[marcus agrippa]

He wasn't great last season either but people had blind hope based on him being new and young and everyone wanting to blame his teammates.

He has failed to score in 36 of his 47 PL games for us, that is woeful. How anyone could expect a player with about 10 career goals in a decent league to come and reliably be number one striker for any PL team, let alone Manchester United, is bonkers. The decision was baffling and the decision to not rectify it immediately was even more damaging.

What happened to the days of having multiple quality options in a position? Now we just safeguard positions for crap or underperforming and undeserving players.

My pet theory is that once they wear the shirt some of us delude ourselves into thinking that these players are actually better than they are. Saw the same thing back in the day on RAWK with Liverpool fans (who can forget Dirk Kuyt the Best Defensive Winger in the world). Our fetish as United fans is we think every young player will come good, the fundamentals of their play be damned.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

I don't have anything to say about him. I just can't believe how bad our talent scouting is, how does someone actually suggests this guy as a 9 for united for such a big money is just beyond me. He is not very fast, has no physicality, can't head the ball and is not smart with his runs. How can the scouts not see that

 

[santeria13]

Kind of a striker that is a backup for lower half teams and gets moved on because he just lacks basics needed for a striker. Cant hold the ball, cant stay on his feet, cant have a good first touch.


We signed this guy for 72m. feck my fecking life. ETH needs to be arrested for this crime. Useless brain dead Pep Guardiola is my idol

Now consider we spent around 260m on Antony, Onana, Hojlund and Mount. All signings eth pushed for. He set us back years

 

[Big Ben Foster]

I understand the scouts recommended not spending more than 30 mill or something on Antony but somehow we ended up spunking 86 on him!

Who recommended Rasmus at that price?

Who made the decision to sign him? Genuinely asking.

Actually I could be wrong on Hojlund. Looking back through old Athletic articles, it seems inconclusive. Sounds like he was on our radar since his Copenhagen days, then at some point in the summer of 2023, he joined SEG (the agency) to try to push the move to United through.

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

Funny thing about him is that he's incredibly fast but his technique is so bad and his movement is so cumbersome that his pace becomes pointless. Everything he does needs an extra touch or a few additional seconds to decide what he wants to do.

When he finally wins a back to goal duel against a CB, he just holds position, he doesn't even know what he wants to do after that. The extra seconds it takes for him to process what to do next leads to potential attacks dying.

He is awful and was no different last season except for the run of games he went on.

I agree with most of what you said except that he's not "incredibly fast". He's reasonably fast, at best. But whatever pace he may have is totally negated by the fact that he spends the entire game gyrating his arse against central defenders instead of making runs in behind them!

 

[JE-365]

It’s like playing with 10 men. You know he will lose possession when the players pass the ball to him. Zero hold up play, zero ball control, and easily outmuscled. It’s hard to retain the ball and dominate the game if the striker just keep giving the possession away cheaply.

 

[Shaw's Shank Redemption]

I told people that if his name didn't sound like Haaland. He wasn't Scandinavian and scored a hattricj vs Finland then we wouldn't have signed him.

This channel running striker thing is the most bullsh*t thing I've heard off because he has almost no ability to make a run behind the defence unless its completely open where even my grandparents could run in to.

I'd say his only strength is his finishing ability but he takes such few shots that it's simply doesn't matter.

 

[SoCross]

I like the boy but he needs to be taken out of the firing line. At least with Zirkzee, you know the ball will stick.

 

[Insanity]

I'm not even going to criticize. Feel bad for the guy. United should loan him next year. He needs a change of scenery. Perhaps that will help him evolve.

Does change in scenery help improve a player's first touch?

 

[foolsgold]

Sadly starting to lose faith in the kid. Desperately want it to work, there's a goal scorer there but he seems unable to get in a position where he has chances. There's only so long we can blame everyone but him.

 

[Licha-Vidic]

 

[Xeque_279]

Oh man, it just keeps getting worse doesn't it? His confidence is absolutely shot. There were fundamental gaps in his game before but he atleast used to have really high pressing intensity and would make some decent runs, it's all gone now though.

We really need to get a new striker in, and get this guy out on loan to a much lower league. It's just going to get worse if we keep him here.

 

[Lyng]

What an idiotic take. To suggest Højlund is getting away with it is downright stupid. These twitter cnuts are the worst of our fans.

Højlund needs to get moved to the Buli or back to Serie A cause he is clearly not good enough for United. But to suggest fans are in any way shape or form more forgiving towards him than Lukaku is beyond silly.
The matchday thread is filled with 99% Højlund bashing. Even when he isnt playing his thread gets bumped with posts about how shite he is.

