“My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking.”The famous words of France’s WW1 general Ferdinand Foch seem to have resonated with Manchester United.A week ago, they were giving way to a scratch Asean XI and retreating from a shambolic post-season trip.The situation was anything but excellent, and could have worsened with fears that skipper Bruno Fernandes was about to desert.But, as in politics, a week is a long time in football, especially in the transfer window, and United are making the most of it: they are attacking.Or, at least, they’ve been quick out of the blocks and are signing attackers, having held on to Fernandes.There has also been a significant move off the field among the so-called politburo, with the ‘marginal gains’ guru himself being marginalised.For owner Jim Ratcliffe to sideline trusted sidekick David Brailsford suggests that the penny might at last be dropping.The former cycling boss, who was director of football operations, has no credentials in the sport, and it showed.He will now get back on his bike as head of the INEOS cycling team.Jason Wilcox, United’s technical director, will become director of football.A lively winger, Wilcox has enjoyed a long career in the game and won the EPL title in 1995 with Blackburn Rovers.On the field, too, there seems to be method in their latest manoeuvres.Among the team’s many faults, a chronic lack of firepower was probably the biggest.So the signing of Matheus Cunha and the pursuit of Bryan Mbuemo are moves in the right direction.Wolves’ Brazilian Cunha bagged 15 goals in the EPL last season, which was more than double the combined total of Rasmus Hojland and Joshua Zirkzee.Cunha comes at a release clause price of £62.5 million, which is less than half the combined cost of the above duo.At long last, the scattergun has been discarded, and there appear to be clear targets for the spending.Players will have to be sold to finance it, but the wantaways are banging on the exit door.Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho have fallen out with Ruben Amorim and are unlikely to play for United again. As homegrown players, both will command sizable fees.And if the Cameroonian Mbuemo arrives, at least one of the aforementioned flops could be offloaded.Hojland, who was preferred to Harry Kane two years ago, is the more likely.A lightweight over a legend, the not-so-great Dane was seen as the future as he’s almost 10 years younger and was cheaper, but…Kane continues to bang in almost a goal a game for Bayern Munich and he could have been the talisman that United has been missing.This type of muddled thinking has dogged the club in recent seasons.The most significant difference between Cunha and Mbuemo and the Dane and the Dutchman is that the former have been regular scorers in the EPL.And the ex-Wolves man has a spark about him that could wow the Stretford End. It can get him into trouble, too, but United are no strangers to mavericks.There is no other shortcut to the top echelons of football now that the Europa League has been lost, but strikers can cover cracks elsewhere in the team.Goals are what it’s all about, after all, and having at least one hitman of this calibre should enable the club to contend for a place in Europe.Cunha’s temper may be a risk – he got himself sent off unforgivably to miss three crucial Wolves games – but if he can stay on the field, there won’t be any more bore fests like the last Manchester derby.If Cunha gets off to a decent start and plays mainly on his favoured left side, there are the makings of an Amorim-shaped attack with Fernandes and Diallo as his partners in a front three.For his part, Mbuemo will bring a strong physical presence and the confidence that 20 goals for a mid-table side brings.Deciding on where these two fit in is going to be a nice problem to have.Perhaps the only negative this week has been the return of Jadon Sancho, Chelsea preferring to take a £5m penalty rather than fork out a hefty fee for the player.Now United are burdened with all of his £300,000 a week wages with little hope of getting back even half the £73m they paid for him.With Mason Mount another England international yet to justify a big fee, Amorim has a lot of square pegs that don’t fit his round holes.Casemiro is another high-maintenance fading star who won’t have much resale value, while there are question marks about almost everyone who came in under Erik ten Hag.It didn’t seem like it at the time, but the Ajax boss was a catastrophic appointment when the signings are totted up.Ironically, Antony, the worst of them, may have clawed back a bit of value with his unrecognisable form on loan at Real Betis.After the anti-climax of the Asian tour, there is now a glimmer of hope for long-suffering Devils’ fans.Indeed, if things continue to brighten, they may come to see the moment that was the historic low point.A relatively small private matter, but one big on hope and disappointment, it could be a metaphor for United’s season.It was when Garnacho donned sunglasses and walked straight past his compatriot, Sergio Aguero, to whom he’d promised his shirt.The quick-thinking kitman found it in the laundry basket and handed it over. They say the darkest hour is just before dawn. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.