[Bobski]

First 25 mins he had multiple opportunities to provide Rashford and Garnacho with chances and wasted it with poor timing of pass, or a poor touch, or overrunning the ball.

That is what has to improve, his all round game is still very raw.

Clearly a much better option than Zirkzee, which I was hoping would not be the case but Zirkzee just doesn't have the intensity for the PL at this stage.

 

[Betson]

Shame he wasn't on that ball that Zirkzee got

But that is the issue with him , he rarely ever gets on any of them balls.

Yes the service is not great but that does not explain just how he never seems to be in the right place. Only one touch in the box today and that led to a penalty . I think he has good qualities if he can be a bit more street wise.

 

[ForFuchsSake]

Let's see what a good coach can do with him first, it's pretty obvious ETH failed in all areas of the pitch, we have no possession game which means he disease get in the box as much, his first touch in the box was the pen.

I’ve certainly got much higher hopes for him than Zirkzee but if we can get our shit together and look like a competent team (at least) competing for top four, I’m sceptical about him being enough to lead the line. Happy with him in a squad capacity though but our expectations for him should be higher.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Loves to back into CBs like Kane. Shame he doesnt share any more traits with Harry.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Thought he was quite good and involved today

 

[Polar]

I think he looks a bit heavy and I'm not sure if he has potensial to become a world class striker.

 

[Jim Beam]

But that is the issue with him , he rarely ever gets on any of them balls.

Yes the service is not great but that does not explain just how he never seems to be in the right place. Only one touch in the box today and that led to a penalty . I think he has good qualities if he can be a bit more street wise.

True. He has to do more to get on the end of chances. But he also has 2 blind (or selfish) wingers on each side of him. So selfish that you actually get surprised when they pass the ball which tells the whole story.

And that ball from Bruno to Zirkzee was genius. Reckon Hojlund goes 1 on 1 with the keeper even if he is level with the defender when he recieves it. Let alone having few yards of advantage. It was mistake to sub him (if he could continue of course).

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Poor.

Spends way too much time fighting and wrestling with the opposition defenders than trying to score.

 

[Shark]

Poor.

Spends way too much time fighting and wrestling with the opposition defenders than trying to score.

Maybe because that's the way he's being asked to play? We don't get the ball into the box nearly enough for him to be effective inside of it.

 

[GreatDane]

Thought he was quite good and involved today

Same here. He's raw still, but there's a striker there clearly. He's often left fighting alone too much, hopefully it'll come together better with a new manager and system.

 

[Lentwood]

So frustrating that the first 18-months of his time here have been wasted with EtH in charge.

He has all the raw attributes but my God he needs a strong coach.

Do managers not bother working with individuals now? Is it all about systems and formations? Hojlund makes the same basic mistakes over and over again, too many touches, too preoccupied wrestling CBs, too slow to move the ball on.

Shove the defender, get a yard, lay it off first time, spin and go. Every time.

 

[Lu Tze]

Thought he was fine today, some good, some bad. Much better and more present than those flanking him.

 

[harms]

Too weak and I can't even remember an attempt on goal?

A ref stole his very well-placed attempt by blowing the whistle too early. He hasn't done much beside that and winning us the penalty though — to be fair, Fofana had a good game.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

i must have watched a different game because all i seen was him going to ground far to easy looking for a foul

My view from the stands was that the ref wasn't giving him any fouls. On one occasion he was even being bearhugged by the CB and the ref waved it away.

When Rashford got in behind and put in that high cross, that came from Hojlund's hold up play (I think).

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Maybe because that's the way he's being asked to play? We don't get the ball into the box nearly enough for him to be effective inside of it.

It's a daft thing to ask your striker to do then if that's the case.

Don't worry about being in good positions to score, just wrestle your opposite number.

I agree the service into him is appalling, I still think he can do more to be an actual threat though. Too many games drift by where he barely even has a shot.

 

[El Jefe]

Wank. Zirkzee being much worse is making him a lot more tolerable but we shouldn't be accepting someone with his ability being our No.9.

The times he failed to look up and release the open passes into the channel to the wide players showed the level of player he is.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Well, at least he did well to win the penalty. As per usual it's a mix of his own weaknesses and the teams lack of offensive structure that leads to him being mostly invisible.

 

[The Mitcher]

A ref stole his very well-placed attempt by blowing the whistle too early. He hasn't done much beside that and winning us the penalty though — to be fair, Fofana had a good game.

The ref didn't blow too early? What?

 

[Shark]

It's a daft thing to ask your striker to do then if that's the case.

Don't worry about being in good positions to score, just wrestler your opposite number.

When I was watching highlights of his before arriving at United, I was getting Fernando Torres vibes off some of his runs off the shoulder, but how often do we see him being utilized like that? Maybe it's his decision, but it's not his natural game if we look at him before joining United.

 

[Redstain]

Thought he was rubbish

His involvement did effect the game with the penalty so it's permissible to some degree but I think INEOS over the next 24 months will be looking to reinforce the attack.

The club certainly needs a lead striker ahead of him, needs time to develop his game.

 

[DarkXaero]

Way too limited technically to be a future star forward for us. We need to aim higher.

 

[Drainy]

Think he would benefit from Amad starting with him as a second attacking playmaker behind him

 

[harms]

The ref didn't blow too early? What?

