[Shaw's Shank Redemption]

Considering he cost us 70 million i think i'd sell him first.

The longer he stays here the more his value will drop.

Its unlikely he leaves this summer but if he did, i dont think its too hard getting a 42.5 million offer for him.

Zirkzee cost much less and has had a good season in Italy to get most of his money back from the same league hence why everyone talking about swapping Zirkzee first with Napoli or Juventus.

As i mentioned to many people here - Hojlund was bought because of him scoring a hattrick vs Finland, him being scandinavian, his name sounding like Haaland and one randomness of data which showed he was clinical per shots/but ultimately because he takes so little shots per game.

 

[Longshanks]

I actually thought he was ok yesterday. No more than that.

He is basically a lukaku regen. But not as good.

 

[kafta]

He puts in the effort, but his runs from cutbacks are always the wrong ones. Really frustrating, and im not sure jf that instinct will improve over time.

 

[Sarni]

We’ve been robbed I bet Atalanta are laughing still until this day. Last season they won the Europa League without him and now they’re gunning for the league title. We need to fire out scouts. This guy has 0 potential to be what people are expecting him to be. It’s not the same case as with Martial and injuries this is a case of lack of talent. He doesn’t bring players into play he rarely does anything clever with the ball very generic footballer that lacks creativity. We should see what our U18/Reserves can do in 20 minutes on the pitch unless we can bring someone in. This guy only scores in Europe vs minows and a deflected goal vs Bayern.
He’s never scored vs the big teams in the league.

He was never an important player at Atalanta. They play a very attacking system and he only got 9 goals for them in his only full season there. That wasn’t going to be very difficult to replace.

 

[TsuWave]

His bambi legs are starting to get to me.

Also, thought he was to lackadaisical with the chance he had

 

[RedIan]

Simply not good enough too be our main striker.

 

[flameinthesun]

His height is deceiving. I see him as more of a Javier Hernandez type striker. Good movement, not the strongest, hasn't got great link up/hold up play. He will be a good backup striker if we keep him but he definitely needs to be replaced as main striker, just lacks the overall tools.

 

[Black Adder]

His height is deceiving. I see him as more of a Javier Hernandez type striker. Good movement, not the strongest, hasn't got great link up/hold up play. He will be a good backup striker if we keep him but he definitely needs to be replaced as main striker, just lacks the overall tools.

Agree with this. Has some good features but needs to be replaced. For all his size and frame he's unable to impose himself physically and he's often easily bullied off the ball- could be good understudy to better striker.

 

[tomaldinho1]

His height is deceiving. I see him as more of a Javier Hernandez type striker. Good movement, not the strongest, hasn't got great link up/hold up play. He will be a good backup striker if we keep him but he definitely needs to be replaced as main striker, just lacks the overall tools.

Wouldn't say he's like this at all. He seems to me a very standard forward who will run channels or play off the shoulder - and when I say standard I don't mean it negatively because if he can work on his finishing (which already seems pretty good) he can play a valuable role for us up top. The reality of his situation is he's had one chance in each game recently where the very best strikers bury it, he's not in that category yet but he is a physical specimen and I think has the raw tools to be excellent for us. I know VVD is a bit old now and post injury isn't as fast but Hojlund roasted him like 3 times yesterday, he's got the tools to be a nightmare if we can put a bit of quality around him (the irony of people saying he's not good enough when his 'wingers' are two full backs should not be lost on anyone). Does he have a lot to work on, yes, but he's 21!

 

[Fenômeno]

I still think he can come good, he has the right attitude and has the attributes, the team has been in pretty shoddy form this season especially with regards to chance creation. If Amorim can get his system to work and he ends up missing chance after chance, then yeah at that point i will write him off.

 

[sglowrider]

I convinced with every match, that he wont come good for us for another few years. The marginal improvement from last season and now is seriously very marginal. I really dont think we can wait or at least completely depend on him as our starting #9 if we want to compete next season. Besides, I dont think we are utilising some of his best attributes in this system -- his speed.

 

[Abhinav]

I still think he can come good, he has the right attitude and has the attributes, the team has been in pretty shoddy form this season especially with regards to chance creation. If Amorim can get his system to work and he ends up missing chance after chance, then yeah at that point i will write him off.

