Man Utd 0-1 Wolves (Sarabia 77′)
OLD TRAFFORD – Nobody likes to kick a man when he is down, especially when it is this cruel a watch. But Rasmus Hojlund: my word have Manchester United got that one wrong.
Eyebrows were raised when United splurged £72m on a young striker with nine league goals to his name in Serie A.
The club, however, celebrated Hojlund’s capture like they had gazumped the rest of Europe to a strike sensation of epic proportions.
The party line was that then director of football John Murtough spent hours thrashing out a deal that meant the club weren’t ripped off. The irony that Murtough is now employed by Atalanta has not been lost on the more cynical of the club’s fanbase.
Two years later, Hojlund has scored one goal in his last 28 games. One drought can be forgiven, for one so young, but this barren run is not the 22-year-old’s first profligate rodeo.
The missed chances against Wolves in United’s 15th league loss of the season – never has there been a more inevitable defeat – aren’t going to be making any gaffes reels, and could easily have been passed up by Mohamed Salah or Erling Haaland.
What is the most damning indictment of Hojlund’s poor showing at Old Trafford, is that an expensive forward, after two years in the Premier League, does not know where to stand.
“I think if you look at the games, we have several players that missed big chances, not just Rasmus,” Ruben Amorim said.
“But for Rasmus, the game is to score goals because he is a striker. But it is a team thing. I have already said that. Our team should score more goals, it is not just Rasmus missing chances, it is all the team.
“The only way I know is to work on him, show him the videos. He needed to score a goal, he will not score if he’s out. So I try to manage that during games. But he needs to score one, maybe that’s all a striker needs.”
Amorim has been backed into a corner. Injuries and the club’s unfathomable decision to allow two forwards to leave without bringing any in during the transfer window means he has to deploy Hojlund in the central striker role most weeks.
Even then, the lack of faith is palpable. Despite not possessing senior strike options from the bench, Hojlund has not completed 90 minutes for United since mid-December. He has been replaced by young forwards, defensive midfielders and Harry Maguire in that time.
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One moment on Sunday provided the perfect microcosm of his United career.
From one of the few balls down the channel Hojlund was positioned correctly for, the young Dane produced a fine bit of skill to leave his marker seeing stars, putting him clean through on goal.
With options to his right, unmarked, Hojlund got caught in two minds, and before he seemed to even know it, he had been dispossessed. The groans from all around Old Trafford weren’t of disappointment at having seen a missed chance go begging, but one of deja vu.
The service on Sunday was not as bad as United’s lack of goal threat suggests. Twice in the first half alone, Patrick Dorgu whipped two superb crosses into the middle where any mediocre striker would normally be lurking, but Hojlund, or anyone else for that matter, was nowhere to be seen and the ball rolled harmlessly out of play.
At 22, Amorim and United cannot play the developing card. Two years in the Premier League is enough to have learned the basics of positioning. Maguire has a higher xG in the past 28 games.
The price tag is all on the club. The goal return is only on one man.
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