gaffs
Full Member
I think, he wasn't great but I also think, the wrong conclusions are drawn here... What we see with Hojlund is a young player who came with big promise and now has difficulties to realise some of that. It also doesn't help that he has been brought into a high pressure yet dysfunctional team where he is expected to be a big goal source. Next to him, there are failures all along, all players who are expected to contribute fell away, only one that contributes at an expected Level is Bruno. So what we see with Hojlund is the most likely outcome in such situations. It wouldn't be as big of a problem, had we not spent so much money on him. But I want to remember everybody to the summer back then, the general tone around here was, that we have to invest to bring in the best available talent. It was a mistake back then and going for a Gyokeres might end up as issues such as the Hojlund case. We just shouldn't go out of our way for single players at this point. Spread the risk. We aren't at a place, where we have to go for the worlds best because only that helps us out. We simply shouldn't overspend on anybody, simply for the everexisting risk of failures even of the greatest talents and looking at the need all over the team. We have to get good level players on all positions and then build from there.
The decision to add a 2nd young and learning striker for 40 million to the portfolio with the other young and learning striker for 70 million was bad to begin with. It reeks of incompetence in terms of squad composition - and I'd say that completely independent of the actual talent of the players we are talking about here. But the money is now spent - we won't get it back. If we want to get a high caliber striker, we should offload Hojlund because there is no point holding on to such a player when he isn't going to play enough to actually have a chance to realize his potential. The other alternative is to bring in an older striker who is reliable without being a real superstar in the around 40 million bracket to spread the pressure a bit better. Or if the talk about JZ being unhappy are true, offload him and add that money onto the budget for the other striker. I'd still stay clear of going of our way for the current striker of the month and spent ultra money that is then missing at other places.
Forget the price tag. All we are expecting is the basics. Show that you can hold the ball up and help your defence and midfield play out of pressure.
If he cant link up play with his back to goal, he is no good in an Amorim team.