 

[Bole Top]

he is lucky Zirk is the only other option. he already looks defeated now, imagine what it would do to his confidence if the other striker was actually scoring regularly.

having even a decent striker in our team would quickly end any idea on waiting for him until he's 24 to learn to control the ball.

 

[Lyng]

I've said in here my preferred route for him is an open, high octane league like The Bundesliga where he can learn where and how to run in open spaces and across the lines. The PL is suffocating for him and he isn't given enough time to think - the problem is the PL is for finished articles or those who are very quick learners otherwise it'll chew you up and spit you out. He gets no purchase whatsoever out of PL CB's and he has no idea how to cope with that, but especially, it is clear to see the pace of everything is too fast for him and that affects: decisions, timings, technical aspects and movement.

People say he looks lagged, and it's because he cannot process and output quickly enough in the PL, which makes him look laboured and pedestrian, which in turn is absolutely destroying his confidence.

I'm not sure if we'll stick it out if we can find a buyer in the summer at the moment. There's so much work to do for him to even be brought up to the minimum bar in the league, let alone go on to be a United level striker who we're happy with and not constantly looking to upgrade upon.

He needs to go to the Bundesliga indeed. Would suit him very well.
I dont think he will work out for United, especially since he needs a team that plays in the channels with runners and we dont use that. On top of that our keeper is dead set on hoofing long high balls to Højlund constantly despite everyone and their dog knowing he cant do anything with those.

He needs to get out of here. For Uniteds sake and for his own. It would also save the blood pressure on a lot of posters on here.

 

[Lyng]

he is lucky Zirk is the only other option. he already looks defeated now, imagine what it would do to his confidence if the other striker was actually scoring regularly.

having even a decent striker in our team would quickly end any idea on waiting for him until he's 24 to learn to control the ball.

What a silly post. When exactly what should have happened from day one was that he was a bench option behind an established striker.

 

[ScholesBrain]

I don't have anything to say about him. I just can't believe how bad our talent scouting is, how does someone actually suggests this guy as a 9 for united for such a big money is just beyond me. He is not very fast, has no physicality, can't head the ball and is not smart with his runs. How can the scouts not see that

We are just the football version of Kodak or Yahoo!
Once big leading company plagued by bureaucracy, shortsightedness and poor decisions making

 

[SonOfFergie]

I don't have anything to say about him. I just can't believe how bad our talent scouting is, how does someone actually suggests this guy as a 9 for united for such a big money is just beyond me. He is not very fast, has no physicality, can't head the ball and is not smart with his runs. How can the scouts not see that

All I would say is that it is shocking how a professional player with his build never mind a 9 for Manchester United is so shockingly bad at holding up a ball. He messed everything that came his way. No hold up play, no passing, no pressing, practically of no use. We are playing with one player less when he is on the field he really is this bad. At this point Zirkzee at least holds up some balls and releases them to wide players. We so desperately need a player at least resembling a competent striker it is not even funny any more.

 

[Marwood]

Those are not things he’s good at though. Oddly enough, for a centre-forward - ‘getting shots off’ has always been a weakness of his. Another PL game with no shots, on or off target, blocked or otherwise. He’s managed 12 of any description all season in the PL.

No he can legit smack a football. His finishing is decent. But yeah that's my point, he isn't getting shots off. Primarily because he only ever has his back to goal.

But this applies to whoever is up top. We have to at some point work out why we can't get a CF facing goal, running at goal, being in positions to shoot.

 

[Trequarista10]

To be fair, Fergie would never spend big money on a young striker unless they were a special talent like Rooney. He bought someone like Hernandez as a cheap punt, and the same could be said about Ole, but we always had more experienced strikers around them.

We have not signed a proper striker at his peak since Van Persie. We either signed young strikers or players past their prime like Cavani, Falcao and Ibra.

Lukaku? Wouldn't say he was young, he was mid 20s, experienced for his age having started early.

 

[pocco]

To be fair, Fergie would never spend big money on a young striker unless they were a special talent like Rooney. He bought someone like Hernandez as a cheap punt, and the same could be said about Ole, but we always had more experienced strikers around them.

We have not signed a proper striker at his peak since Van Persie. We either signed young strikers or players past their prime like Cavani, Falcao and Ibra.

Yeah that’s true, but hypothetically speaking and taking money out of the equation. It’s the clubs fault we decided to spend that on him, not the players fault.

