[mav_9me]

Last 2 goals were right footed long distance. That should open up more opportunities for him to cut to the left foot.

Really optimistic about him for next season.

Now need to get more service into him. One of my biggest complaints about ETH.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

Finishing wise he's been excellent.

Runs he makes are average to below.

Hold up is below average.

Heading is well below average.

His service and our system is straight up embarrassing.

Hard to evaluate actually. He needs to watch videos of Drogba on how to play as a target man and watch videos of Chicharito on how to make runs in behind.

a good and promising first season with lots of room for improvement but he seems like the type to work on weaknesses.

 

[Alemar]

Shevchenko, Eto'o, Batistuta, Villa, Cavani, Shearer, van Nistelrooy and so forth...

If Rasmus comes as good as any of them in his prime, it would be absolutely fantastic

 

[Ali Dia]

Wow it’s almost like knee jerking on a young player on a game by game basis isn’t the right thing to do. Who could have guessed that? He’s very very obviously got all the tools to be a top centre forward. I’ve heard it on all here this season. One footed, clumsy, slow. Idiots.

 

[No1_Dave]

If Rasmus comes as good as any of them in his prime, it would be absolutely fantastic

Yes, when I quoted Invictus's post I also wanted to say that is a list of Legendary strikers/CFs, it would be amazing if our Rasmus in his prime can get to that level.

 

[Adnan]

He was very good when he came on and the way he dropped deeper to receive passes and then turn to utilise his pace and power was very impressive and something Brighton had problems dealing with. He has the attributes to be an absolute elite CF if he develops as I hope he will do due to his mentality, work ethic and attributes. I think signing him was definitely better than throwing money at Harry Kane who would've been a short-term stop gap without any guarantee that his goals would've taken us any closer to the teams setting the standards domestically at the top of the league.

It's about creating a system of play starting from the back which will ultimately dictate how the team's attack functions. Players who have the ability to receive the pass in confined spaces and quickly evade/resist pressure whilst executing passes and progressing the ball effectively. Currently we have one too many players who require that extra second on the ball against the opposition's press. And the key to improving the attack for me is to have players who can receive the ball comfortably in the deeper phase of the pitch, which will improve our attack due to the control we exert in possession in the build up phase.

I think Højlund has done very well this season and if we want to maximise the potential of our attackers then we have to further raise the level of our technical ability in the deeper phase of the build up by doing the basics well in confined spaces and progressing the ball quickly and effectively.

I think apart from injuries being detrimental to the season we've had. We also need to raise the physical and athletic profile of our team in central midfield and at CB. I think going from a midfield of Fred and McTominay to one where we bought Casemiro and Eriksen may have improved us technically on the ball but we lost the ground coverage and running power both Fred and McTominay provided, eventhough the midfield pair lacked the technical ability in possession. So I can completely understand why the club attempted to sign the likes of Amadou Onana and Youssouf Fofana, who both provide attributes we seriously lack in the team. Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba showed earlier that when you have the pace, physicality and technical attributes in midfield, then you can really influence the game both from a attacking and defensive perspective. We need a player or two of that type of profile imo.

Yes we do need another striker and unfortunately Martial has been a let down this season due to his unavailability. But I think the striker to sign should be someone like a 28 year old Ivan Toney to replace Martial, which should then enable Højlund to develop without being overly burdened as the main striker.

At this moment in time we lack certain elements in the team, which have been made to look worse due to the injuries we have suffered. But for me it's pretty clear that the biggest effect on attacking output will come from creating a cohesive team which starts from the back. And the CB signings along with the deeper midfield incomings will have a big effect on how we function in attack. Because those CBs and deeper midfielders will control the game in-possession and out of possession hence it will provide the attackers the platform to thrive instead of being overly burdened with defensive duties because several players occupying deeper positions lack the technical quality in confined spaces and also lack the ability to cover ground quickly.

 

[golden_blunder]

I truly believe they if we sort out the supply lines he will hit 25+ next season

 

[roseguy64]

Trying to post a tweet but not able to now that twitter.com is now x.com.

 

[M Bison]

I truly believe they if we sort out the supply lines he will hit 25+ next season

Same, he's got the makings of a top striker, in any other side in the top half he'd be getting those numbers i reckon. Written off far too early by many on the forum.

 

[jesperjaap]

When we signed him a lot of comments suggested double figures would be a good seaso which Ithink he has done?

Its been an average first season for me...as I thought he would actually hit the ground running and score 15-20goals.

No doubting we overpaid for him and also no doubting he hasthe tools to develop into a top striker.

