I think it's worth the risk when you're 2-0 down and facing your 3rd defeat after only 5 games. If we're worried about anyone picking up an injury - look no further than Rashford who was hobbling around the pitch in the last 20 minutes.
11
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 43
- Goals
- 13
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 2
Reminder that this guy was what we wanted as a young backup to Kane or Osimhen who we were hoping/assuming were our main targets. We overpaid for him and didn't go for the top class sure things, and now we're putting all our hopes on him. So unfair and so typical of post-Fergie United.
For what it's worth, I think he looks quite good, but he's unlikely to be a world class striker any time soon, so it's going to be a bumpy ride.
For what it's worth, I think he looks quite good, but he's unlikely to be a world class striker any time soon, so it's going to be a bumpy ride.
It was quite widely reported that we'd have to be careful not to overplay him for the first couple of months else we'd risk his back injury flaring up again and getting worse. If those reports are accurate, on the weeks that we have two matches I expect he probably won't play the full 90 very often until it's completely healed.
Yeah very true, and not to drag the scum into every chat...but it goes back to how badly the club is run and that family is at the top of it all.
Anyway Hojlund showed some good things today and it also instantly pointed out some glaring flaws in the wide players. Everyone will need to give and take to make the lads life easier. Fans need to give him time and chances to fail. Wide players will have to adapt and learn to setup chances for him instead of going it alone. Manager will have to manage his minutes even when the team is in dire form.
Glimpses of what a real striker can add to our team but we didn't get him involved in the game enough. Rashford should have tried to play him in a few times. We were missing cutting edge passing from the players around him to really utilise Hojlund.
Err, pre injury Smudge was a beast. Just ask Sir Alex. Maybe not a prolific one, but certainly wasn't a slate.
30 goals?! jesus. I'd be delighted if he could outscore Nunez this year, or the next.
Højlund looked fast and strong today, made good runs. His goal was nicely taken, which showed a better touch than he showed earlier. He had a hard pass played in to his feet, and the ball bounced about 10 feet away from him after his attempt to take the pace off it.
He is still very raw, very much not the finished article. He will be dangerous as the tip of the spear, hopefully he can work on his touch. He should be good for a clutch of goals this season, don’t know if he’s the answer to our goal drought, but he’s miles better and more fun to watch than Martial. We still need that experienced striker to play off him.
He is still very raw, very much not the finished article. He will be dangerous as the tip of the spear, hopefully he can work on his touch. He should be good for a clutch of goals this season, don’t know if he’s the answer to our goal drought, but he’s miles better and more fun to watch than Martial. We still need that experienced striker to play off him.
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What a stupid mentality to have that lacks any nuance. Please tell me where we can go get a “30 goal a season” striker. They don’t exists and the ones that do aren’t available for sale n
Makes striker runs, a novelty!
I don’t think anyone will call it ideal, but it is what it is. Don’t understand the amount abuse however, Martial’s body is knackered and can’t cope with the intensity, doubt he’s extremely happy himself about how his career has panned out and how he, even when trying to be carefully integrated into the team ala last season, keeps picking up injuries that sets him back. He’s only 27 and he’ll struggle to pick up another long term contract unless he magically avoids injuries.
For me it would be extremely short-sighted to manage risks this poorly. Considering the injury he had when he joined the club and the lack of pre-season you increase the risks of picking up injuries, and an injury to Højlund would mean having to either play with Rashford or Martial (for as long as he lasts, probably not long) as the main striker.
Our losses, apart from perhaps Tottenham, aren’t exactly disasters. We could’ve easily won against Arsenal, the most marginal of marginal offside decisions went against us followed by disaster defending 101, third goal is simply a result of going all in for a point. Today, against Brighton, we create plenty of chances and consistently get the ball into dangerous positions, completely fail to take advantage and Brighton in turn are as effective as it gets. First half was solid, second half was a disaster.
Osimhen and Kane. You can laugh as much as you want (i know that many don't share my opinion about this and i am fine with that) but 200 mil for Kane/Osimhen and Amrabat would be much better business than Mount/Hojlund/Onana. Imo, one world class player in squad is worth more than 3 or 4 good ones.
150m for Osinhem, then 50m for KMJ would be a much much better window. And we probably can still afford Amrabat loan fee.
That is difference between world class strikers and the rest. They find a way. Kane was scoring (and assisting) in a squad which was managed by two defensive managers. Osimhen is also making a difference in Napoli for two years now.
When you have top striker in team then you realise what difference they make.
People here are making wrong conclusion when i say that Hojlund is a wrong transfer. I don't mean that guy is not good but we were not in a position to gamble on young striker who still needs to learn a trade. And who even came injured ffs. Hojlund is a type of transfer who you do when you have already top striker in a team so he can slowly (and without pressure) learn. Same as you do with academy players.
Now we have 20y old striker as our first (and only option basically) with only one full pro season in career while chasing trophies and CL spot in PL.
I completely agree with your second paragraph. On another day we convert those early chances and we're the ones cruising in the second half. We've been unlucky in a couple of losses this season and I'm fully behind Ten Hag, but I thought he got his subs wrong today. I'd have stuck with Hojlund for at least another 10 minutes, but if you're going to take him off after 64 minutes, then at least replace him with Garnacho and play Rashford down the middle. Nothing about Martial inspires confidence when you're chasing a game.
