Rasmus Hojlund image 9

Rasmus Hojlund Denmark flag

2024-25 Performances

View full 2024-25 profile

4.7 Season Average Rating
Appearances
49
Goals
10
Assists
2
Yellow cards
2
Gandalf said:
Well he does and then he doesn't.

Ruben talked about this and it is noticeable if you watch the games. He makes the right runs at the start of games or when he comes in as a sub but then when he doesn't get the ball he becomes frustrated and he stops making the right runs. His truly awful spell through the middle of this season was when he was noticeably getting frustrated and stopped making runs because he had lost faith that the pass would come. When Ruben was discussing this he emphasized that there is a problem with the team as a whole not playing the right passes and starving whoever was up front of service but he also stressed that the strikers responsibility is to remain focused and keep making the runs so that he is there when the pass finally does come. Gary Lineker has made similar comments about the role of a striker, it doesn't matter if you go 89 minutes without getting a chance provided you take the one chance when it comes but to do that you have to make the run no matter if you have already done it 40 times and the cross never came.

Rasmus has to display more maturity in his approach to the game if he is going to be able to stick around as part of the forward line. I accept, as do many of those who like him, that a senior striker is needed and right now he is back up material at best. If he wants to be that back up longer term and maybe one day be the main man here then he needs to shut out the emotions and frustration and just focus on doing his job well regardless of what his team mates are doing. I know I would personally want to strangle Garnacho and Dalot particularly if I was a striker playing with them but at the end of the day that is not something he can control, he needs to trust that the coaching staff will deal with the issue of lack of service and he just has to make sure he is in position when the ball comes.
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He makes some runs but I would not say they are the “right runs”. His runs are basic to me, he also has poor timing and often finds himself off balance. Of course the supply is also poor at times but if people are trying to make out he makes runs and is open often or often in the right position I think that is a great miss characterisation.
 
Cassidy said:
He makes some runs but I would not say they are the “right runs”. His runs are basic to me, he also has poor timing and often finds himself off balance. Of course the supply is also poor at times but if people are trying to make out he makes runs and is open often or often in the right position I think that is a great miss characterisation.
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Behind a pay wall I know but this is a great analysis of why he has struggled to score this season and how it is not simply his flaws nor is it all down to the team play but a combination of those factors.

The goal Rasmus Hojlund keeps trying to score – and why it blocked his ketchup - The Athletic

If you don't have a subscription the key takeaways are;

1. Rasmus drifts to the left too often and needs to focus on positioning himself centrally between the posts
2. He does not shoot with anything like enough frequency
3. We delay the pass too often missing the opportunity to find him when he is open
4. We also frequently don't cross at all when we should, Dalot is singled out specifically here

Overall, as bad as it looks, with some minor tweaks to his game and a bit more willingness on the part of the wide players to cross the ball and cross early the floodgates could open.
 
Gandalf said:
Behind a pay wall I know but this is a great analysis of why he has struggled to score this season and how it is not simply his flaws nor is it all down to the team play but a combination of those factors.

The goal Rasmus Hojlund keeps trying to score – and why it blocked his ketchup - The Athletic

If you don't have a subscription the key takeaways are;

1. Rasmus drifts to the left too often and needs to focus on positioning himself centrally between the posts
2. He does not shoot with anything like enough frequency
3. We delay the pass too often missing the opportunity to find him when he is open
4. We also frequently don't cross at all when we should, Dalot is singled out specifically here

Overall, as bad as it looks, with some minor tweaks to his game and a bit more willingness on the part of the wide players to cross the ball and cross early the floodgates could open.
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Score more goals yes floodgates no. I agree with the analysis like I said service can be greatly improved (he is a better player than he has shown this season) but the assessment is missing the flaws in his own game in terms of his movement in and around the box and what happens when he gets the ball in build up. Even when he gets some really good balls from Bruno he always seems to be a step behind the play or off balance which allows cbs to close the space. Its not just a service issue is what my post was alluding to, not that there is not a service issue. Again any attempts to act like it is is a miss characterisation.
 
Forget goals for a second you're telling me a player who is clearly not a poacher in movement proficiency can't even receive a pass and lay it off to his attacking partners. He doesn't even come close to the bare minimum during passage of play phases. If you play with Bruno and actually try to put in a shift you will be on the end of something, even a failed linebreaking pass at least. If he's here for any kind of prolonged period we should just get ready to go through a ton of managers trying to unlock him. I don't think a club with high enough standards to realise the likes of Rashford and Martial aren't league winners can turn around and champion Hojlund's effort.
 
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One of the stats from his season that i find incredible is that he has attempted the grand total of 3 tackles in the league this season, winning 1, and his other defensive stats are abysmal across the board, he is totally ineffectual in his own box as well when back for set pieces, Zirkzee crushes him in off the ball work for as much as he looks athletically ill suited to the PL.

I can't find anything on pressing, maybe it is his one elite trait, but I doubt it, so you end with a guy who brings no high level value to the team in any element of his game, other than being a pretty good finisher when he infrequently finds himself on the end of a chance.

