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Rasmus Hojlund Denmark flag

2023-24 Performances


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the_cliff

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What, a young exciting striker who needs some time, and an establsihed striker to be at the club to take the heat off?

Or were you thinking something different?
You can check my post 2 posts before to see a detailed explanation. I would like to see your reply if you disagree and the reason why.
 

kundalini

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I thought he was poor apart from creating the opportunity that Shaw failed to control in the first half. One attempt blocked from Garnacho's cross early on. Needs to do better holding up the ball; too often his touch is poor or he gets out-muscled. Admittedly, it was a big ask after just one training session with the main group after his injury.
 

Glorio

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Not a great one today but he's bought himself enough credit in the CL. Didn't seem 100% fit
 

Dan_F

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Sesko was their potential signing (€24.0m). They bought Openda (€38.5m) to be a starter, which has worked out well so far. They've also got Werner and Poulsen.

We chose to buy Hojlund (€75.0m) and decided to forego the starter with only really a half-fit Martial as our other choice.

It's almost as though they are a better run club.
That’s literally my point :lol: Hojlund should be a back up potential striker like Sesko.

And of course Sesko’s fee is a joke. It’s a fraudulent transfer. United would have needed to pay a Hojlund level fee to get him.
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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You can check my post 2 posts before to see a detailed explanation. I would like to see your reply if you disagree and the reason why.
Yeah we're rubbish at sqaud planning, that's been exposed for what it is since SAF left, so there's nothing new there. And we might be the biggest club in England, but we haven't acted like it ot had the trophies to claim it forn years now, it is what it is.

We need an established striker, but the money wasn't there to get one, and this time I'd rather have the potential of Rasmus than a Ronanldo type signing again.
 

Dan_F

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That's exactly my point mate. His fee is for potential, since when did Manchester United the biggest club in England sign a centre forward to start for us as our main man while being unproven and having scored 6 goals in his whole career in a top 5 league. Now let's talk about Leipzig. As you said Leipzig signed a similar player with potential in Sesko, for a third of the price and to be third choice centre forward (behind Werner and Openda) but we Manchester fricking United signed a similarly experienced player to lead our line.

We did a similar thing with Amad/Pellestri with Ole, we were desperate for a starting right winger and we signed 2 kids instead.

Surely if we've been desperate for a striker for so many years you buy the one that can immediately contribute to your team and then the one that has potential afterwards.

It's just absolutely dreadful squad planning and shows nothing has changed since ETH came in. It's a howler. I remember a time not too long ago that we had 4 strikers that were all better than Hojlund is right now.

I like Hojlund btw and would have no problem with his signing if he was in addition to a starting striker but when the whole world and the whole league knew you needed a goalscoring striker and you splash it all on a guy that's scored 6 professional club goals then you deserve all of the criticism you should rightly get.

@Shark answer applies to your post as well.
I think we’re basically saying the same thing. i thought you were talking about Hojlund more than United, but re-reading it, I interpreted it wrong. Only thing I would defend United for is that Sesko was only signed for that amount because of the red bull connection.
 

PSV

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And of course Sesko’s fee is a joke. It’s a fraudulent transfer. United would have needed to pay a Hojlund level fee to get him.
Is it though? Leipzig signed him for €24m two weeks before Højlund was signed by Atalanta for €17m.
 

Dan_F

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Is it though? Leipzig signed him for €24m two weeks before Højlund was signed by Atalanta for €17m.
You think Salzburg would willingly choose to sell him to a German club for €24 million with United sniffing around? The quotes in the press for Sesko to United back in the autumn were £40 million.
 

Lash

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I thought he was poor apart from creating the opportunity that Shaw failed to control in the first half. One attempt blocked from Garnacho's cross early on. Needs to do better holding up the ball; too often his touch is poor or he gets out-muscled. Admittedly, it was a big ask after just one training session with the main group after his injury.
Yeah, was disappointed in him for large parts of the game. Few bits of nice hold up play, but not good enough overall. Martial struggled with the intensity when he first came on but was miles better than Hojlund with the ball.
 

Cathy Ferguson

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I thought he was poor apart from creating the opportunity that Shaw failed to control in the first half. One attempt blocked from Garnacho's cross early on. Needs to do better holding up the ball; too often his touch is poor or he gets out-muscled. Admittedly, it was a big ask after just one training session with the main group after his injury.
He is too much of a one trick pony. Too reliant on his pace and basically a 40m striker for the future to sub on in the last 15 minute.
 

