No escaping constant striker issues for Eddie

Consider the facts. Having cried out for a No 9 since a certain deserter went on strike, Anthony Gordon had been forced to play as a false nine but hardly ever got in a shot never mind score.

- 

Then glory be, hallelujah, United spent a club record £69m on a new striker who claimed the winning goal on his debut. Salvation at hand. Relief abounds. Faith restored.

Except that when Eddie Howe's team sheet arrived for the biggest match of the season against Euro giants Barcelona Woltemade had been dropped and so had Jacob Murphy who made his goal to beat Wolves. They were available and not picked. That's dropped.

So United took on one of the best teams in world football with a front three not only shorn of Woltemade and Murphy but robbed of their best outside-left, an England regular, playing in his correct position. We instead went into battle with an assembled trio of Anthony Elanga, Gordon and Harvey Barnes who had not scored a single goal between them.

Why such drama before a ball had even been kicked? Was Woltemade left out for tactical reasons? Or was he deemed currently not up to the job? Physically too lightweight without being beefed up on the training ground?

I have never seen Eddie as a Las Vegas gambler, a chancer, rather a studious professor rarely ruffled or given to flamboyant gestures. So I don’t think for one minute he left our new German out because he preferred Gordon at No 9. No, he felt he dare not risk him yet from the start which is an astonishing admittance when it comes to a club record signing.