The questions for me are has he been unlucky, hasthe supply been poor or does he not have top strikers nouse or maybe just experience? As one thing time and tme again this seasonin the box he hasnt been in the right place at the right time...thats my main concern

 

[NLunited]

Ten goals is a very good return for his first season and is what I hoped for. He can score 20-30 goals a season I believe, if he keeps at it and gets better service.

 

[Ali Dia]

Ten goals is a very good return for his first season and is what I hoped for. He can score 20-30 goals a season I believe, if he keeps at it and gets better service.

He’s probably not going to start hitting those numbers till his mid 20s. What he really needs is the likes of Rashford (senior players) to chip in with some goals and assists and work rate around him…. That’s what’s really wrong with this team

 

[NLunited]

He’s probably not going to start hitting those numbers till his mid 20s. What he really needs is the likes of Rashford (senior players) to chip in with some goals and assists and work rate around him…. That’s what’s really wrong with this team

A goal contributions improvement from Garnacho and Højlund next season, a new striker and hopefully goals from Amad/Antony/new winger is what I‘m hoping for. Feck Rashford.

 

[SAF is the GOAT]

Love this kid

 

[RedStarUnited]

When we signed him a lot of comments suggested double figures would be a good seaso which Ithink he has done?

Its been an average first season for me...as I thought he would actually hit the ground running and score 15-20goals.

No doubting we overpaid for him and also no doubting he hasthe tools to develop into a top striker.

The questions for me are has he been unlucky, hasthe supply been poor or does he not have top strikers nouse or maybe just experience? As one thing time and tme again this seasonin the box he hasnt been in the right place at the right time...thats my main concern

He missed pre season, came with an injury etc you were hoping for too much.

As for your last paragraph, we dont have a single consistent crosser in our team. Our wingers play selfishly too so again, I dont know how much he can be blamed. All Garnacho and Rashford want to do is cut in and shoot, left or right.

 

[The Irish Connection]

Right, serious conversation. This is what we must do. Sign Guirassy for 15m, which is his release clause, and let him share the minutes with Hojlund. Hojlund is great but needs another striker to help.

Sign Olise (another assist today) for his release clause of around 55m. He will add goals from the right but also, crucially, crossing ability and an eye for a pass, which will in turn boost Hojlund.

I heard that Eze has a release clause too, but that might not be true. If it is, and around 50-60m, get that done too.
Our attack would be night and day.
If funds aren’t there, go for Doué for around 30m.

Guirassy and Olise are crucial though, Eze would be a bonus.

Could definitely see Hojlund getting 20 + with those lot around him, and the thing is, financially it’s doable.

 

[foolsgold]

16 goals with a game to come in his first season is a clear pass mark. He’s raw and there’s much in his game to improve but if he keeps working he can be a monster at 24 years old.

 

[Red00012]

He’s probably not going to start hitting those numbers till his mid 20s. What he really needs is the likes of Rashford (senior players) to chip in with some goals and assists and work rate around him…. That’s what’s really wrong with this team

Or his teammates to actually pass to him when he gets into good positions

 

[Gavinb33]

Pretty sure the consensus on here when we signed him 15 to 20 goals would be a success, it's not always been great but he got 16 goals this year with the possibility of one or two more hopefully in the cup final, very good return for a young a player hopefully he can kick on next season.

 

[Red in STL]

Made a huge impact. Without him leading the line we're in massive trouble. Needs some support next season and better performances from those around him to create. Plus needs to work on his own shortcomings which is completely expected at his age.

Leading the line and back to goal isn't his strength receiving the ball i a position where he can run with it is

 

[Shane88]

He is never going to hit impressive numbers with Garnacho and Rashford flanking him. They just have no interest in being supply men.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Pretty sure the consensus on here when we signed him 15 to 20 goals would be a success, it's not always been great but he got 16 goals this year with the possibility of one or two more hopefully in the cup final, very good return for a young a player hopefully he can kick on next season.

16 goals from virtually no service and with a very high conversion rate. plus work rate and willgness to pass the ball. A very good season.

 

[Abraxas]

Leading the line and back to goal isn't his strength receiving the ball i a position where he can run with it is

Leading the line isn't just about back to goal though. Which he is still okay at for my money.

It's about having someone that actually plays up against defenders, occupies defenders, isn't scared of contact, makes strikers runs. With Rashford or anyone else up front we're utter crap because they're not centre forwards, he's the only one that can do it which is not a position we want to be in next year.

 

[Adamsk7]

He is never going to hit impressive numbers with Garnacho and Rashford flanking him. They just have no interest in being supply men.

This.