DownRiver

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Very poor today. What is disappointing is that he is clearly not the final article by any stretch of the imagination, even with the amount of CL goals he scored.

He has all the attributes, but needs guidance and he is still very young.

He has just come back from injury and has not played for than a couple weeks. Ofocurse he would look a bit rusty.
 

bosnian_red

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Is it though? Leipzig signed him for €24m two weeks before Højlund was signed by Atalanta for €17m.
We were linked with Sesko in 2022, but were quoted 50m. He then signed for Leipzig that summer for 25m, to be completed the following summer (which just happened). United or anybody else wouldn't have the chance to sign him for 25m for the following year.
 

dedek_mraz

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We were linked with Sesko in 2022, but were quoted 50m. He then signed for Leipzig that summer for 25m, to be completed the following summer (which just happened). United or anybody else wouldn't have the chance to sign him for 25m for the following year.
yeah, but as you say he could've been available for lets say 50m which is still alot less than Hojlund and Sesko if by far a better prospect.
 

L1nk

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Why has nobody mentioned he's only just come back from injury and was at one point not even likely to play. Thought he wasn't great but held the ball up well for the first goal and a great bit of play that had Luke Shaw 1 on 1 with the keeper and a certain to score if he could control the ball better. Looked tired and rightly had to come off.
 

bosnian_red

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yeah, but as you say he could've been available for lets say 50m which is still alot less than Hojlund and Sesko if by far a better prospect.
It's like 15m difference, and that's a hugely questionable statement. Hojlund is a great prospect. But he's young. So it'll take time. Strikers like him tend to not even have any real impact in a big league til 22 or so. He's 20.
 

zaafi

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yeah, but as you say he could've been available for lets say 50m which is still alot less than Hojlund and Sesko if by far a better prospect.
No, he isn't. Højlund has more obvious qualities, better movement and instincts, which is a huge advantage for a young striker.
 

Rossa

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Didn't play with his normal intensity and pace - did he sprint even once? Probably not close to fully fit after the injury. Looked knackered at the end, so he was substituted with a player who looked knackered from running onto the pitch.
 

Ayoba

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Didn't play with his normal intensity and pace - did he sprint even once? Probably not close to fully fit after the injury. Looked knackered at the end, so he was substituted with a player who looked knackered from running onto the pitch.
Agreed, didnt look fully fit after the injury. Hopefully better for the newcastle game
 

Lyng

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Why has nobody mentioned he's only just come back from injury and was at one point not even likely to play. Thought he wasn't great but held the ball up well for the first goal and a great bit of play that had Luke Shaw 1 on 1 with the keeper and a certain to score if he could control the ball better. Looked tired and rightly had to come off.
Because most of his critics on here made their mind up about him when they realised they wouldnt get Kane.
 

Brightonian

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It was a nearly day. He did some of the things he does well, and was unlucky/not clinical with a couple of chances. He still looked just as much the solid prospect he always has for us. Rub of the green and he could have had two goals - those are the fine margins at this level. And his link-up play continues to create goals in a way that Weghorst's never did.

If we wanted a striker who always turns good performances into goals and doesn't have off-days, we should have bought Kane. But you can't hold that against Hojlund. He's doing as he would have been expected to do by anyone with a level head.
 

Dragam

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Because most of his critics on here made their mind up about him when they realised they wouldnt get Kane.
Yep, looking for any excuse to criticize him...
 
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L1nk

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It was a nearly day. He did some of the things he does well, and was unlucky/not clinical with a couple of chances. He still looked just as much the solid prospect he always has for us. Rub of the green and he could have had two goals - those are the fine margins at this level. And his link-up play continues to create goals in a way that Weghorst's never did.

If we wanted a striker who always turns good performances into goals and doesn't have off-days, we should have bought Kane. But you can't hold that against Hojlund. He's doing as he would have been expected to do by anyone with a level head.
The thing is as well, he's (or was) top scorer in the CL, and yet we are bottom, so would would exactly would Kane have changed? He wasn't gonna plug the massive gaping black hole that is the midfield and he wasn't going to plug this leaky as shit defense so.
 

Lyng

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The thing is as well, he's (or was) top scorer in the CL, and yet we are bottom, so would would exactly would Kane have changed? He wasn't gonna plug the massive gaping black hole that is the midfield and he wasn't going to plug this leaky as shit defense so.
Also Kane isnt always a gamechanger. He was terrible against Copenhagen.
 

