A disgraceful report has emerged courtesy of the Manchester Evening News which suggests some Manchester United players are briefing concerns about Rasmus Hojlund’s ability to the press.
We should take a moment to consider Hojlund’s situation as things stand.
Aged 21, Hojlund joined United from Atalana for a fee rising to £72 million last summer. He is in the process of adapting to a new league in a struggling team where strikers receive limited service.
It can’t be easy having the extra responsibility of being United’s only centre-forward because Anthony Martial is so unreliable.
Hojlund’s recent goal drought means the Denmark international has one goal in 10 matches. Moreover, he has not completed a full match since the FA Cup semi-final against Coventry on April 21.
According to Samuel Luckhurst of the MEN, a United squad member told a confidant that certain players are seeking alternative solutions in the final third due to Hojlund’s lean spell in front of goal. United have scored one goal in their past three games. They need to find a way to score in time for the upcoming FA Cup final against Man City at Wembley.
The report adds that Hojlund gained the ball only 14 times in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal before being substituted for academy graduate Ethan Wheatley.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had reports of first-team players questioning Hojlund. The MEN also had a report about their concerns with the striker in December. He then scored his first Premier League goal in the dramatic comeback against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Ten Hag made it clear in a recent interview that his primary target was Harry Kane last summer. United couldn’t get the England captain, who ended up signing for Bayern Munich, so the manager settled on a player he could develop for the future. That requires patience and we need to have that with the likes of Ten Hag as well as Hojlund.
It is horrible for a young player to have little to no support from your teammates. On and off the pitch. It’s disgraceful and shows we are only United in name.
Team-mates should stand up for one another. This is just a childlike attempt to deflect responsibility.
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