London - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal accepts that finding a cure for his side's misfiring forward line will be essential if they are to challenge for the Premier League title next season.
United's steady improvement under the Dutchman has come to a grinding halt with consecutive defeats against Chelsea, Everton and West Bromwich Albion, undermining their hopes of sealing a top-four finish without undue anxiety.
They failed to score in any of those three games, a first since 2007, and while Van Gaal complained that West Brom "parked the bus" in their 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Saturday, United teams of old would have found a way through.