Gary Neville sets target for Man Utd’s new-look attack to give them a ‘good chance of getting into the top six’ | OneFootball

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville says he is hopeful that the team’s new frontline will be able to score 40 combined goals next season.

Boss Ruben Amorim has completely revamped his attack this summer by signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko for around £200m.

It follows a dismal first campaign in charge for the Portuguese head coach, in which United finished 15th in the Premier League and managed to score just 44 goals in 38 league games.

But speaking ahead of the new season at a Sky Sports launch event, eight-time Premier League winner with United Neville says he is feeling more optimistic now the side have a new-look attack.

“Those three signings, if you said to me after that Tottenham game in the Europa League that Manchester United would have a forward line of those three that they’ve signed, I’d take that,” he said. “I’d have snapped your hand off.

“Two of them are proven Premier League players, obviously they’ve got to step up a level. Sesko’s young, he’s got potential. Can they somehow settle those three players in to how he wants to play in that system?

“Can they embed in themselves at United? Can they get them probably 35-40 goals which would probably be par for those three players?

“If they can get 40 goals, United’s goal record last season was terrible, then they’ve got a good chance of getting into that top six.

“But they’ve got to settle those three players and we can’t take that for granted anymore at United, I don’t think.

“I’m hopeful. There is a bit of risk being removed by the fact that Mbeumo, I think he’s quite solid, he’s robust, he’s played at Premier League level, so has Cunha, so they know the Premier League, they’ve been to all the grounds, there’s no shocks for them, it’s just that expectation of United.

“And then obviously the boy up front, he’s young, can he get off to a good start? That’s important for him.”

Neville also admits it is not a realistic target for United to be in the title race, but hopes they can be in the hunt for a Champions League spot.

“I think they’ll be looking at Champions League,” he said.

“I think that’ll be the ambition obviously. I think we’ve gone past the point now where we say Manchester United have to win the league. I think that’s unrealistic.”

He also says not playing European football can be beneficial for Amorim’s side in their hopes of improving domestically.

“I think it has to help, because there’s basically more training time, it means there’s less pressure on the players, less injuries, it means that the best players can play more often in the league and not have those demands of a Thursday night game,” he said.

“But I think they’ve got to start the season well, they’ve got some tough fixtures early on.”