[VP89]

I hope this changes with a better side but I don't really see him as someone with presence in the box, despite him his stature. He always looks like he's off balance, and that's quite a big problem.

Was pleased with his hold up play and decision making. Think he's quite poor in the air though.

 

[Bobski]

Getting more of a play-making 9 or even someone with more advanced ability in the build up would be my preferred option as a alternative this Summer. A Rash/Hojlund and Garnacho trio really lacks those qualities, all 3 tend towards head down run. Hojlund shows some flashes occasionally but has a lot of moments when he needs 3/4 touches to do what could be done in 2.

 

[Hughes35]

Actually thought he was pretty dangerous considering how little service and how little of the ball we had.

He held it up well several times and brought others in to play. I have no worries about him at all. Just needs a better team behind him.

 

[Blood Mage]

I'm pretty sure he's been rushed back from injury. Dangerous situation when you have so many injuries combined with a desperate manager who's fighting to keep his job.

 

[Cathy Ferguson]

Isak at the same age had 10 goals in 41 appearences for Sociedad, Isak's numbers are actually not great at all when you look at the overall picture before Newcastle.

Or you mean 28 year old Ollie Watkins who at the same age 7 years ago had 16 goals in 52 games for Exeter City in League Two or 11 goals in 48 games for Brentford in the Championship

It's almost as if they got better with age, funny that.

Dortmund bought Isak at 17 years and Isak showed much better technical ability at 17-20 than Höjlund. I expect Höjlund to improve but would be disappointed if he is our main striker next season.

 

[VP89]

Isak at the same age had 10 goals in 41 appearences for Sociedad, Isak's numbers are actually not great at all when you look at the overall picture before Newcastle.

Or you mean 28 year old Ollie Watkins who at the same age 7 years ago had 16 goals in 52 games for Exeter City in League Two or 11 goals in 48 games for Brentford in the Championship

It's almost as if they got better with age, funny that.

Isak is way better in his general play than Hojlund.

 

[DJ_21]

Wish he didn’t get that injury. It’s kind of knocked him back of form.

 

[DJ_21]

Backup striker at best for now. I don't think he is ready to lead from the front in the next couple of seasons. Did he even have a shot on target this game? I think we need Toney next season and Hoijund on the bench. 70 million spent on a striker on is not ready and only ETH can think off to waste our money.

I’m gonna say no considering the team had 0 shots at all in the first half. Agree we could do with a top ST to lead the line but we can’t afford to spend 100m on Toney which is what he’ll cost and villa will probably demand the same for Watkins. ST are very hard to sign as if there one of the most important for there club then they will demand close to 100m for them as they’ll be losing a lot of goals in the team and will need to replace them.

 

[Zlatan 7]

He may well be good enough in the future but he’s not good enough now and it’s unfair to expect him to be

 

[QuietOn Fortune]

I just dont see the whole - we need to build our team around Hojlund thing.

Just as he gets no service from the inverted wingers, he provides no service to the Inverted Wingers either especially if you take forwards like Martial or even Sancho playing false 9 pre-season in to the equation.

For me, I'd rather build the team to get the best our of Garnacho, Amad & Rashford, Antony, Sancho & the horrible Getafe player depending on who is still here next season by Ineos.

I just feel we play stronger utelising our inverted forwards as our main goalscorers than trying to build the whole team up to set up Hojlund expecting him to be this amazing poacher around a completely creative side like we are a smaller hybrid version of Man City's tactics. This is why I believe our strongest season post Fergie still came under Ole's season when we had two inverted forwards playing off Martial's creativity as a CF.

I do think however that the false 9 type of striker with inverted wingers tactic might be getting a bit old school and easier to deal with for modern day defenses because they have had to deal with it a long time now & this is why the old school poacher/target man/striker might be getting back in to some form (Firminho to Nunez, Haaland at City etc).

If that's the case then I wouldn't mind seeing a double striker tactic like the 442 come back in to some use (I think i have heard R Madrid use 442 diamond now or might in the future when Mbappe comes). This would make use of our striker & inverted forwards together much better than a 4231/433 where the inverted forwards are trying to create for a poacher which is simply is not a good enough tactic.

 

[Lyng]

Dortmund bought Isak at 17 years and Isak showed much better technical ability at 17-20 than Höjlund. I expect Höjlund to improve but would be disappointed if he is our main striker next season.

From a danish perspective it would have properbly been better for Rasmus to join an easier league and a team that have a clue how to play with a striker like Isak did back then.
Højlund would look much better for a lot of other teams than United.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Wish he didn’t get that injury. It’s kind of knocked him back of form.

Eh even at the time he was just simply bagging every half chance he got. That was unsustainable, because we don't fecking create anything for him ever. I can't even remember a single time Bruno has put him through on goal.

 

[UnitedRepublic]

Is he even better than an injured Martial , he works harder than Martial but providing for teammates and initiating attacks I don’t really think so and thats an injured Martial we’re talking about. We need a new striker to fight it out with him next season.