It is just not enough, not even for a back up role for me, he isn't going to change a game coming off the bench, just doesn't impact the game enough.
 
Man Utd 0:0 Man City New
Going to just be a bit brutal here, that is genuine nail in the coffin stuff. Zirkzee came on and did so much more in what, 20 minutes, than Hojlund did for his 70.

Just totally unacceptable. If any team makes a half-decent offer this summer we'd be insane not to take it.
 
What makes his performance look worse in retrospect is how Zirkzee was 100 times more effective when he came on.
 
Utter waste of space. Not working hard, not running much, horrible positioning and often in completely the wrong spaces. Can't shoot and can't win any duels. Get rid.
 
He runs around pretending to challenge for high balls without a care of the flight of the ball. It is one more annoying thing to add.
 
Why does he just back into the defender instead of attempting to pass/head the ball? Must work once every 100 or so times
 
Waiting for the obligatory:

  1. He's lost his confidence.
  2. He's young and learning.
  3. He gets no service.
  4. There's a player in there.
All whilst seeing him drop another 1/10 performance.
 
dubplate warrior said:
Waiting for the obligatory:

  1. He's lost his confidence.
  2. He's young and learning.
  3. He gets no service.
  4. There's a player in there.
All whilst seeing him drop another 1/10 performance.
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Don’t forget the mentions of last season and so “we know what he can do”
 
Raoul said:
His confidence is shot. Get rid this summer.
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I'll be honest, I think this goes way beyond confidence at this point. When he did touch the ball, he actually did alright with it. He just does not know where to run to involve himself in the game.
 
I hope that story about service will completely die now. Guy just have atrocious movement and positioning in penalty box. Zero instinct for goal.
Like having special ability to avoid being on right place.
 
100 said:
Why does he just back into the defender instead of attempting to pass/head the ball? Must work once every 100 or so times
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Does he ever win a header?
He's an absolute unit who you'd expect to be a real handful aerially but like you say he's never looking at the ball as he more concerned with stopping the defender get to the ball.
Its pointless hitting a high ball in his direction.
 
He's just out of his depth. I think it's that simple. Most of the time he doesn't even look like a PL player. My expectation of him in-game is as low as his confidence is.

If he turns this around and becomes a player, it would be the biggest turnaround I've seen a United player have. Like Obertan turning into Giggs, or some such.
 
Mmm-Qatarian said:
I'll be honest, I think this goes way beyond confidence at this point. When he did touch the ball, he actually did alright with it. He just does not know where to run to involve himself in the game.
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Its all mental. He is capable of goals, but is obviously a confidence player who thrives when he's switched on and goes completely anonymous when his confidence has been obliterated. Time to end this failed experiment this summer.
 
I get that he’s low on confidence, but he’s one of the worst United forwards I’ve ever seen in 45 years of watching us play. He can’t hold the ball up, he’s never in the right positions and he ain’t as fast as I thought he’d be. His link up play is terrible and he’s like a ghost.

We have to move him on. If VDB had been a striker, he’s be Rasmus. Whoever scouted him needs firing.

I don’t hate or dislike him. It’s nothing personal, he’s just not a good footballer and he needs a new club asap.
 
He's a wimp. He doesn't want to actually jump for a header, he'll just back into the defender and crumple to the ground hoping for the ref to give him something.
 
He's just completely invisible.

Previously bad strikers for Utd would miss loads of chances. Hojlund doesn't miss chances because he never has a shot.

It's remarkable how often he'll play a game and contribute absolutely nothing.
 
The United said:
He runs around pretending to challenge for high balls without a care of the flight of the ball. It is one more annoying thing to add.
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This goes unnoticed. While Zirkzee tries to win headers, Hojlund just bumps into defender and doesn't even try to jump. Same in penalty box. Guy just doesn't jump on crosses and long balls.
 
Fecking hell i didn't think he was THAT bad at all- and he's the lowest rated player with a 4!? . Especially the first half, he had a few good touches, linked the play up, put himself about.
 
I started watching United in 94/95 and, though I've been blessed to witness many great forwards, he's comfortably the worst by a longshot.
 
Irwin99 said:
Fecking hell i didn't think he was THAT bad at all- and he's the lowest rated player with a 4!? . Especially the first half, he had a few good touches, linked the play up, put himself about.
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...did he really?
 
The United said:
He runs around pretending to challenge for high balls without a care of the flight of the ball. It is one more annoying thing to add.
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As well as running around pretending to make penetrating runs.
So noticeable today, never running in front of defenders or near post, always back post and behind defenders.
 
That Dorgu cross which Dias basically flopped on the floor to block, any half-decent striker would have made the run across Dias, but not our Hojlund. That guy just does not have the faintest instincts of a striker. Some things can be taught, but I feel he is so far behind what is the bare minimum required that it won’t amount to much for him here no matter how much we try or want.
 
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