Schweinsteiger: Man Utd strikers must want to score

Mark Holmes
Bastian Schweinsteiger: Forced out of United

Bastian Schweinsteiger: Forced out of United

Bastian Schweinsteiger says Manchester United’s forwards must want to score more if the team is to challenge for the Premier League title.

United dropped to fourth in the Premier League on Saturday after recording their sixth 0-0 draw this season, this time against West Ham at Old Trafford.

Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Marouane Fellaini and Schweinsteiger squandered good opportunities to record a much-needed win after United missed the chance to go top last weekend when they drew at Leicester City.

Schweinsteiger believes United’s poor finishing is costing them dearly.

“In every game we create chances but haven’t scored. When that is the case it is not easy to win matches,” the United midfielder said.

“The guy who has the opportunity has to feel that they want to score a goal and are going to score.

“If you miss a chance you have to be unhappy. When you are a big striker like (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Lionel) Messi and Thomas Muller (it is) the same. It is about attitude. They want to score goals. They have quality but they want to score goals. You need the attitude that you want to score.

“The feeling that the players want to score, we need to have more of this. We are trying but we need a goal otherwise you cannot talk about winning a trophy because we should be winning at home to West Ham.

“Players are not scared in front of goal. It is all about the killer instinct. We have players who have the abilities but we need it in every game.”

Schweinsteiger, meanwhile, could face retrospective punishment by the Football Association for an off-the-ball elbow on Winston Reid on Saturday.

“It was a clear red card, a straight red without any doubt,” West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said.

“I can’t blame the referee (Mark Clattenburg) because he didn’t see it, it happens.

“I can’t blame the officials, no matter how disappointed we are.”