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Have to admit I'm very unsure of his actual ability or potential. As you say his touch isn't good, can't create chances himself and although he's playing in a highly dysfunctional team he has been very average at best.The more I see him play, the more I see a Lukaku regen. Good pace, terrible touch, not that great in the air. Even then, I'm not sure he'll be half the fox in the box that Lukaku is. There was a period where he was in the right places at the right time, but now it's gone again.
Let's see if his all round game improves next year. It has to be better.
We got some big signings wrong before ETH, but since his arrival we’ve gotten them all wrong.Atalanta. And Ajax. And Inter. And Dortmund. And Real Madrid.
Clubs around Europe must be laughing any time we come calling.
i saw nothing special from him. only thing that stood out was him not slipping garnacho thru on the most obvious thru ball ever. Instead he just held on to it while doing nothing really and lost it.Time to give Wheatley a try/ He looked ready last night
The context is simple, he has scored 11 goals out of which maybe 4 have been scored after receiving a pass from a teammate. Other goals were a result of him finding a loose Ball in the box.He gets a bit of a free pass from me. He just turned 21 a few months ago. His usage has been baffling (and he missed the first part of the season through injury and got a second injury whilst not even playing, after a great run).
Hes got 11 goals this season. With no context, and you look at 11 goals in 40 games, for that price, it would look bad. But its just a mess that we dont have any other attackers there with him. Hes come into a stinky situation where i think only the elite would be able to drag us through it.
We are a dysfunctional team and it seems like were asking him to do a few things (seems like were asking him to be Kane) instead of helping him develop. You also notice some of the bad habits come in (compare him now to when he made his debut and was making the runs expecting the ball, etc).
Hes one you buy at that age when youve already got an established striker or two and you want to use him off the bench to develop to get minutes to get better. Hes going to have 40+ appearances despite two big-ish injuries keeping him out for some spells. Thats mad. Weve at least seen some glimpses of what he can do.
How is he supposed to develop in this catastrophic mess we're going through both on and off the field. It's like asking a swimmer to develop in a pool filled with sludge.I don't want to believe it, but the development which we all expected, seems to have come to a halt. Tbf Wout, during the time he was with us, in terms of all round play, contributed more than Höjlund.
Or a shark maybe!How is he supposed to develop in this catastrophic mess we're going through both on and off the field. It's like asking a swimmer to develop in a pool filled with sludge.
I reckon a shark would make everyone swim faster.Or a shark maybe!
You are better not to say this. Last time I did it, they called me pool fan here.Nunez has 31 G/A this season and looks way more dangerous than Hojlund.
Weren't them two good in the air?He might turn out to be good 7/10 striker in future years, but he looks more like Mandzukic than Negredo for me. Altough I am not sure if he even reached Mandzukic level too this year as he was important part of title winning teams at times.
Looks like we have thrown lot of money again for average talent.
Nunez is also three years older which means a good deal when we're talking about 21 and 24 year olds, and is playing in a team that's light years ahead of United in terms of coaching.Nunez has 31 G/A this season and looks way more dangerous than Hojlund.
I mean, he is not thaaat much better than Rashford in the air, not even sure it's fair to compare him with those two in the air.Weren't them two good in the air?
He has to be judged by his transfer fee and the ability he has shown in the games he's playedHe gets a bit of a free pass from me. He just turned 21 a few months ago. His usage has been baffling (and he missed the first part of the season through injury and got a second injury whilst not even playing, after a great run).
Hes got 11 goals this season. With no context, and you look at 11 goals in 40 games, for that price, it would look bad. But its just a mess that we dont have any other attackers there with him. Hes come into a stinky situation where i think only the elite would be able to drag us through it.
We are a dysfunctional team and it seems like were asking him to do a few things (seems like were asking him to be Kane) instead of helping him develop. You also notice some of the bad habits come in (compare him now to when he made his debut and was making the runs expecting the ball, etc).
Hes one you buy at that age when youve already got an established striker or two and you want to use him off the bench to develop to get minutes to get better. Hes going to have 40+ appearances despite two big-ish injuries keeping him out for some spells. Thats mad. Weve at least seen some glimpses of what he can do.
14 goals in all competitions meaning he's our second top scorer of the season, was at one point the top scorer of the Champions League too. Kid in a new league in a side that is absolutely dogshit and with team mates that barely pass to him. Again, not really sure what you expected from this? The kid is never gonna be Brazilian Ronaldo or Portugese Ronaldo that just isn't his game, but we don't play to his strengths either.He has to be judged by his transfer fee and the ability he has shown in the games he's played
Only a blind man would come to anything buy the conclusion we got shafted again. 21 is old enough if he's good enough, the problem is he clearly isn't good enough and may never be.
Hojlund's got like 14 goals this season. You can't seriously compare him to Wout, even when mentioning all round play. He's proven during the course of the season that he's got something worth perservering with, and he's essentially still developing as player.I don't want to believe it, but the development which we all expected, seems to have come to a halt. Tbf Wout, during the time he was with us, in terms of all round play, contributed more than Höjlund.
Transfer fee works only if you have no context or are judging the business side of it. It's the same situation with mount.He has to be judged by his transfer fee and the ability he has shown in the games he's played
Only a blind man would come to anything buy the conclusion we got shafted again. 21 is old enough if he's good enough, the problem is he clearly isn't good enough and may never be.
Most of the team has looked worse the longer the season has gone on. He is just caught up in the malaise effecting everyone.My main worry is that he has been slowly declining, he looked more dangerous in his debut v Arsenal than he does now.