Its not just about finishing, his movement to create those chances is also not upto the mark. The play around 41st minute mark yesterday when Bruno was asking him to make a run in between the defenders was a classic example, instead he hid behind Van Dijk, hanging on the far post. The really top class strikers make that darting movement that puts them in a position to take a shot.
He is still very young and come good. However, he is definitely not ready to lead the line for us if we really want to challenge for the Top 4 spots.

 

[Denis79]

Wouldn't say he's like this at all. He seems to me a very standard forward who will run channels or play off the shoulder - and when I say standard I don't mean it negatively because if he can work on his finishing (which already seems pretty good) he can play a valuable role for us up top. The reality of his situation is he's had one chance in each game recently where the very best strikers bury it, he's not in that category yet but he is a physical specimen and I think has the raw tools to be excellent for us. I know VVD is a bit old now and post injury isn't as fast but Hojlund roasted him like 3 times yesterday, he's got the tools to be a nightmare if we can put a bit of quality around him (the irony of people saying he's not good enough when his 'wingers' are two full backs should not be lost on anyone). Does he have a lot to work on, yes, but he's 21!

I keep reading the same argument over and over again, it's always someone else's fault for his lack of performance. Yesterday, we had one of our best offensive performances in a very long time. We pushed and pressed one of the best teams in the country and could have easily won the game. To say his teammates were underperforming is simply incorrect. Even after that fantastic team performance, this forum, along with outlets like MEN, GOAL, and others, rated him as the lowest-performing player on the team. You can't always blame his teammates. The truth is, he simply isn't ready for the Premier League yet.

That said, I haven't given up on him. He might come good with time, but right now, he isn’t ready to lead the line at a club like ours. He needs time to develop in peace, away from the intense pressure. This means we need to acquire a striker he can learn from, someone to guide and mentor him while he grows into his potential.

 

[Doracle]

I convinced with every match, that he wont come good for us for another few years. The marginal improvement from last season and now is seriously very marginal. I really dont think we can wait or at least completely depend on him as our starting #9 if we want to compete next season. Besides, I dont think we are utilising some of his best attributes in this system -- his speed.

I think there’s a strong argument that he’s worse this season. Looks slower to me and all the problems we saw last season are still there. I can’t think of anything that has improved.

He should not be starting for us at all at the moment. We are a far better team with Zirkzee in the 9 position and, until we buy another forward, that’s how we should be set up.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I keep reading the same argument over and over again, it's always someone else's fault for his lack of performance. Yesterday, we had one of our best offensive performances in a very long time. We pushed and pressed one of the best teams in the country and could have easily won the game. To say his teammates were underperforming is simply incorrect. Even after that fantastic team performance, this forum, along with outlets like MEN, GOAL, and others, rated him as the lowest-performing player on the team. You can't always blame his teammates. The truth is, he simply isn't ready for the Premier League yet.

That said, I haven't given up on him. He might come good with time, but right now, he isn’t ready to lead the line at a club like ours. He needs time to develop in peace, away from the intense pressure. This means we need to acquire a striker he can learn from, someone to guide and mentor him while he grows into his potential.

Is that what the post says?

I said he has to improve on many things but the quality in attack isn't that great around him, do you not agree? As much as Dalot played well, the comparison for him is someone like Grimaldo at LWB. It's really an attacking, pressing role not a defensive one. The same argument goes for the RWB.

 

[Denis79]

Is that what the post says?

I said he has to improve on many things but the quality in attack isn't that great around him, do you not agree? As much as Dalot played well, the comparison for him is someone like Grimaldo at LWB. It's really an attacking, pressing role not a defensive one. The same argument goes for the RWB.

I agree that our attack isn’t great, but it was much better than usual yesterday. Despite that, Hojlund had a mediocre showing and was arguably the weakest link in what was otherwise a strong offensive performance.

The thing is, and I’ll say this again; His underwhelming performances aren’t limited to our team. He has struggled for a long time with the national squad as well. During the Euros, he was similarly poor, so it’s not just down to his teammates. Of course, every striker benefits from having better players around them as you say, but a good striker should also be able to create chances on their own. Hojlund rarely does that, and in many games, he’s simply invisible.