 

[NZT-One]

He was very good when he came on and the way he dropped deeper to receive passes and then turn to utilise his pace and power was very impressive and something Brighton had problems dealing with. He has the attributes to be an absolute elite CF if he develops as I hope he will do due to his mentality, work ethic and attributes. I think signing him was definitely better than throwing money at Harry Kane who would've been a short-term stop gap without any guarantee that his goals would've taken us any closer to the teams setting the standards domestically at the top of the league.

It's about creating a system of play starting from the back which will ultimately dictate how the team's attack functions. Players who have the ability to receive the pass in confined spaces and quickly evade/resist pressure whilst executing passes and progressing the ball effectively. Currently we have one too many players who require that extra second on the ball against the opposition's press. And the key to improving the attack for me is to have players who can receive the ball comfortably in the deeper phase of the pitch, which will improve our attack due to the control we exert in possession in the build up phase.

I think Højlund has done very well this season and if we want to maximise the potential of our attackers then we have to further raise the level of our technical ability in the deeper phase of the build up by doing the basics well in confined spaces and progressing the ball quickly and effectively.

I think apart from injuries being detrimental to the season we've had. We also need to raise the physical and athletic profile of our team in central midfield and at CB. I think going from a midfield of Fred and McTominay to one where we bought Casemiro and Eriksen may have improved us technically on the ball but we lost the ground coverage and running power both Fred and McTominay provided, eventhough the midfield pair lacked the technical ability in possession. So I can completely understand why the club attempted to sign the likes of Amadou Onana and Youssouf Fofana, who both provide attributes we seriously lack in the team. Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba showed earlier that when you have the pace, physicality and technical attributes in midfield, then you can really influence the game both from a attacking and defensive perspective. We need a player or two of that type of profile imo.

Yes we do need another striker and unfortunately Martial has been a let down this season due to his unavailability. But I think the striker to sign should be someone like a 28 year old Ivan Toney to replace Martial, which should then enable Højlund to develop without being overly burdened as the main striker.

At this moment in time we lack certain elements in the team, which have been made to look worse due to the injuries we have suffered. But for me it's pretty clear that the biggest effect on attacking output will come from creating a cohesive team which starts from the back. And the CB signings along with the deeper midfield incomings will have a big effect on how we function in attack. Because those CBs and deeper midfielders will control the game in-possession and out of possession hence it will provide the attackers the platform to thrive instead of being overly burdened with defensive duties because several players occupying deeper positions lack the technical quality in confined spaces and also lack the ability to cover ground quickly.

Good post I agree. Also noticed Baleba today, he was quite comfortable in the centre of the pitch. Still wonder what we changed that the siege of first half was lifted.

Really liked Hojlunds finish today. I think, the right play would have been to pass but as a striker, it is great to see him making chances for himself. I think he turned 3 or 4 players today with his footwork, which also has been good to see. Who knows whether he'll become some sort of target man for us, being good with the back towards the opposition goal, maybe he doesn't have to and we can just bring another striker who can take over such a role if needed. ( That being said, I thought Pedro looked really good today, also very comfortable on the ball)

 

[mu4c_20le]

He is never going to hit impressive numbers with Garnacho and Rashford flanking him. They just have no interest in being supply men.

Or maybe they aren't instructed to be supply men in ETH's system, who seems to prefer a Tadic/Haller type that brings others into play. He has no hope unless we change managers.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Injured when signed hm, injured at a crucial point in the season, grossly let down by players around him, yet still scored 16, I can't see how anyone could view his first season as anything other than a success.

Imagine if signed Sesko to complitment him aswell.

 

[Bilbo]

And the key to improving the attack for me is to have players who can receive the ball comfortably in the deeper phase of the pitch, which will improve our attack due to the control we exert in possession in the build up phase.

A very good post, but I wanted to separate the above and highlight this because I believe this is lost on too many people in this forum.

They will grudgingly accept that our defensive crisis is a contributing factor to our goals conceded column, but nothing to do with our goals scored - because a defensive issue and an attacking issue can never intertwine.

I sincerely hope that we can recruit defensive players to complement Martinez and Shaw (and to a lesser extent Dalot) this summer because I think it will go a long way to unlocking this system, from Onana all the way through to Hojlund.

 

[groovyalbert]

Love this kid

I get what he's alluding to, but that just reads like he doesn't think he'll score that much for us

 

[Rojofiam]

@Andycoleno9 once again has to avoid this thread as Hojlund scored again. I noticed that I never ever see him in here if that happens. Must've been fuming both today and last week against Newcastle.

But if he doesn't score...10 posts at least

 

[Red00012]

@Andycoleno9 once again has to avoid this thread as Hojlund scored again. I noticed that I never ever see him in here if that happens. Must've been fuming both today and last week against Newcastle.

