial has managed just 135 minutes and now Antony is sidelined as well.
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The front three of Anthony Elanga, Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo fielded against West Ham at the weekend was the first time that they had started together this season and there have been plenty of different combinations.
What Ten Hag would consider his ideal front three has probably changed at various times since August. Jadon Sancho was in there in pre-season and at the start of the campaign, but he's struggled for form recently and was dropped for Elanga at the weekend.
The £73million winger looked bright as a right-winger in pre-season, but when United spent £85.5million on Antony towards the end of the transfer window it became clear the Brazilian was earmarked for that role.
Sancho has still had his moments on the left, playing in the same team as Antony, but his form has dipped markedly in recent weeks while others have begun to shine.
Antony's return of a goal in his first three Premier League appearances was impressive and he's looked bright in spells. His performance against Tottenham was the best of his Old Trafford career, but momentum has stalled with a leg injury that ruled him out against West Ham at the weekend.
It's clear the 22-year-old is the first pick on the right of the attack, however, and Sancho's struggles on the left make Marcus Rashford the ideal candidate for that role.
Rashford has played through the middle at times this season, but he's looked best from the left and scored from that position at the weekend, his seventh goal of the season. The 25-year-old has been one of the success stories of this season, benefitting from the arrival of Ten Hag and the rise in the standards of coaching at Carrington.
He's filled in well at centre forward when required this season, but it doesn't feel like his best role. He moved to the left on Sunday with Ronaldo returning as the spearhead of the attack.
Ronaldo's performance was better against the Hammers but he did miss two presentable chances and has just three goals in 14 appearances this season. His relationship with Ten Hag has evidently been rocky, with the nadir coming when he refused to appear as a substitute in that stylish win against Tottenham.
There has been a truce since then and Ronaldo has just completed back-to-back 90 minutes for the first time this season, but there remains a feeling he just isn't a natural fit for this system under Ten Hag, which relies heavily on pressing from the front and some flexibility between the front three.
What Ten Hag really wants at No. 9 is a fit Martial. In those brief cameos this season he has three goals and two assists and he's influenced every game he's played in, despite not playing more than 45 minutes in any of his four appearances.
Had Martial had a more successful loan spell at Sevilla in the second half of last season he might well have been sold this summer. Instead, he's had a chance under Ten Hag and he's taken it. The Dutchman was impressed by the forward in pre-season and the intelligence of his pressing has won rave reviews amongst the coaching staff.
Every time he has played this season he has looked like a threat, but he hasn't played often enough. United's best front three right now is Antony, Rashford and Martial, but they've barely played together.
There were 29 minutes at Goodison Park, when Antony scored from a Martial assist before the latter was forced off with an injury. Those three were also on the pitch together for 13 minutes in the 3-2 win in Cyprus against Omonia Nicosia, although that was in a front four, with Ronaldo also present. It still produced a goal, for Martial, in that period.
So there's been very little opportunity for Ten Hag to see that combination in action together. It has the balance of a left footer on the right and a right footer on the left, with the intelligence and movement of Martial through the middle.
There is a lot to like about it and there is a chance we will see it again before the World Cup. Rashford remains fit and will surely be involved in the games against Real Sociedad, Aston Villa and Fulham, and Martial was back in training on Monday.
Ten Hag has been insistent Antony's injury isn't too serious, so if the former Ajax winger can return prominently there might just be an opportunity for Ten Hag to finally unleash his best attack once again.
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