 

[Schmeichels pinky]

Is he even better than an injured Martial , he works harder than Martial but providing for teammates and initiating attacks I don’t really think so and thats an injured Martial we’re talking about. We need a new striker to fight it out with him next season.

Of all stupid posts, this probably takes the price.

We’ve all seen what Hojlund can do. It’s very impressive that he managed to play as well as he did before his injury after a difficult first half year. That shows a very strong mentality in a young player. He is a superb finisher, can create goals for himself, has caused some of the strongest defenders problems and has set up his teammates several times and would have had a number of assists if Rash and Garnacho had scored on their chances.

Until we get a well balanced team with a plan there’s no point in pointing fingers at our young players.

 

[Leftback99]

Martial was on another level to this lad.

 

[Martial]

He's a donkey.

 

[thegregster]

Said it before. Championship level player.

 

[AndySmith1990]

He's not very good, is he?

 

[Rossa]

So bad to day. So, so bad.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Still holds off his defenders like Ruud.

 

[Bobski]

He is a very basic player at this stage when he is not being a goal threat. Probably had more touches tonight than in most games but ineffectual.

 

[UnitedFan93]

How much?

 

[sebsheep]

The sound is still coming out if the whistle and the usual muppets are in here.

Can't comment on the 1st half as I didn't see it but we barely give the guy anything to work with.
Was involved in some good passing moves and could have done better with a couple of situations.

 

[soapythecat]

He’s utter dog shit. Does nothing to warrant a start for United. He only plays because our squad is so poor. What is he actually decent at?

 

[Cathy Ferguson]

He is not very good, I just don't see it. Solanke a better player

 

[Andycoleno9]

His hold up play is absolutely awful. He just falls on his arse every time.
Guy is bullied by every single defender in PL. Last week excuse was: "it is Van Dijk". What is today? Guy lost every single duel.
And one more thing: did he win a single header in penalty bix this season?

We need first choice striker for next season.

 

[city-puma]

His first touch is really bad. Awareness is bad.Technically mediocre, balance is poor. Can those be improved?

 

[Gomes]

His hold-up play is inexcusable. No one can create any chances for him if the attackers can't keep the ball for two seconds. All of the attackers are bad at this but he is surely the worst offender.

 

[jem]

Was channeling his inner-Weghorst today (and that's probably being harsh on Wout.)

 

[acnumber9]

Seems incapable of running in anything other than a straight line.

 

[Jev]

Thought he did okay today with the few scraps he was fed actually. Still not convinced I’m seeing a future United starting striker in the making, let alone a current one.

 

[RedRocket9908]

He offers absolutely nothing a surrenders posession stupidly everytime we give him the ball, needs to be replaced in the summer.

 

[redshaw]

Had 6-8 game period where he looked really on it and strong but that was such a poor performance today. Probably playing through injury coming back too soon and now cooked.

It''s amazing just how we wreck players, United is a graveyard of fitness. You think you're fit young strong 6ft3, we'll have you looking like a 40 year old Ronaldo in slowmo wading through water in no time.

 

[#07]

Says he's a boyhood United fan. Doesn't really play like it. Can only hope he's pulling out of 50/50s cos he's injured.

 

[Ekeke]

Found Senesi and Zabarnyi tough opponents today. Mixed bag with his holdup play

 

[Andre Kagawa]

He's gonna end up at Everton or some other mid table club in a couple of years

 

[Andycoleno9]

Seriously, Lukaku was absolutely slated here for his hold up play. Well, Lukaku's hold up play looks as first class compared to Hojlund. Why Hojlund makes himself smaller and smaller when he tries to play with the back from the goal? It always ends by him falling on his ass.

 

[edgecutter]

He's not very good, is he? Seemed surprised when the ball came to him.

 

[UnitedRepublic]

Of all stupid posts, this probably takes the price.

We’ve all seen what Hojlund can do. It’s very impressive that he managed to play as well as he did before his injury after a difficult first half year. That shows a very strong mentality in a young player. He is a superb finisher, can create goals for himself, has caused some of the strongest defenders problems and has set up his teammates several times and would have had a number of assists if Rash and Garnacho had scored on their chances.

Until we get a well balanced team with a plan there’s no point in pointing fingers at our young players.

I stand by with what I said and thats the reality of this matter Martial atleast makes his teammates look better. Better hold up,better dribbling better passing and someone you want to give the ball to and someone that can do something out of nothing.

For this team Martial is better and for a team that wants to play football Martial is better simple as and I’m talking about injured Martial. I’m not even talking about debut season Martial , or the one that kept Mourinho in the job for longer neither the covid Martial.

 

[Bobski]

Seriously, Lukaku was absolutely slated here for his hold up play. Well, Lukaku's hold up play looks as first class compared to Hojlund. Why Hojlund makes himself smaller and smaller when he tries to play with the back from the goal? It always ends by him falling on his ass.

A harder working Lukaku is the best case scenario for Hojlund to develop into from what we are currently seeing. . And that would be very reliant on his finishing and ability to sniff out chances developing.