Bobski

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Utd need to be working hard on his all round game because at the moment he looks to be a poorer version of Lukaku in the making, with more energy and workrate, not as good a finisher but with some basic technical flaws that will be difficult to work around.

I am not trying to rubbish the guy, Lukaku for all that he was frustrating is a well above average striker, but one dimensional strikers can be problematic.
 

andersj

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Utd need to be working hard on his all round game because at the moment he looks to be a poorer version of Lukaku in the making, with more energy and workrate, not as good a finisher but with some basic technical flaws that will be difficult to work around.

I am not trying to rubbish the guy, Lukaku for all that he was frustrating is a well above average striker, but one dimensional strikers can be problematic.
I think Lukaku with workrate and energy would have been pretty great.
 

Bobski

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I think Lukaku with workrate and energy would have been pretty great.
Would have been a major improvement, but still, the technical issues would limit what you could do with him. I think Utd have to make a decision about what type of striker they want long term, my preference would always be for an all rounder who can link with the team, hold the ball up, interchange with the wide forwards, basically a fit, harder working, not as mardy version of Martial. A Hojlund type as an alternative or possible partner in some games would be a decent set up.
 

Nebel

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He's a great prospect and I'm happy we got him. Overpriced? Yeah maybe, but if he manages to build on his obvious strengths, it's a steal. Also not fair to put all the weight on the lads shoulders alone.
He needs guidance and we need an alternative to him at the moment.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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Utd need to be working hard on his all round game because at the moment he looks to be a poorer version of Lukaku in the making, with more energy and workrate, not as good a finisher but with some basic technical flaws that will be difficult to work around.

I am not trying to rubbish the guy, Lukaku for all that he was frustrating is a well above average striker, but one dimensional strikers can be problematic.
Hes absolutely nothing like Lukaku. technically he's on a completely different level. One thing to Lukakus credit is he could finish and his first season at Utd he did at least score a fairly decent number of goals. Aside from that though, in the build up, the press, any any other phases he was horrific. Hojland is already looking a far better player than him, the goals will come too.
 

Bobski

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Hes absolutely nothing like Lukaku. technically he's on a completely different level. One thing to Lukakus credit is he could finish and his first season at Utd he did at least score a fairly decent number of goals. Aside from that though, in the build up, the press, any any other phases he was horrific. Hojland is already looking a far better player than him, the goals will come too.
I hope you are right, just have concerns, because for every precise, controlled piece of play under pressure there have also been a large number of basic errors. I am not overly concerned about the lack of goals, think the set up is not ideal, they will come, but long term looking forward I am hoping to see signs of that all round game.

I would also say the same about Garnacho, if those 2 are going to be key to Utd moving forward then they both need to develop the rest of their game. Garnacho is very much following the Ronaldo mould, focusing on providing goal threat, put Rashford into that front 3 and you have 3 rather one dimensional players at the moment, with little in the way of playmaking from the attack, for me exacerbates some of the midfield issues, and no surprise Utd are a transition based team.
 

NicolaSacco

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Hes absolutely nothing like Lukaku. technically he's on a completely different level. One thing to Lukakus credit is he could finish and his first season at Utd he did at least score a fairly decent number of goals. Aside from that though, in the build up, the press, any any other phases he was horrific. Hojland is already looking a far better player than him, the goals will come too.
Lukaku was already scoring at a goal every other game for West Brom when he was 19. I bet EtH would snap your hand off if he could guarantee Hojljnd to get that goal return, regardless of all the other supposed attributes Hojljnd possesses that apparently makes him the superior player.
 

Fortitude

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The reality is if you go out and by an extremely young striker who isn't a prodigy, you've no right to expect anything like the finished article and further to that, such a player shouldn't be expected to carry the goalscoring load for a team of such aspirations as us. You supplement them with an able scorer and allow them to find their feet in terms of development.

I feel he gets far too much stick given all of this is obvious and the way of things. Many said he was nowhere near ready before we'd even signed him, so it's daft to level not being ready at him now. He might be as far as two years off ready, and that's very normal for non-prodigious strikers - most of the very best strikers in the game and history were nowhere near a club of United's level at 20.