We don't have players who play to Højlund's strengths. Bruno and Rashford perform best when linking up with a technically talented number nine. Mount had difficulty forming a connection with Lukaku at Chelsea, and Garnacho's best performances at the youth level were when playing alongside McNeill, who is a technically sound player.14 goals in all competitions meaning he's our second top scorer of the season, was at one point the top scorer of the Champions League too. Kid in a new league in a side that is absolutely dogshit and with team mates that barely pass to him. Again, not really sure what you expected from this? The kid is never gonna be Brazilian Ronaldo or Portugese Ronaldo that just isn't his game, but we don't play to his strengths either.
I'm not saying he has no culpability but you lot are expecting way to much, you'd have snatched the hand off for 15 goals this season. It's not his fault we needed a second forward and it's not his fault we decided to pursue him despite an obvious overpay.
All things considered I think he's done well, some of the older players could certainly learn a thing or two from his attitude.
Compare that or the Galatasary Home performance (even if you took his goals out he was still MOTM) - and he looks like a completely different player now. I can't recall once in recent months thinking "He's rapid" whereas that was a regular occurrence at the start.My main worry is that he has been slowly declining, he looked more dangerous in his debut v Arsenal than he does now.
How many passes is he laying for his teammates? Dude gets dispossessed or hides or makes the wrong run. He is just not of the required quality technically and intelligence.I wish he was more selfish, instead of constantly looking to lay the ball off turn and shoot. I don't care if its from a shit position, just have the confidence to have a go. At the moment we're getting nothing.
I agree, although there was a recent game (I forget which) where he really opened up his legs and left the defender for dead and unless I’m mistaken had to be hauled to the floor.Compare that or the Galatasary Home performance (even if you took his goals out he was still MOTM) - and he looks like a completely different player now. I can't recall once in recent months thinking "He's rapid" whereas that was a regular occurrence at the start.
Whatever the injury was in Feb is clearly holding him back, combine that with a lack of confidence and no service from wide and this is what we get. Needs the end of the season (like many of the squad) and to hopefully get that sharpness back for Denmark.
Great Post.He has to be judged by his transfer fee and the ability he has shown in the games he's played
Only a blind man would come to anything buy the conclusion we got shafted again. 21 is old enough if he's good enough, the problem is he clearly isn't good enough and may never be.
Galatassary and Copenhagen are a step below the majority of the PL in all honesty. He hasn't looked rapid or particularly capable in any PL game this season.Compare that or the Galatasary Home performance (even if you took his goals out he was still MOTM) - and he looks like a completely different player now. I can't recall once in recent months thinking "He's rapid" whereas that was a regular occurrence at the start.
Whatever the injury was in Feb is clearly holding him back, combine that with a lack of confidence and no service from wide and this is what we get. Needs the end of the season (like many of the squad) and to hopefully get that sharpness back for Denmark.
Maybe you have a too specific idea of what a potential top striker could look like? For most games, Højlund has done a very good job for his age in receiving the ball, retaining it, finding team mates on forward runs. His finishing has been very high class. I struggle to see other players of his age in Europe that betters these attributes. He is strong, he his fast, he has an eye for space and teammates. If you watched Harry Kane at 21, he had similar traits, and you would never bet on him to improve past current Højlund back then.Galatassary and Copenhagen are a step below the majority of the PL in all honesty. He hasn't looked rapid or particularly capable in any PL game this season.
He has scored a few goals in some games , but for the most part he has been something of a passenger.
He is young and maybe he will come good, but I'm not really seeing any signs of it just yet. Probably turn into a 15-20goal a season striker who is an decent target man. Not really the required quality for United. Another big miss by ETH and the club I reckon.
you get three of these:I reckon a shark would make everyone swim faster.
Højlund, like all the players, will take a lot of learning from a season like this. Adversity builds character. That’s my silver lining take.
I like what I see in the player, in terms of what I think he can become. I am less concerned with whether he’s technically good enough to make it at the top level, I think he almost certainly is. And more concerned with whether he’ll work hard enough to achieve it. Form, both individually and as part of the team, will wax and wane in his early years; so I don’t read too much into droughts or purple patches. What I am most concerned about is whether, long term, he is in the right environment to develop properly.
With him, Garnacho and Mainoo all coming through at the same time, there couldn’t be a better time for us to be undergoing to major overhaul of executive and coaching leadership expected under Ineos. Hopefully those young players will have the environment around them to flourish, and encourage them to give everything they have to their development.
He might turn out to be good 7/10 striker in future years, but he looks more like Mandzukic than Negredo for me. Altough I am not sure if he even reached Mandzukic level too this year as he was important part of title winning teams at times.
Looks like we have thrown lot of money again for average talent.
He has shown his all round ability in many games up until his injury and before coming here. The only aspect of the game he’s not at least good at is heading. His hold up play is fine (he actually lays the ball off nicely quite often, to claim otherwise you must be suffering from severe confirmation bias), he can dribble and turn on his man (though it’s hard when you’re mostly totally alone with two CBs), his positioning is good (though he hasn’t been able to really show it lately because the team is in shambles and the players play for themselves mostly), his technique is fine, his pace, drive and finishing all excellent. And maybe most importantly: His mentality is very strong. He seems a very positive guy, and even though his confidence must’ve taken a hit like the rest of the team, he still tries and gives everything. All signs are there that he’ll thrive and quickly in a well organized team playing to his strengths.How many passes is he laying for his teammates? Dude gets dispossessed or hides or makes the wrong run. He is just not of the required quality technically and intelligence.
May be he is not an out an out striker or perhaps he is just young and needs time, in any case we need a starter
I think Martinez was a good signing, but after that...We got some big signings wrong before ETH, but since his arrival we’ve gotten them all wrong.
