The arrival of Rasmus Hojlund has been an all too rare bright spot in an otherwise overcast season for Manchester United fans. Although, as always with this enormous club, things are not as clear-cut as they seem.
The young Dane was signed from Atalanta in the summer and tasked with the humongous opportunity but also intense pressure of leading Manchester United’s line at only 20 years old. Maybe that says more about where United’s recruitment has been over the last few years than it does for young Rasmus.
When the strapping 6ft 3 inch (1.91m) striker arrived, fan response was mixed to say the least. On the optimistic side, the Red Devils had finally brought in a number nine who could grow at the club and stay for many years. Hojlund himself grew up in Denmark idolising the club, which will always endear him to fans. His supposed loyalty to the club was demonstrated in his rejecting of PSG’s overtures in the summer in favour of joining the side from Manchester.
The Danish international has been described as a “huge talent” by opposition managers and also finished 10th in the recent European Golden Boy Award. He was in fact the only Premier League representative in the top 10.
Additionally, the striker position has been one of a few problem areas for the club of late. United fans had either got used to seeing sticking-plaster solutions like Edinson Cavani or Cristiano Ronaldo being brought to the club or players who just weren’t good enough like Wout Weghorst or Odion Ighalo. The other current striker option, Anthony Martial, lost his way somewhere back in 2020 and has never recovered.
However, despite the optimism, dissenting voices, most clearly in the British media, queried why United had not gone for Harry Kane. It was one of football’s worst kept secrets that Man United wanted Kane and Kane wanted to smash in goals under the Old Trafford lights. Peculiarly, the club from Manchester made a timid effort at the start of the summer to bring the English captain in but soon gave up when Daniel Levy made it clear that Spurs would not sell to a Premier League rival.
So, at the end of it all, Rasmus Hojlund is the solution the club and Erik ten Hag have gone for. So far, most United fans are happy with the start he has made. The young Scandanavian made his mark on the Champions League by scoring on his debut versus Bayern Munich and then scoring a brace against Galatasaray on his Old Trafford European debut.
The striker’s impressive returns for Denmark has also got United fans licking their lips at his potential. At the time of writing, the Dane has scored 7 goals in qualifying, ironically the same number as a certain Harry Kane.
Hojlund has also impressed fans with his tenacious work effort, holding the ball up and getting into goalscoring positions. His popularity with the fans can be seen every time the coach brings him off the pitch, boos ring around the stadium.
However, despite his tender age, the striker still hasn’t scored in domestic competition. As of the 7th November 2023, the Dane has played ten domestic games without finding the back of the net. It must be said that he did score on his debut vs Brighton but the goal was chalked off by VAR. However, the truth is, the longer he goes without scoring, the bigger the pressure will be from opposition fans and pundits alike.
Nonetheless, despite the mixed picture currently being presented, Hojlund needs time to adapt. He has had a meteoric rise from playing in Austria only last year to now being tasked to perform on one of the biggest stages in world football. Most Red Devils fans are sensible enough to know the striker position has been a bit of a graveyard shift of late due to the lack of service and fluid attacking football present at the club.
The kid is only 20 years old and has shown signs of his promise. The Manchester outfit did not sign Hojlund for this season alone but banking on his gigantic future potential. It is not his fault that Anthony Martial is his only competition up top.