Alan Shearer claims Man Utd signing can take them to ‘the next level’ | Football

Alan Shearer believes Manchester United can go ‘to the next level’ if they bring in another centre forward before deadline day.

United were looking to pick up where they left off under Michael Carrick last season, but were instead outthought and outmuscled on opening day as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Hull City.

And the manner of the defeat against their newly-promoted opposition has seen United’s summer business placed under a microscope with just a week to go until the end of the transfer window.

The Red Devils made it a priority to bolster their options in central midfield, with Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba all arriving from Premier League rivals.

But that spending has somewhat come at the expense of adding depth both defensively and in forward areas, both of which were exposed in the defeat to Hull.

With Benjamin Sesko still working his way back from a shin injury and Joshua Zirkzee seemingly deemed surplus to requirements, United looked toothless and lacking a focal point in the centre of attack.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have both deputised in the role, but Shearer believes United desperately need to add another out-and-out striker to their ranks if they are to keep pace with their rivals around them.

‘I do think for them to go to the next level they need another striker,’ Shearer told Metro.

‘I don’t think they’re good enough defensively, but I do think they’re also lacking in the centre-forward position.

‘Clearly, Sesko wasn’t fit. They brought him on in the second half and he missed a couple of decent chances, but I do think that to go to the next level, they might need another centre-forward.

‘Having said that, I guess you could say that with many clubs. Where do you get them from? That’s the big thing.’

Adding further urgency to United’s need for more depth in attack is their increased fixture load following their return to the Champions League.

United played just 40 games last campaign, their fewest since 1914-15, but could play as many as 60 matches this time around should they reach the latter stages in European or domestic cup competitions.

And all that will put added pressure on Sesko and the rest of the forward line, with Shearer, a Betfair Ambassador, insisting: ‘It’s not so much the games, it was the travelling that’s for me that was the toughest thing.

‘I quite enjoyed the games. You’re going away; you’re playing in the iconic stadiums against the best teams. I quite enjoyed that.

‘Obviously, there is a greater chance of injury, but I found the travelling that is the tiresome thing that weighs on you mentally as the season drags on.’

United will look to get back to winning ways this weekend at home against Ipswich Town, but Shearer insists Carrick’s side will have to improve in every department to get their season properly up and running.

‘It looked to me as if they just rocked up to Hill expecting to win, when in reality, if you’re going away to a newly promoted club, to their ground on the opening day of the season, you know that the minimum you have to do is match them for effort and commitment,’ he said.

‘Man United didn’t do that from the first minute, so they deserved to be beaten and they were embarrassed.

‘They’ve got the perfect game, I guess, or is it the most difficult game? Another promoted club at home this time. You would expect a different attitude, a different result and a different performance.’

Alan Shearer was speaking on Wembley Way at the launch of Betfair’s Walk of Shame, which immortalises football’s most spectacularly inaccurate predictions and takes. Everyone’s got an opinion, back yours at Betfair.

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