Yesterday, apart from his runs into the channels(which I think he does very well) his positioning and movement were really lacking, even for his age. He often places himself in the wrong areas, makes poor decisions in his movement, and is frequently behind the pace of counterattacks, and how such a tall player is so poor in the air is just beyond me. So him going missing in matches is just as much his fault if not more. He does show glimpses of potential when we face weaker, less organized teams in Europe. Against those sides, he’s had some fantastic performances. However, the Premier League is proving to be too much for him at the moment. I’m not saying he won’t get there eventually, but until he does, we need a better striker to lead the line.

 

[Telsim]

I agree he has been generally poor, but to give up on him is lunacy. I believe he will be a great striker in the future and United already have him, instead of buying during his prime. His type don't really seem to come into their own until 24-25 years old. His inexperience is compounded by the disastrous team around him. One good game against Liverpool doesn't mean anything. This team still doesn't fit the manager, and Hojlund's position is one that will suffer the most by this, especially when the wing backs are so poor. He will get better as time goes on, assuming the squad also gets improved.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I agree that our attack isn’t great, but it was much better than usual yesterday. Despite that, Hojlund had a mediocre showing and was arguably the weakest link in what was otherwise a strong offensive performance.

The thing is, and I’ll say this again; His underwhelming performances aren’t limited to our team. He has struggled for a long time with the national squad as well. During the Euros, he was similarly poor, so it’s not just down to his teammates. Of course, every striker benefits from having better players around them as you say, but a good striker should also be able to create chances on their own. Hojlund rarely does that, and in many games, he’s simply invisible.

Yesterday, apart from his runs into the channels(which I think he does very well) his positioning and movement were really lacking, even for his age. He often places himself in the wrong areas, makes poor decisions in his movement, and is frequently behind the pace of counterattacks, and how such a tall player is so poor in the air is just beyond me. So him going missing in matches is just as much his fault if not more. He does show glimpses of potential when we face weaker, less organized teams in Europe. Against those sides, he’s had some fantastic performances. However, the Premier League is proving to be too much for him at the moment. I’m not saying he won’t get there eventually, but until he does, we need a better striker to lead the line.

I reckon the movement idea is a caf myth - it's the lazy criticism when there's nothing specific to focus on. People watch on tv and think 'why isn't he there?' usually when a cross has already been made, it's always with hindsight. You want your striker to commit to runs - that is a basic requirement - and he does that, he moves CB around pretty well for his age (which is movement), often he also get dogshit crosses so he'd have to be psychic to get on the end of half of them. Criticise him for tangible things, his finishing is something that has cost him 2 very decent chances to score in 2 games, but you can see how much he's moving around and trying to affect things. I really don't think movement is an issue rewatching his last few games.

Agree on heading, I think he's too built, would like to see him become leaner. Re level and lesser sides, that same criticism works for everyone though, Amad, Hojlund, Bruno, whoever. It should always be easier for attacking players playing weaker teams. If we can get a loan in like Osimhem, sure, but I still think if you address the WB area now, we will suddenly see him getting a lot more looks at goal.

 

[sunama]

Just don't think he's anywhere near the level. As I asked in the matchday thread, who else in the league would take him as first choice?

Southampton

Haha.
Southampton are bottom of the league.
Personally, I think he needs to be loaned out to a Championship side for a season.

 

[Drainy]

He's not one of the players we should be giving up on. We should be getting a senior striker who can take the pressure off him and let him develop

 

[BAMSOLA]

He's not one of the players we should be giving up on. We should be getting a senior striker who can take the pressure off him and let him develop

Precisely, too much of a confidence player atm but that will hopefully change. Would also benefit from a healthier goalscoring environment (so short term as an impact player).

 

[Denis79]

I reckon the movement idea is a caf myth - it's the lazy criticism when there's nothing specific to focus on. People watch on tv and think 'why isn't he there?' usually when a cross has already been made, it's always with hindsight. You want your striker to commit to runs - that is a basic requirement - and he does that, he moves CB around pretty well for his age (which is movement), often he also get dogshit crosses so he'd have to be psychic to get on the end of half of them. Criticise him for tangible things, his finishing is something that has cost him 2 very decent chances to score in 2 games, but you can see how much he's moving around and trying to affect things. I really don't think movement is an issue rewatching his last few games.