 

[ROFLUTION]

He’s low on confidence, that’s for sure.

I’d loan him out for a year this summer if he doesn’t develop.

Overall he’s still a big talent and compared to others his age, he’s doing fine.

 

[VP89]

He’s low on confidence, that’s for sure.

I’d loan him out for a year this summer if he doesn’t develop.

Overall he’s still a big talent and compared to others his age, he’s doing fine.

Is he?

 

[Crackers]

He’s low on confidence, that’s for sure.

I’d loan him out for a year this summer if he doesn’t develop.

Overall he’s still a big talent and compared to others his age, he’s doing fine.

What metrics are we using to measure him against that he's a big talent? His holdup play is awful, his positioning is atrocious and he hides away in games.

You don't pay 70+m for a developing talent, we were robbed.

 

[Beachryan]

There are two things that scare more than anything else with Rasmus:
1. He is still fighting two giant centre backs all match, initiating contact and then being unable to deal with it. When what he should be doing is scaring the living sh*t out of them because he will absolutely outrun them with anything in behind or in the channels. He should actually be leaving a yard of space and daring them to square up, because he is seriously rapid.

2. As a team, we're still choosing to ask him to 'post-up' with his back to goal, pinging balls into him at pace. When it's not working, week after week, we keep doing it anyway.

I can only blame Rasmus so far. If you have a Berbatov up top you wouldn't constantly ping it into space and ask him to use his non-existent pace. But we're always playing to Rasmus' weaknesses. I don't get what Amorim has in mind here, to me it speaks of being overly wed to one type of striker with one type of role, when we have don't have that actualy player.

 

[Escobar]

Really poor. But since we dont have an option, he needs to at least come off the bench

 

[romufc]

What metrics are we using to measure him against that he's a big talent? His holdup play is awful, his positioning is atrocious and he hides away in games.

You don't pay 70+m for a developing talent, we were robbed.

We were robbed with every signing we made under Ten Hag.

I dont know what standard striker I would call Hojlund, I wanted to say championship but Championship strikers are known to give CB's a torrid time, the way they back into them, make it hard work.

Hojlund is a dream to play against as a CB, dont need to get tight to him, because he will get tight to the CB and fall over.

If you want him to drop in and receive it, even better because he will do the CB job for them and start attack for the opponent.

Will he run in behind ? No because he cant dribble or control a football.

Okay he is big and "strong" so he might be trouble with crosses? Nope, because he has no idea how to make runs in the penalty box.

He is one of the worst strikers I have ever seen play for United.

 

[UpWithRivers]

What metrics are we using to measure him against that he's a big talent? His holdup play is awful, his positioning is atrocious and he hides away in games.

You don't pay 70+m for a developing talent, we were robbed.

Who could have saw it coming? Well a lot of people on the CAF thats who. This whole dont get Kane or Oshimen and lets get a young and upcoming striker was stupid from the get go. Ok if it was a young Rooney or even Owen etc but what was the odds of that. Getting Hojlund with 12 goals for Atalanta does not a Rooney make. Is that what they thought he was? The next great thing? They should sack the scouting department and just run poll on the CAF. Seriously. It might not be any better but it probably wont be much worse and we at least will save money on all the scouting team. Their decisions were just completely baffling. How they ever get a job at any club is beyond me. Imagine rocking up to Chlesea, Liverpool, Arse, City etc for a job interview. So which players were you involved with scouting at Man Utd. Well there was Antony and Hojlund. Onana was a good one.

 

[Gordon'sHill]

We were robbed with every signing we made under Ten Hag.

I dont know what standard striker I would call Hojlund, I wanted to say championship but Championship strikers are known to give CB's a torrid time, the way they back into them, make it hard work.

Hojlund is a dream to play against as a CB, dont need to get tight to him, because he will get tight to the CB and fall over.

If you want him to drop in and receive it, even better because he will do the CB job for them and start attack for the opponent.

Will he run in behind ? No because he cant dribble or control a football.

Okay he is big and "strong" so he might be trouble with crosses? Nope, because he has no idea how to make runs in the penalty box.

He is one of the worst strikers I have ever seen play for United.