Eh? He didn't wait for the end of the episode and proceeded to stop the game to award us a free kick even though the attack was still on-going and the ball actually came to Højlund who had a decent attempt. Sanchez saved it so it's not that big of an issue all things considered but if Højlund were to score that goal would've been disallowed simply because Jones forgot about the advantage rule.

 

[Red00012]

Absolutely awful today

Was decent today

Sums up his thread
Posters either like him or don’t . There’s no in between . I thought he played ok. He does make a lot of runs and players just don’t use him.
He does need to look and release the ball a bit faster

 

[Lay]

Stop fighting the CBs constantly for fecks sake

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Stop fighting the CBs constantly for fecks sake

Exactly this.

It's like he's heard how physical the PL is, so he's taken that to heart and spends 95% of his time wrestling the opposition centre backs. But the problem is he's forgotten that his actual job is to look a threat and score.

When he actually does get a chance, he seems a pretty good finisher. That's what makes it so annoying.

 

[OverratedOpinion]

Sums up his thread
Posters either like him or don’t . There’s no in between . I thought he played ok. He does make a lot of runs and players just don’t use him.
He does need to look and release the ball a bit faster

Nah he was just clearly decent. Held up the ball okay against 2 centre backs, just didn't have anyone close enough to him quick enough. The calls of him being weak are silly.

Created a good chance for Garnacho with good play in the first half, won the penalty well.

Nothing groundbreaking but did a job. Needs to make better runs in the box.

 

[Red00012]

Stop fighting the CBs constantly for fecks sake

He’s clearly improving on this
I thought he did well holding up today

 

[CM]

He spent a bit too much time trying to tussle with the Chelsea defenders but it's hard to complain when you see the alternative off the bench. I feel a bit sorry for him really, he cops a lot of flack but there's nothing much going on around him either.

 

[The Hilton]

Maybe because that's the way he's being asked to play? We don't get the ball into the box nearly enough for him to be effective inside of it.

It's a daft thing to ask your striker to do then if that's the case.

Don't worry about being in good positions to score, just wrestle your opposite number.

I agree the service into him is appalling, I still think he can do more to be an actual threat though. Too many games drift by where he barely even has a shot.

He's been told to do the opposite, the fighting with defenders is his natural instinct that needs curbing. There's a bigger interview where he says as much, but here's the snippet I could find quickly:

 

[Grand Vizier]

What are these posts? "Stop fighting the centre backs"? It is called hold-up play. What am I even reading here? This is basic centre forward play, and part of his job. It is likely he is being asked to do that because we have two quick wingers, and it allows them to accelerate and into position. He did this today, but he also failed to release the ball early, but the problem here isn't the hold up play - the failure was not releasing it at the right time.

 

[bavarianred]

Him and Garnacho are like exact opposites. Hojlund seems like a good finisher but rarely gets himself in a scoring position. Garnacho gets in good scoring positions all the time, but is a horrible finisher. Both are too promising to give up on them, but in their current state they are both holding us back if they are regular starters. We need at least one reliable attacking player.

 

[saik]

Looked drunk for majority of the first half improved a bit in the 2nd half but another inconsistent as shit performance. Needs to learn how long he should fight with the defenders while holding the ball. Takes way too long in some instances when he doesn't need to.

 

[CannibalSpectre]

He won a penalty so his performance will hide a bit behind that but he was really bad today

Even with the penalty decision going his way, he was truly abysmal

 

[klayton88]

Never a starter at this stage. Surely he wasn't brought in to lead the line. He needs a proper 9 ahead of him and to come on against tired legs.

 

[Devil81]

Not a fan of him at all, genuinely think he's an Everton standard striker bu that said he's one of the players I'd like to see in the new manager's system before making a call on him. He's certainly our only first team striker as that Zirskee isn't a striker.

 

[thisisnottaken1]

Not a fan of him at all, genuinely think he's an Everton standard striker bu that said he's one of the players I'd like to see in the new manager's system before making a call on him. He's certainly our only first team striker as that Zirskee isn't a striker.

Yup. I think, and hope, that Amorim can get a tune out of him.

 

[CannibalSpectre]

For a lad of his size and strength, he seems quite easily dispossessed or thrown out of balance. Sometimes takes too long to release the ball. Supposedly he will be a focal point of Amorim's system, so he needs to get it sorted out. That being said, it doesn't help the rest of the attack is dumpster fire.

I agree. However, he's never really exhibited anything close to average strength for a CF in this league. His size will lead many to believe that he's strong or should be. He simply isn't and has been hitting the deck way too easily since his signing. He really needs to work on this

 

[Andersons Dietician]

He's been told to do the opposite, the fighting with defenders is his natural instinct that needs curbing. There's a bigger interview where he says as much, but here's the snippet I could find quickly:

When this came out it didn’t make sense and it still doesn’t. Feel like it’s been taken the wrong way, because how is he supposed to get the ball to his feet without fighting a defender? Most of the stuff in to him are aerial punts or balls he has to fight for. Today for example he actually did quite well and won a few free kicks.

However he does now not seem to press as much or chase down defenders as much as he used to. Seems to only go so far if they go beyond him and passes it off to others and holds his place. Wonder if maybe that is what has been asked and meant by not fighting with defenders as much. Because honestly if it’s the other way then it makes no sense whatsoever and whomever instructed him to do that needs sacked.

Side note great touch for the penalty.

 

[Red Star One]

Even with the penalty decision going his way, he was truly abysmal

I have no doubt. He did ruin a couple of our counter attacks with a very sloppy play. Still better than Zirkzee