Agree on heading, I think he's too built, would like to see him become leaner. Re level and lesser sides, that same criticism works for everyone though, Amad, Hojlund, Bruno, whoever. It should always be easier for attacking players playing weaker teams. If we can get a loan in like Osimhem, sure, but I still think if you address the WB area now, we will suddenly see him getting a lot more looks at goal.

I would argue that the real "myth" is the idea that Hojlund doesn’t get any support from his teammates. While it's true that good support is crucial for any striker, I think Hojlund’s movement is the bigger issue here. His positioning and ability to find himself in the right place at the right time are often lacking, which makes it harder for him to capitalize on the chances created.

A striker with decent movement tends to find themselves in the right spots regardless of the quality of the service around them. This has been evident in several games, where Hojlund just hasn’t been where he needs to be. So, I feel the problem isn’t that his teammates aren’t supporting him enough, but rather that his movement isn't creating those opportunities for himself.

His struggles in the Euros, where he was among the lowest-rated players in the Denmark squad, show that this isn't just a team-specific issue but something that has affected him for a while. There’s definitely potential, but until he improves I will continue to argue that we need a new striker.

 

[Drainy]

Precisely, too much of a confidence player atm but that will hopefully change. Would also benefit from a healthier goalscoring environment (so short term as an impact player).

Plus his strengths can translate to impact sub in the short term at least, being results focused.

He needs time to develop though, movement and timing can take years to get instinctive

 

[tomaldinho1]

I would argue that the real "myth" is the idea that Hojlund doesn’t get any support from his teammates. While it's true that good support is crucial for any striker, I think Hojlund’s movement is the bigger issue here. His positioning and ability to find himself in the right place at the right time are often lacking, which makes it harder for him to capitalize on the chances created.

A striker with decent movement tends to find themselves in the right spots regardless of the quality of the service around them. This has been evident in several games, where Hojlund just hasn’t been where he needs to be. So, I feel the problem isn’t that his teammates aren’t supporting him enough, but rather that his movement isn't creating those opportunities for himself.

His struggles in the Euros, where he was among the lowest-rated players in the Denmark squad, show that this isn't just a team-specific issue but something that has affected him for a while. There’s definitely potential, but until he improves I will continue to argue that we need a new striker.

I'm not saying he couldn't do more, or read certain situations better, but then so can every striker - the support from teammates idea is backed up by how little we try to find him from crosses which is a big chunk of the service a traditional CF will feed off. That is backed up by stats and is a direct issue with playing FBs at WBs.

You have kind of proven the myth is true with the bolded, unless you can give me the example to actually analyse? Otherwise it just seems like a phrase you've fallen back on as I think many on here do when they want a reason for why something happened or didn't happen.

 

[ClassOf'99]

If we sign a young striker then they need to be similar to Rooney type level.

I was coming to state this but happy to find this here.

I will only say this in his defence as this thread is a mess.

I think we've been spoilt recently with generational talents that we use the same scope on Hojlund unfairly.

We've had Mbappe, Haaland recently and a young Rooney and Henry to use as the standard for Hojlund which isn't fair as some strikers, like some goalkeepers, have late primes.

He has a lot of work to do to be a top tier #9 and we have paid over the odds for potential.

He's come here in a disjointed team that doesn't feed the striker instead has 2 inverted wingers that like to shoot (Rashford, Garnacho, Antony) in his first 18 months, and now in the new set up he has to re-learn what is expected of him and trust his teammates to feed him.

He still has a conversion rate of 1 in 3, he has shown some incredible technique to score goals, and an unselfish attitude.

He is young striker against older and more experienced defenders who will love to wrestle with him as they know that game, he is making runs but the ball doesn't come and then when the ball is played he isn't running as he hasnt got the ball for the last run he made, so the team aren't on the same wave length back to front, crosses aren't always forthcoming but his run took Van Djik out of the game for Amad to score so they see him as a threat.

He needs a older and more experienced striker to learn from and take the pressure off (Ruud staying would have been perfect for his development alas), he needs to have more of the ball too but that is down to team play and his own individual movement which can be coached, he is still very very raw but I believe he will come good as he has all the right signs, the main frustration I think from a lot of you is a 21 who isn't ready has been thrust into leading the line of a disjointed team that hasn't worked.

