Hopefully nowhere near fit as if he is he has looked terrible
9
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 2
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 0
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran are here to talk about a frustrating 2 points dropped at Crystal Palace. They then discuss the regeneration of Old Trafford. Finally, Nik is joined by special guest Michael Statham from the Football Oranje podcast - who gives us a more in depth look at our EL opposition FC Twente, and then runs through the (many) Dutch connections currently at United.
Have to say I’m worried about this guy. Looked out of his depth at the Euros and his cameos for us this season have been dire. Hard to see any player with his first touch becoming an elite striker.
Was a fan until the January of last year, or, was a fan of the promise/ unknown.
Now that the layers are peeling off, the fan is turning inside out. Not seeing how this player succeeds or becomes elite.
Is his first touch worse than Lukaku's?
Now that the layers are peeling off, the fan is turning inside out. Not seeing how this player succeeds or becomes elite.
Is his first touch worse than Lukaku's?
It is a bit like kicking a ball against a brick wall at the moment but I am hoping for improvements in his game.
IMO when a young player comes with a big price tag based on potential then the technique should be really good because it has to be for the potential to be fulfilled and I am just not seeing that.
Good speed and good power in his left peg but not a lot apart from that.
I’ve been saying it all along, he is simply not good enough to ever lead the line for us. He doesn’t have the raw tools.
Bloody hell guys he had 15 minutes. In a team that had barely created a chance for the previous 75 minutes.
I'm starting to think Hojlund is one of those young players who was fast tracked to the first team due to the early maturation of his physical attributes/size.
He hasn't even learned yet how to properly utilize his size to his advantage because he doesnt dominate in the air, doesn't dominate his markers and finds himself on the floor often. His presence in the box is negligible. Outside of his purple patch his goal contributions per 90 were dire last season. He apparently also had a purple patch in his only season at Atalanta, scoring 9 goals in 32 apps with four of those scored in four games straight
It's a shame when gambles on players that fit this bill don't work out, because they're bigger talents out there who get shunned due to their smaller size but who could probably contribute more. Hojlund is still young so time is on his side for now, but he's not a prodigious talent in my opinion by any stretch
If that’s all he needs I’d be ecstatic
Same, but I'm hoping it's match fitness that's holding him back somewhat because he has been diabolical. At least last season as a sub he would be going on marauding runs against leggy defenders.
obviously it's too early to think he's a complete dud, but every week now we see it wasn’t the smartest bet to hope a raw teenager will be our top scorer and get us to top4
This is obviously true. Our options at the time were remarkably poor though. I remember from the two options discussed the most I was grudgingly preferring we sign Muani over Hojlund but he's not exactly produced the kind of numbers to have us wishing we'd gone that way.
Surprised you’re still here talking out of your elbow. Every argument you need to be informed is in the thread. Start reading
He has just returned from injury with no pre-season so I'll give him a pass for being rusty, but he barely resembled a footballer out there in those cameos. I actually like him and think there's some potential in there but if he doesn't show it this season, just cut losses and move him on. Bring that supposed 2 year rule of Berrada into effect.
We bought him because he scored a hattrick against Finland that everyone was raving about & whilst having a similar name to Haaland & also coming from a Scandinavian country.
Feels silly to judge him until he’s fit in a functional team. He’s got two good feet, is strong and quick. He’ll score plenty of goals in a side that creates enough chances.
I’m more worried that we don’t seem to be setting up in a way that creates the type of chances he needs. Bruno plays too close to him, rather than the KdB-Haaland pipeline. Our wingers come inside too much to push a defence back and it gets really condensed around the centre.
I honestly don’t see why we’re not focusing on establishing a pattern of play that utilises out attackers in totality. Rashford and Garnacho cut in on one side. Amad on the other. Bruno is already there. Zirkzee is in that same space. Hojland operates there. It’s this mess by design from what I see. Our full backs seem to create all our width, and because we’re so easy to play through, it’s too big an ask them to do that for 90.
I’m more worried that we don’t seem to be setting up in a way that creates the type of chances he needs. Bruno plays too close to him, rather than the KdB-Haaland pipeline. Our wingers come inside too much to push a defence back and it gets really condensed around the centre.
I honestly don’t see why we’re not focusing on establishing a pattern of play that utilises out attackers in totality. Rashford and Garnacho cut in on one side. Amad on the other. Bruno is already there. Zirkzee is in that same space. Hojland operates there. It’s this mess by design from what I see. Our full backs seem to create all our width, and because we’re so easy to play through, it’s too big an ask them to do that for 90.
And yet they play narrower than fullbacks at most other clubs!
How often do you see one of our fullbacks getting to the byline after an overlapping run? They're much more likely to cut inside than out.
The whole thing just doesn't make sense.
This does my head in. Even Mazraoui tends to do this, and he was playing on the correct side, with a left-footed winger in front of him. I can better understand Dalot doing it on the left out of necessity.
It's an example of how we are not properly set up. Creating chances from a well-timed overlapping run from the fullback should be a staple of our play.
Hardly ever. I question whether I’m just old and need a software update. Because every time it happens I think ‘Finally we have a threat’. Then it doesn’t happen for the rest of the half.
Like, they might not even be trying to do what I want them to, and maybe what I see as good wide attacking play, has been judged to be low percentage play and football has moved on.