Its tactical even from last season, our wingers, fullbacks and Fernandes crossing stats dropped significantly. We don't cross the ball. We move it wide and then try to find the likes of Bruno or Eriksen in between the lines.
It usually fine because Weghorst and Martial doesn't get into the six yard box but with a striker like Hojlund we should make adjusted to get the best out of him.
Subbing him was the most puzzling decision of the game. Martial barely touched the ball never mind impacted the game.
It was obviously pre-meditated. The manager will want to start him most PL and CL matches, yet he has a back issue. Something has to give. He can’t keep playing 90 then 90.
Watching extended highlights back today, you notice that Højlund keeps running into spaces where’s not gonna be found, when the team break into the final third. He’s still very raw.
What’s he supposed to do when he gets into dangerous positions that require a pass and instead of doing that the winger just puts his head down and constantly takes blocked shots instead. The one time there was a cross he scored, albeit it was ruled out in the end but still, he can’t score if his team mates don’t pass to him when he’s in the position to do so. Other than that I don’t think he did much wrong and I think the fans noticed, hence the boo’s when he went off.
There was one where a great bit of play from him released Rashford on the wing and he busted a gut to grt a great position in the middle all it needed was Rashford to pass it back across for a tap in but instead he tried to take on his man and failed and hit the side netting. It’s so incredibly frustrating and he’s going to find out quick just how frustrating it will get for him if it keeps up
https:/twitter.com/brunofernanshh/status/1703065518050078986
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He can run a much as he wants but if he's not going get the passes we're going to just get another frustrated striker.
Today I seen traces of Weghorst's issues, he ran himself into the ground but certain players prefer to shoot than take the easy option. I'm convinced Weghorst would have been in double figures if Antony and Rashford weren't so fecking greedy.
Today I seen traces of Weghorst's issues, he ran himself into the ground but certain players prefer to shoot than take the easy option. I'm convinced Weghorst would have been in double figures if Antony and Rashford weren't so fecking greedy.
He was occupying dangerous positions. Not his fault when he has greedy fecks around him.
Okay this is absurd. Weghorst missed countless sitters and was too slow to latch on to any through ball we sent his way. To the point where yes players started ignoring him. But not a great example.
Yeah he was shit, I get that but he could have had a few tap ins.
Yup a few times today you saw him go towards the ball and then drift towards the back post in a Cavaniesque fashion. Love to see it
Annoyingly I think he would be exactly what Sancho needs to thrive. It's all good fun ay
Rashford, Bruno and Antony will need to revisit their priorities on the pitch for this lad to be productive.
Having him will expose the ineptitude of the other attackers in the team obsessed with padding up their individual stats, instead of helping the team win.
If I were ETH I’d embargo shots from outside for all 3 and no passes above knee level into the box. Take them back to academy football for feck sake, it’s disgusting the way they’ve been polluting our attack.
Having him will expose the ineptitude of the other attackers in the team obsessed with padding up their individual stats, instead of helping the team win.
If I were ETH I’d embargo shots from outside for all 3 and no passes above knee level into the box. Take them back to academy football for feck sake, it’s disgusting the way they’ve been polluting our attack.
Apparently the only player after the match to speak to the fans
https://x.com/unitedhan/status/1703091416228852154
Edit - Why don't tweets embed anymore, am I missing something?
https://x.com/unitedhan/status/1703091416228852154
Edit - Why don't tweets embed anymore, am I missing something?
One of the positives last night. Loving his grit and dedication. We need to get him involve more. His hold up and pressing was great.
He looked promising, but I fear it's going to be a frustrating season for him due to a lack of service. On one wing he has a player who is going to take it on himself 9/10 times and we then we have no threat whatsoever on the other side.
We've seen from his highlights that his finishing is still a little rough so it's hard to see how many goals he will contribute if he is only going to get two chances a match.
We've seen from his highlights that his finishing is still a little rough so it's hard to see how many goals he will contribute if he is only going to get two chances a match.
I thought he made a lot of good runs, there jus isnt the understanding yet with team mates and we are missing a few creative players that may help him. He is of course raw and knowing his current injury predicament for me it is another error we made this window.....not signing a secnd cf to compete and take the burden from him in his firs season.
We dodnt have the money to sign a Kane or Omishen, I think all that talk is nonsense, but we could have signed a second young striker, someone liek Gift Oban for example
He can't play 90 minutes due to his back problems YET! How hard is it to understand for some of you?
Yesterday's game seems to have broken people's brains.
It's obvious that Hojlund was given the go ahead by the medical team to play for 60 minutes. But Ten Hag gets booed by the idiots for protecting his only striker's health.
He’ll get quite a few goals this season IF the wide players aren’t so selfish. He makes them runs into the penalty area which is where a ST should be. Players like Garnacho put balls into that area, Rashford sometimes does but not as much as he should. ETH needs to coach the players to be less selfish and find players in the box. City probably score 70% of their goals inside the area by cutbacks.
We had money for Osimhen or Kane but manager's priority were Onana and Mount.
Lord Rasmus?
You're right, we don't as we don't really have an aerial presence and Hojlund isn't that clever in the air either.
Reguillion whipped in a few nice crosses but to no avail of course, our set pieces, the least said the better.
So far looks promising
He looks good, relative to the rest of our team but he'll need time to get up to speed with the rest of the squad... Then he'll be as shit as the rest of them.
He looks very promising.