In many ways this points towards our recruitment because the pressure he is under is not right and hopefully there is some supplementation coming by way of the January window.
 

bosnian_red

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Utd need to be working hard on his all round game because at the moment he looks to be a poorer version of Lukaku in the making, with more energy and workrate, not as good a finisher but with some basic technical flaws that will be difficult to work around.

I am not trying to rubbish the guy, Lukaku for all that he was frustrating is a well above average striker, but one dimensional strikers can be problematic.
Lukakus problems through his career were more mental than ability related. If he was able to get more consistency in overall game and able to do it in pressure situations like he was in others, he'd be seen much better.

Hojlund technically though to me looks much stronger anyway. Hojlunds technical issues tend to be when backing into a defender, and it's more inconsistency with that. Which isn't a surprise. He's 20, and his game builds around a skill that even the very best strikers of the past 30 years weren't able to do that until their mid 20's. Strikers like that who back into defenders to hold up the ball, especially premier league CBs, compete physically regularly and play as an all rounder... They typically do absolutely nothing in big leagues until 22 or 23. Lewandowski, Kane, Dzeko, Cavani, Ibra, etc. The list goes on. They are hard skills to master and take years to get there. Attackers who excel early tend to be based off of off the ball movement, being roamers or poachers. Lukaku when he was young and throughout his career never really learned how to back into defenders to hold it up properly. Haaland didn't do that at first. Kane didn't do that right away, and he was a couple years older anyway when he broke through properly.

It's about highlighting what type of player he is, what skills he shows, and when we should expect those to be more refined and consistent. For a player like Hojlund, that's really 22/23 when I'd expect the main step up, because historically all the best players who did similar things didn't do anything before that point either.
 

Lost bear

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Lukakus problems through his career were more mental than ability related. If he was able to get more consistency in overall game and able to do it in pressure situations like he was in others, he'd be seen much better.

Hojlund technically though to me looks much stronger anyway. Hojlunds technical issues tend to be when backing into a defender, and it's more inconsistency with that. Which isn't a surprise. He's 20, and his game builds around a skill that even the very best strikers of the past 30 years weren't able to do that until their mid 20's. Strikers like that who back into defenders to hold up the ball, especially premier league CBs, compete physically regularly and play as an all rounder... They typically do absolutely nothing in big leagues until 22 or 23. Lewandowski, Kane, Dzeko, Cavani, Ibra, etc. The list goes on. They are hard skills to master and take years to get there. Attackers who excel early tend to be based off of off the ball movement, being roamers or poachers. Lukaku when he was young and throughout his career never really learned how to back into defenders to hold it up properly. Haaland didn't do that at first. Kane didn't do that right away, and he was a couple years older anyway when he broke through properly.

It's about highlighting what type of player he is, what skills he shows, and when we should expect those to be more refined and consistent. For a player like Hojlund, that's really 22/23 when I'd expect the main step up, because historically all the best players who did similar things didn't do anything before that point either.
A reasoned and sane analysis.
 

bosnian_red

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A reasoned and sane analysis.
Nobody wants to hear that Lewandowski had just been transferred to Lech Poznan where he'd spend 2 full seasons at Hojlunds age, and his first Dortmund season after that was a bit shit.

Or that Kane had only had championship loans before this point and was a backup for Spurs that year before breaking out the following year (and he's early relative to others...).
 

Rojofiam

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That's exactly my point mate. His fee is for potential, since when did Manchester United the biggest club in England sign a centre forward to start for us as our main man while being unproven and having scored 6 goals in his whole career in a top 5 league. Now let's talk about Leipzig. As you said Leipzig signed a similar player with potential in Sesko, for a third of the price and to be third choice centre forward (behind Werner and Openda) but we Manchester fricking United signed a similarly experienced player to lead our line.

We did a similar thing with Amad/Pellestri with Ole, we were desperate for a starting right winger and we signed 2 kids instead.

Surely if we've been desperate for a striker for so many years you buy the one that can immediately contribute to your team and then the one that has potential afterwards.

It's just absolutely dreadful squad planning and shows nothing has changed since ETH came in. It's a howler. I remember a time not too long ago that we had 4 strikers that were all better than Hojlund is right now.

I like Hojlund btw and would have no problem with his signing if he was in addition to a starting striker but when the whole world and the whole league knew you needed a goalscoring striker and you splash it all on a guy that's scored 6 professional club goals then you deserve all of the criticism you should rightly get.

@Shark answer applies to your post as well.
Which established striker did you have in mind?