A penny for Wout Weghorst's thoughts at Anfield on Sunday as he watched Liverpool's front-line scoring for fun.
What the Manchester United forward wouldn't do right now for the kind of rebound that saw Mohamed Salah slot home his second, the ball landing at his feet six yards from goal after crashing off Roberto Firmino. Liverpool's luck was in on Sunday, their Midas touch turning everything to goals while Weghorst's barren spell continued.
That's 11 games without a goal for the 30-year-old now and a total of 822 minutes since he fired home his one and only strike against Nottingham Forest. Six of those 11 appearances have seen no shots on target including each of the last two against West Ham and then Liverpool.
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"I’m a striker and I think every striker knows it; you are living for scoring goals," Weghorst said in his first interview as a United player back in January. "That’s the thing we have been working all week to get it done in the weekend and that’s definitely something I want to achieve here also. That’s also what I meant with being part of it and contributing. Of course, for me as a striker, at the end, it’s also all about goals, of course.”
For Erik ten Hag it has never been just about goals, that was not the sole remit with which Weghorst was signed. United needed to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in January but by no means wanted a replica of the Portuguese forward, looking for more than just an elite goalscorer who refused to press.
In Weghorst, they found a willing runner with the physical presence to lead a line and the energy to press from the front. Eight goals in 16 for Besiktas indicated a return to the clinical nature of the forward's Wolfsburg days.
"He’s a goalscorer definitely but also a type who will work for the team, who is a really good pressing player in defending, so he can contribute [there] as well," as Ten Hag would put it upon confirmation of the loan deal.
Much of Ten Hag's hopes regarding Weghorst have come to pass. The on-loan forward has been one of United's most willing runners and had played his part in a run of 11 games unbeaten, including the Carabao Cup final, before Sunday's defeat. His pressing from the front and unselfish run opened the space for Fred to settle last week's FA Cup win over West Ham.
It leaves the striker at an unusual crossroads in which he is 90% of the forward United need, but knows that the final 10% may be what decides his future at the club.
Weghorst has been Ten Hag's only real option as the focal point since arriving, owing mainly to the absence of Anthony Martial. Marcus Rashford is in a purple patch that is seeing him affect games from every position, albeit the 25-year-old almost exclusively starts off down the left.
But if United are to go big for a striker come summer, as is widely expected, at least one of Weghorst or Martial will become surplus to requirements. Ten Hag is expected to want two major signings before the new season begins, and reported interest in both Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen is real.
As it stands, Weghorst's short spell in Manchester has been satisfactory without being an unwavering success - six weeks that have been no way short of effort and commitment. But the gap between good and great can be bridged only by scoring. His future at United may well be decided by goals.
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