Whilst INEOS may not be much better, we can agree both the football management and ETH were utterly clueless when it came to signings, Antony, Mount, Casimero, Hojlund, all just dumb and often simply stupid. There were plenty on here willing to defend the previous regime whether ETH or the likes of Murtough. Just compare Isak at Newcastle who cost much less, even the striker City have just signed on the back of half a season of really strong stats. Hojlund had done little to suggest he was ready for PL let alone worth even half his fee. People say he would have been fine as a back up, he wouldnt. He has no stand out attribute and many weaknesses. The bizarre thing is both ETH and Amorim needed a forward to be able to retain and recycle possession, most teams do. He is a major, major problem as the ball doesnt stick with him at all, in fact even in space his control is woeful. Yet still people post that there is 'a player in there'. There isn't

 

[Shaw's Shank Redemption]

Rasmus Hojlund reminds me when I was clubbing at University and would have girls constantly grinding with their back on me whilst dancing

 

[fergiewherearethou]

I think he needs a goal or two to get his morale back, because at this point he is down.
He was far better last season and at the start of this current season, it's clear that he can do more.

 

[romufc]

Whilst INEOS may not be much better, we can agree both the football management and ETH were utterly clueless when it came to signings, Antony, Mount, Casimero, Hojlund, all just dumb and often simply stupid. There were plenty on here willing to defend the previous regime whether ETH or the likes of Murtough. Just compare Isak at Newcastle who cost much less, even the striker City have just signed on the back of half a season of really strong stats. Hojlund had done little to suggest he was ready for PL let alone worth even half his fee. People say he would have been fine as a back up, he wouldnt. He has no stand out attribute and many weaknesses. The bizarre thing is both ETH and Amorim needed a forward to be able to retain and recycle possession, most teams do. He is a major, major problem as the ball doesnt stick with him at all, in fact even in space his control is woeful. Yet still people post that there is 'a player in there'. There isn't

Look at the money all those players cost, not just the transfer fees but 3 of them are our highest wages too.

How can you scout a CF who cannot hold up the ball, I mean that doesn't need service, data, its so obvious what his weaknesses are, with no strengths.

 

[Lyng]

Look at the money all those players cost, not just the transfer fees but 3 of them are our highest wages too.

How can you scout a CF who cannot hold up the ball, I mean that doesn't need service, data, its so obvious what his weaknesses are, with no strengths.

What he was good at and doing was running channels. Then he comes here and we ask him to do the opposite.

 

[Idxomer]

Who could have saw it coming? Well a lot of people on the CAF thats who. This whole dont get Kane or Oshimen and lets get a young and upcoming striker was stupid from the get go. Ok if it was a young Rooney or even Owen etc but what was the odds of that. Getting Hojlund with 12 goals for Atalanta does not a Rooney make. Is that what they thought he was? The next great thing? They should sack the scouting department and just run poll on the CAF. Seriously. It might not be any better but it probably wont be much worse and we at least will save money on all the scouting team. Their decisions were just completely baffling. How they ever get a job at any club is beyond me. Imagine rocking up to Chlesea, Liverpool, Arse, City etc for a job interview. So which players were you involved with scouting at Man Utd. Well there was Antony and Hojlund. Onana was a good one.

That's the crazy part, people here noticed the problems with his technical ability before he was signed. Seeing him having trouble with his first touch isn't a surprise to anyone who wasn't fully caught in the muppetry of the transfer window.

I feel sorry for the guy tbh, it's pretty clear at this point he lost his belief in being good enough for this club.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Is he?

Maybe not, if you're looking at him in his current state, low on confidence, little opportunities, not involved enough.

Current state is different than playing a year elsewhere on loan and gaining confidence however.

 

[Slevs]

Needs to do much better. I don't mind missing chances here and there, but our striker needs to run the channels and be a battering ram who stretches defenses.
His hold up play is terrible for a guy with his physique. Needs to improve a lot or else he'll be moved on soon/benched for a new starter.

 

[Kostov]

Yesterday he was atrocious. Can't defend that kind of input. Raul Jimenez looked like prime Ibra compared to him.

 

[Kopral Jono]

I was at the game last night and he looked even worse live in person.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Just incredible that we ended up paying such a big fee for him. Squad planning, scouting, negotiation all terribly poor by the club.

The worst part is that we probably have around 20 more games this season, where we have to use Zirkzee and Højlund. We know their levels intimately now, and it won't improve. Unless we try something weird with a false 9 (which I can't see happening), we are bound to have either Zirkzee or Højlund on the pitch until the summer transfer window. Such a big part of the reason we can't score goals.

 

[Ekeke]

I think he's been managed poorly. He simply doesnt understand how important a good touch and layoff is in his role. He's backheel controls and touches that would set him away for dribbles. No, he needs to do the absolute simple things. Receive the pass with a good first touch, give the ball to someone else and get yourself up front