If he was coming off the bench and scoring goals then this thread would be a whole lot different, like it has been when hes came off the bench for Zirkzee.

 

[Ekeke]

He's not one of the players we should be giving up on. We should be getting a senior striker who can take the pressure off him and let him develop

In an ideal world thats right, but with his huge signing fee and wages theres obviously an expectaction that at 21 he should be okay for league matches. Not great, but okay and perhaps even fairly good.

2 goals in 11 starts is awful. He's been a real weak point and its been made worse by our new striker being just as bad. At times hes been worse than you'd expect a debutant 18-19 youth team player to perform and in a season full of dissappointments, he's on the list.

 

[ole@thewheel]

He’s just 21, still finding his feet at this level, and he’s never led the line before. Always been more of a support striker for club and country, and now we’re expecting him to be the main man for the biggest team in the country. It’s a big ask, isn’t it?

We all knew Højlund was one for the future. It’s not on him that the club couldn’t sort themselves out and bring in a proper striker to lead the line. Instead, they’ve thrown him right in, sink or swim. You’d not see a club like Real Madrid doing that—no chance. Can you imagine them sticking Endrick up front as their main striker? Don’t be daft.

Even Rooney, who was the best young striker we’ve ever seen, didn’t lead the line straight away when he came to us. He had time to bed in and grow into the role.

What we need is simple: get an experienced striker in, let Højlund come off the bench or play when the pressure’s off. He’s got what it takes, no doubt about that, but he needs time to develop without carrying the whole attack. He’s good enough to be a star in a couple of years!

 

[Eleven-Eighteen]

He was never an important player at Atalanta. They play a very attacking system and he only got 9 goals for them in his only full season there. That wasn’t going to be very difficult to replace.

So...you're agreeing with the comment you quoted right?

 

[Eleven-Eighteen]

He’s just 21, still finding his feet at this level, and he’s never led the line before. Always been more of a support striker for club and country, and now we’re expecting him to be the main man for the biggest team in the country. It’s a big ask, isn’t it?

We all knew Højlund was one for the future. It’s not on him that the club couldn’t sort themselves out and bring in a proper striker to lead the line. Instead, they’ve thrown him right in, sink or swim. You’d not see a club like Real Madrid doing that—no chance. Can you imagine them sticking Endrick up front as their main striker? Don’t be daft.

Even Rooney, who was the best young striker we’ve ever seen, didn’t lead the line straight away when he came to us. He had time to bed in and grow into the role.

What we need is simple: get an experienced striker in, let Højlund come off the bench or play when the pressure’s off. He’s got what it takes, no doubt about that, but he needs time to develop without carrying the whole attack. He’s good enough to be a star in a couple of years!

Based on what mate? When United bought Rooney he was already pipped as one of the most exciting teenager to have played in the Prem League, basically ever

 

[rimaldo]

probably the player that shows us that in future we shouldn’t be purchasing players from socialist hellholes, such as denmark or starmer’s britain.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Yesterday he tried. But..

He struggled to hold the ball up again.

There was the ball over the top for dalot where hojlund came short for it and then was no where near the box when the ball came in so it was Amad trying to header it.

The square ball Bruno put in he just stayed behind vvd and didn’t even try to beat him at near post. My kid knows to do this, you could also see Bruno telling him afterrwards to make that run.

The one v one with Alison was tight but hit straight at him.

Not his fault but he’s not good enough to be our striker, even if that’s with a yet disclaimer

 

[Denis79]

I'm not saying he couldn't do more, or read certain situations better, but then so can every striker - the support from teammates idea is backed up by how little we try to find him from crosses which is a big chunk of the service a traditional CF will feed off. That is backed up by stats and is a direct issue with playing FBs at WBs.

You have kind of proven the myth is true with the bolded, unless you can give me the example to actually analyse? Otherwise it just seems like a phrase you've fallen back on as I think many on here do when they want a reason for why something happened or didn't happen.