Then you see another PL team do it, with worse players, more frequently, to greater effect.
Your never ending excuses for him are funny shit.
When you need to point at one situation during the game (vs Palace) when he managed to (badly) cross the ball speaks for itself.
But i am perfectly happy to have Hojlund as backup striker for Zirkzee
If the plan last season was to be ultra direct then Hojlund with his speed and good finishing made sense. If the plan now or in the future is to be more of a possession based team and we want a forward with a good touch and who can link up play then i'm slightly worried about how this guy fits in.
I thought raw tools (pace, strength, power) were all he has?
Jhon Duran is twice the player and cost a third.
You need players who have a good first touch at Manchester United.
It's why players like Hojlund, Bruno, Maguire and Ugarte look shit since the technical level has improved.
It's why players like Hojlund, Bruno, Maguire and Ugarte look shit since the technical level has improved.
Why? The best possession team in the world currently is City and they make Haaland work, it's about setting up the right team around him, when he has Bruno, Rashford etc who can't work the ball to create opportunities it compounds his shortcomings, I think if he was played with Mount, Zirkzee & Amad behind him it would look a more more complete.
It’s not excuses, it’s explanations. Granted, I’m not inclined to write players off in general (often it’s not the individual player but the system and lacking relations) but it’s completely bonkers to judge them on cameos after injuries unless they’re horrendous.
I genuinely think Hojlund could be a world class player and we’d regret bitterly to let him go. But many fans have no memory and don’t want to listen to arguments.
With Hojlund it is not writting off. With Hojlund it is reality check; he is not future top class material for United no1 striker. Zirkzee is, Garna is, Mainoo is. Those are players with huge talent who need time and good coaching. Hojlund is not that guy. Good squad player? Yeah, that he can be.
Haaland only ‘works’ because he’s an extraordinary goalscorer. City have thus made a sacrifice of certain principles with him for what they consider a greater good. Hojlund has done far less to indicate that the juice is worth the squeeze on that front.
He's got a lot of development to do. Though I think we could have something good going for us if we pair him with Zirkzee in a 2 up top formation. But that'd require Ten Hag changing his formation/system which.... Won't happen. So we'll continue to try and use him as a hold up CF which he clearly isn't.
You say this like it's the incontrovertible truth, which it's not. It's simply your opinion, unless you're from the future and have a sports almanac you'd like to share.
I don't disagree, it does worry me what we saw in him but he's young, strong & fast with good accuracy so hopefully he can build on those traits
Once again we have overpaid for a mediocre player. Our scouts must be useless. It was very obvious that he lacks the basic technical level to be a top player.
Purely your opinion. I think he will be a regular 20+ goal a season striker for a top club for the next decade based on what
I have seen and what he has already achieved. Scoring 16 goals in 43 games as a 20 year old for United is pretty impressive to me, when you factor in that he missed time with injuries and was playing in what had to be the worst United team in decades it looks even better. Consider where some of the greatest strikers in the world were in their development at the same age and he is well ahead of the curve.
Now I can admit that it is still only my opinion and maybe he never improves on his obvious weaknesses and ends up moving on but I just cannot take seriously all of the posters in here stating that in their armchair opinion it is a proven fact he is not good enough so early on in his career when there is still so much time ahead of him.
Nah mate, Cathy Ferguson off the Internet says it's true.
The number of posters that confidently post their own opinions as if they're objective truth never ceases to surprise me.
This is football forum. 95% of everything what is said here is based on opinion. So of course it is my opinion only. Based on what i saw so far. I think Zirkzee is future star. Some people say that he is shit. Again.....opinion.
I said few times; i am just sucker for players with technique (that is why i was huge fan of Martial since day one). When i see players who can't control the ball, i can't rate them highly. Stupid by me? Probably.
Last edited:
But - and while I know I repeat myself and others it does seem to be necessary as it’s like you don’t take anything in - it is more the rule than the exception for players like him. Tall, strong, fast players usually haven’t got the best technique until they’re in their mid twenties. And center forwards often do not play top level football at his age yet. The examples are uncountable and some mentioned in this thread.
That said, Hojlund doesn’t have bad technique, especially not for a guy of his statuer - he really wouldn’t have been catapulted from Denmark to Switzerland to Italy to United with bad technique. He’s not Zlatan, but people jump at him every time he has a bad first touch. It’s called confirmation bias “here’s a tall big fella, must be bad with his feet… see? Told ya”-kind of thing.
So unless fans turn against him or injuries ruin things for him he’ll continue to develop and become better both technically and otherwise. But he’s already a really good and extremely clinical (a rare skill) striker, which he showed last season even without service. Enough said.
Can get away with it very easily. If he’d have come on here after every one of our signings over the past 11 years and said they’ll be absolutely fecking shite he’d have a remarkable strike rate. Even though you are 100% correct.
He is another Caroll
How? Carroll actually had games where he was dominant.
You say strong and tall. Now tell me how he is using those traits. Do you remember a game when he bullied defenders with his strength? Do you remember some of his headers?
Wow! So it seems Rasmus is our new scapegoat! Whats he had 30 minutes since coming back from a long injury? Let’s give him some proper minutes to get up to speed before declaring him finished aye? Last season he proved in spells what a great player he can become