Louis van Gaal urged his Manchester United team to give Radamel Falcao the service to show his goalscoring prowess.
Falcao, 28, scored just his second United goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, and Van Gaal believes the striker needs more crosses of the sort Ashley Young delivered for his headed equaliser.
The Colombia international struck 155 goals in 200 games for Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco but has been less productive in nine appearances during his injury-hit loan spell at Old Trafford.
"Falcao is also dependent on his teammates," Van Gaal told a news conference on Tuesday. "Falcao can be in great form but the team has to be in great form. That allows Falcao to show his qualities.
"When the cross is not coming from Young, then he cannot show what he has done in the last match."
Van Gaal praised skipper Wayne Rooney for his versatility, saying that makes the 29-year-old his preferred type of footballer.
The Dutchman has used Rooney more in midfield than Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes did, and is pleased the England captain offers both energy and a goal threat when in a deeper role.
"Wayne is a player who can play in different positions," he said. "I am happy with that because I like multifunctional players.
"I can use him as a midfielder and also as a striker and also as an attacking midfielder. He can also score goals and against Aston Villa, he was more of a defensive midfielder.
"He has the ability to run from box to box and that is also that he has to read the match and feel the match. I believe he can do that."
United are set to be without Luke Shaw, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Marouane Fellaini again for their Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, though Van Gaal confirmed that Blind has returned to training.
But while there is a chance defender Chris Smalling could be fit to return to contention, their injury problems continue ahead of a busy period in the season.
Smalling came off in United's 2-1 win against Southampton on Dec. 8 with a groin injury, and United's four senior centre-backs -- Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Rojo and Smalling -- have all had at least two spells on the sidelines because of injuries this season.
"Smalling maybe it is a question mark. I have to look," Van Gaal said.
Blind is back in training but is expected to be out of first-team action until 2015 with a knee ligament injury and, while left-back Shaw is back in training after an ankle problem, Van Gaal thinks Friday's fixture will come too soon for the former Southampton defender.
Fellaini, who had earned himself a place in the team, missed Saturday's 1-1 draw with Villa with illness while Rojo has sat out United's last two games because of a thigh injury.
Midfielder Herrera, who had been a regular on the bench, missed the Villa game with a muscle injury but had said on Monday he was hopeful of returning soon, though Van Gaal said the Spaniard is not yet back in contention.
"[Fellaini, Rojo and Herrera] are not coming back," the Dutchman added.