Gary Neville asserts that Rasmus Hojlund’s lack of a clearly defined role in the Manchester United team has hindered the striker, who has had a difficult first season in England.
Gary Neville has given his verdict on why Manchester United are not getting the best out of Rasmus Hojlund (Image: PA)
Rasmus Hojlund, a struggling striker for Manchester United, has garnered sympathy from Gary Neville.
In July of last year, Hojlund signed a contract potentially worth £72 million to join United from Atalanta, but his first Premier League season hasn’t been easy. The young Dane hasn’t made much of an impact outside of a productive two-month stretch of midseason form when he scored eight goals.
Erik ten Hag’s position is becoming more and more precarious, and the team’s various problems have not helped him. According to Neville, the 21-year-old’s form and confidence have suffered as a result of the team’s lack of a defined plan and his lack of a regular position in the lineup (via the Manchester Evening News).
The Sky Sports pundit wrote in The Overlap newsletter: “I felt bad for Hojlund when I watched him.” You mention how hard it has been for United to field a reliable back four this year. But upfront, it’s the same.
“Hojlund is unaware of the play pattern, including whether the wide player will enter the game or go to the line. He consistently makes strong runs, as you can see, and after the wide man returns inside, there will be a series of fifteen passes.
“He’ll try to join in with that one more time, and that’s when the wide player will unavoidably decide to reach the line and cross it. It will be hard to be a center forward for United until they can develop a reliable style of play.”
Ten Hag discussed his faith in Hojlund in a recent Sky Sports interview with Neville. “We have made some choices with talents like Rasmus Hojlund,” he said.
Rasmus Hojlund has endured a tough first season at Manchester United ( Image: Simon Stacpoole)
“We wanted to sign Harry Kane, a striker who has already proven himself, but we were unable to sign him. Then, since Rasmus is talented, we went to see him.
“You can count on Harry Kane to score 30 goals. Rasmus needs more time, but I believe he will succeed. To evaluate him in the same way as Harry Kane is unfair. Because two players are so different from one another, I would never compare them.”
“But with Rasmus Hojlund, we get the highest potential in the striker position last summer,” the Dutch manager finally admitted. He needs time to adjust, but we are very happy with him. We are thrilled that he demonstrated his ability to score goals.”