You keep saying it's a myth doesn't make it one. I understand your point, but if you go back and look at the video from the last game (I think it's a page back or two in this thread), you’ll see a instance where Hojlund could have been much better. This is something I’ve noticed throughout his career with us, and it’s not just one isolated incident.

To get on the end of those crosses you’re referring to, a striker needs to be in the right place at the right time. And from what I've observed, Hojlund often isn't there because his movement doesn’t consistently put him in those positions.

Additionally, the stats show that he has the fewest shots of all the main strikers in the league, and in my opinion, that’s more about his own positioning and movement than it is about the support or quality of service from his teammates, they can't pass if no one is there. What I am saying is that I don't think he is ready yet to lead the line at a club like ours and you do, let's agree to disagree.

 

[Mani]

He can be our third or fourth choice striker, can't write him off completely but I don't want to go into the new season with Hoj leading the line.

 

[ole@thewheel]

Based on what mate? When United bought Rooney he was already pipped as one of the most exciting teenager to have played in the Prem League, basically ever

Exactly! Even the most exciting teenager we’ve ever seen wasn’t thrown straight into the kind of situation and expectations that Højlund is dealing with now.

The lad’s got most of the tools you would expect—his work ethic is top-notch, and he’s got the physicality to hold his own, which is a massive plus for someone his age. On top of that, he’s shown flashes of being a good finisher already. The basics are there, no doubt about it.

What he’s missing right now is consistency and the kind of intelligence on the pitch that only comes with experience. That’s perfectly normal for a 21-year-old. But here we are, asking him to lead the line as if he’s already the finished article. It’s ridiculous.

There’s not a single other serious club in Europe relying on a 21-year-old striker to carry their attack, except us. And let’s be honest—that’s criminal.

 

[Doracle]

In 87 minutes yesterday, Hojlund had 17 touches. Zirkzee, who replaced him in the 87th minute, had 12. It’s actually incredible how uninvolved he is in matches.

 

[Doracle]

Exactly! Even the most exciting teenager we’ve ever seen wasn’t thrown straight into the kind of situation and expectations that Højlund is dealing with now.

The lad’s got most of the tools you would expect—his work ethic is top-notch, and he’s got the physicality to hold his own, which is a massive plus for someone his age. On top of that, he’s shown flashes of being a good finisher already. The basics are there, no doubt about it.

What he’s missing right now is consistency and the kind of intelligence on the pitch that only comes with experience. That’s perfectly normal for a 21-year-old. But here we are, asking him to lead the line as if he’s already the finished article. It’s ridiculous.

There’s not a single other serious club in Europe relying on a 21-year-old striker to carry their attack, except us. And let’s be honest—that’s criminal.

Respectfully, these are not the basics for a top CF. The basics would be that he had an excellent first touch, was regularly showing vision and creativity and setting up teammates, was instinctively making the right runs and was a lethal finisher. Compare him to a 21 year old Rooney or Kane or even Lukaku and he’s miles off.

The best comparator I can think of is someone like Carlton Cole or maybe a young Niall Quinn (even that’s slightly generous). Players with some talent, who had solid premier league careers, but not special in any way.

 

[Gandalf]

In 87 minutes yesterday, Hojlund had 17 touches. Zirkzee, who replaced him in the 87th minute, had 12. It’s actually incredible how uninvolved he is in matches.

He also ran the channels tirelessly and occupied VVD and Konate for large periods of the game creating acres of space for his teammates but that sort of dirty work does not show up in stats. There are plenty of ways to be involved in a game and add value to a team performance but modern football fans judge everything from spreadsheets.

 

[dubplate warrior]

Yeah he's just not got it.

 

[dubplate warrior]

He also ran the channels tirelessly and occupied VVD and Konate for large periods of the game creating acres of space for his teammates but that sort of dirty work does not show up in stats. There are plenty of ways to be involved in a game and add value to a team performance but modern football fans judge everything from spreadsheets.

Problem is he doesn't score goals and his movement is crap.

Your standards are too low.

 

[Albin Johansson]

I gotta say I believe he has the potential of becoming a 20+ goals a season striker. With that said, I get so freckin frustrated seeing him failing with the first touch with his back facing the opponents goal. Adding to that, he falls all the fecking time. Has to improve that, otherwise he'll end up a poor man's welbeck.