But if he doesn't score...10 posts at least

He’s not the only one …. Some fairly off the wall comments the last few pages.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

16 goals is more than respectable considering how poor service he's had this season.

His last two cameos have been great. Nice to get a reminder of what a talent he really is after a poor spell of form.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I like the variety of goals. Thought he was someone who could only run in behind, or convert tap ins but the way he can run at a defence and score from the edge of the box or either foot is good to see. Makes him difficult to defend against.

Would like to see more headers.

 

[Oranges038]

Have to disagree with this. Højlund is at the age where a lot of center forwards “figure things out”, and come up leaps and bounds in terms of productivity (Shevchenko, Eto'o, Batistuta, Villa, Cavani, Shearer, van Nistelrooy and so forth... all of them experienced rapid transformation in their early 20s), so they need to be playing as much as possible (not biding their time as the apprentice to someone else).

Placing a stumbling block in his path is unlikely to be the most prudent manoeuver; and signing someone who is more established would be short-sighted when you could argue that Højlund is already a 20+ goals striker with better service and the luxury of taking penalties.

Take Harry Kane's 2015—16 season as a point of comparison, for example...

• 22 non-penalty goals in 4,027 minutes = 183 minutes per goal
• 16 non-penalty goals in 3,072 minutes = 192 minutes per goal for Højlund

Hardly anything in there with regard to production, and this is the latter's first season in a new league (and the fourth new league in a bit more than 2 seasons: Danish Superliga, Austrian Bundesliga, Serie A, Premier League). He needs better coaching, stability, a proper pre-season and things of that nature.

We should be signing someone who is versatile, creative and can play across the forward line or a super-sub type who is okay with a somewhat limited function, not someone who directly replaces Højlund in the starting lineup.

Have to agree, he's at an age now where he needs to be playing games not and watching someone else take over his minutes. A backup or a player who offers a different dimension is more of a requirement, so if needed you can chuck the two of them up top.

The problem this season has been the lack of viable options off the bench. I just can't believe people actually think he should be sitting on the bench playing second fiddle to someone.

 

[Rojofiam]

I haven't big the biggest Hojlund fan but he has shown some positive glimpses of a player who he may evolve into. Still doesn't negate the priority of signing a proper striker who has 25-30 goals in him.

Hojlund is that player already, it's so obvious to see

You really don't seem to understand how bad he has it at United in terms of chances created for him

 

[mu4c_20le]

Luckhurst did suggest there seems to be a conspiracy within the dressing room where players won't pass to him. Poor guy

 

[stu_1992]

He scored a great goal today. I like him and I think he will go from strength to strength here once we actually get a system going and he gets a bit more experience. He hasn't had too much top level football in his career and this was a step up again. I definitely hoped he would get between 15-20 goals this year and he's done that. I remember lots of people saying they'd be happy with that but now they're moaning about it. He was never likely to do more this season, and it's not his fault that goals dried up from other players which put extra pressure on him to deliver and isn't necessarily fair.

He's been a bit streaky with his goals too and I think people just remember the lean periods. If the goals had been distributed a bit more evenly, everyone may feel different.

Two in two games now, here's hoping he can carry that on in the final. Would love to see him have a big moment at Wembley. It could go a long way to making him feel more comfortable in his skin, which I think he's lacked a bit this season too.

 

[golden_blunder]

Right, serious conversation. This is what we must do. Sign Guirassy for 15m, which is his release clause, and let him share the minutes with Hojlund. Hojlund is great but needs another striker to help.

Sign Olise (another assist today) for his release clause of around 55m. He will add goals from the right but also, crucially, crossing ability and an eye for a pass, which will in turn boost Hojlund.

I heard that Eze has a release clause too, but that might not be true. If it is, and around 50-60m, get that done too.
Our attack would be night and day.
If funds aren’t there, go for Doué for around 30m.

Guirassy and Olise are crucial though, Eze would be a bonus.

Could definitely see Hojlund getting 20 + with those lot around him, and the thing is, financially it’s doable.

Would love that

 

[golden_blunder]

I like the variety of goals. Thought he was someone who could only run in behind, or convert tap ins but the way he can run at a defence and score from the edge of the box or either foot is good to see. Makes him difficult to defend against.

Would like to see more headers.

I like that he looks so comfortable on either foot and really packs a wallop. I hope that he can add heading to his skill set because then he truly would be a handful

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Blindness is believing buying Hojlund was sufficient to score enough goals for a better than 8th place finish.

Yes because he missed so many chances this year!

Oh wait, actually he was pretty efficient in front of goal but we were creatively terrible and played two wingers that literally don't pass the ball on either side of him. Prime R9 wouldn't have done much with the service that Garnacho/Rashford provided