Speaking in the aftermath of the borderline farcical defeat to FC Copenhagen, the Danish striker revealed: “I think everyone in the dressing room is behind him, so I think it’s only a matter of time (before things go our way).”

Though United ultimately lost last night, their defeat came largely at the incompetent hands of the officiating team, rather than anything the opposition did with their feet.

The opening twenty minutes of the match saw Ten Hag’s side take a two-goal lead, courtesy of two predatory finishes by Højlund.

United were in full control at this point with the Dane describing it as “some of the best football we have played this season.”

A series of bizarre VAR interventions then promptly turned the game on its head, with United losing a man, conceding a penalty and being subject to a series of further inexplicable decisions as they eventually ran out 4-3 losers.

A full report on the match can be found here, as well as a breakdown of the individual performances by the United team. Højlund’s efforts were sufficient enough for him to win The Peoples Person’s Man of the Match award.

The defeat left United bottom of their Champions League group, with qualification to the next round looking increasingly unlikely.

This would, in normal circumstances, be sufficient cause for an analysis of how a potential exit from a European competition at the hands of a Danish team may affect a manager’s position.

The decisions in the game were so overwhelmingly poor, however, that no inquest into Ten Hag’s tactics were launched. Indeed, even after his side were reduced to ten men and the Dutchman was able to recalibrate at the half-time interval, United were largely the better side in the second half, despite the numerical disadvantage.

Højlund was quick to praise his manager after the game, underscoring his quality as a coach and how much he has helped the Dane to develop in a short space of time.

“[Ten Hag] is a very good coach who thinks about the smallest details. He helps me a lot and gives me a lot of faith in things and supports me,” the Dane revealed.

Though it has been an undoubtedly disappointing start to the season for Ten Hag and his players, the fact that the Dutchman retains the support of the dressing room will be a key factor in the team turning things around.

A match against Luton at Old Trafford on Saturday appears the perfect place to start.

The post “Everyone is behind him”: Rasmus Højlund backs Erik ten Hag appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Sport Witness relays a report by Italian outlet, Inter Live, who suggest United are set to rival Inter Milan for the Iranian international’s signature.

Inter are thought to be “looking for a new striker” with the experienced Porto star top of their list. Taremi had previously been linked with United in the summer, suggesting he’s a player Old Trafford officials have had on their radar for some time now. 

With good reason.

Taremi scored twenty-two goals in Portugal last season, with a further five in seven Champions League games. The season prior, he scored twenty league goals. Across these two years Taremi also provided nineteen assists, indicating he’s a forward as capable of creating, as well as finishing, chances.

This season has seen a slight downturn in productivity, with the Iranian only returning three goals and three assists in fourteen games. This would still be more goals than all of United’s forwards (bar Højlund) combined, however.

And it’s the Danish striker who appears to be primary consideration of Old Trafford officials’ interest in Taremi.

Erik ten Hag is reported to want an “experienced centre-forward” in the January window, to help “lighten the load of responsibility” on his young striker.

Højlund has started virtually every game since his delayed introduction, working tirelessly in and out of possession.

Five goals in four Champions League games indicates his ruthlessness in front of goal, but he is yet to score domestically. The complete absence of creativity amongst his team-mates is the root cause of this drought, however.

When Højlund left the pitch last night against FC Copenhagen, the game proceeded to very quickly swing in the opposition’s favour. The Dane’s physicality offered a consistent outlet for his teammates, and he was constantly harassing the Copenhagen defenders.

Mason Mount, brought on in his stead, could not offer remotely the same threat, though it’s unfair to ask a diminutive attacking midfielder to lead the line for a team with ten men. The natural replacement for Højlund – Anthony Martial – continues to be an irrelevant member of the squad, with the club though to be open to his departure in January.

As such, the reported interest of United in Taremi makes sense. A figure of €10m is suggested as the fee required to secure the 31-year old’s services.

With Højlund being the lone bright spot in the United attacking unit this season, any efforts that can be made to help preserve his brightness should be made.

The post Manchester United linked with January move for Mehdi Taremi appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United were cruising and comfortably in the lead with a two-goal advantage courtesy of a brace from Hojlund.

However, Rashford received what seemed like a dubious red card and was instantly sent off. The controversial decision left United a man down.

Copenhagen scored two goals just before the break to restore parity.

United took the lead again through Bruno Fernandes who scored from the penalty spot. However, once more, Jacob Neestrup’s men levelled before Roony Bardghji came up with the match-winning goal in the 87th minute.

At the moment, the Red Devils sit bottom of Group A with just three points.

United are facing an uphill battle to advance to the next round of the Champions League and will undoubtedly need big performances against Galatasaray and Bayern Munich to do so.

After the final whistle, Hojlund spoke to TNT Sports (via Manchester Evening News) and gave his verdict on the match at Parken.

The young goalscorer said, “I think we started very well, to be honest. We controlled the game until the red card and that changed the match, of course.”

“If you don’t have a look at the result, if you only take the [opening] 20 minutes into account, I think we did quite well. I think we switched off a little bit [after the red card].”

“We were playing a game with one man down, so of course, it’s giving them belief and I know how the crowd can help the team here. It gave them a big boost. We did quite good at the beginning of the second half, we were composed on the ball and we kept switching the game a lot, got the penalty and got in front again.”

The 20-year-old added, “So it’s unfortunate we’re here, with zero points from the game again.”

The post Rasmus Hojlund blames Marcus Rashford’s red card for Man United’s loss vs. FC Copenhagen appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Erik ten Hag’s side squandered a two goal lead to end up losing 4-3 in the final few minutes of a game once again overshadowed by VAR.

United went two-nil up courtesy of two classic poacher goals by Højlund, who takes his Champions League goal record for the club to five goals in four games.

While the Danish striker has struggled for goals domestically, he has consistently run riot on the continent. And tonight was no different.

Inspired by a return to his former side, Højlund was a constant menace for the Copenhagen defenders in the first half. Two goals doesn’t quite capture how much of a threat he was with a powerful volley almost clinching a well-deserved hat-trick.

The cruel hand of inept officiating then intervened to ruin what had been a textbook start by Ten Hag’s men.

Marcus Rashford was sent off for a coming together which created a bad contact with a Copenhagen player, but was completely unintentional.

The referee chose initially to not give a red, but was instructed by the VAR team to reconsider. This then led to the inexplicable act of reversing his decision.

No way is that a red card for Rashford!
Hate these slow motion replays & still images that make everything look 10 times worse. #Champions_League #COPMUN

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) November 8, 2023

(When even Jamie Carragher is in United’s corner, you know it was a bad decision)

United were reduced to ten men and the entire complexion of the game changed. A more in-depth recap of exactly how this farcical game then unfolded can be found here.

Højlund did not allow his head to drop in the face of adversity, however. The dynamic Dane worked relentlessly for his team, constantly harassing the opposition defence and offering an outlet for his team to progress up the pitch.

United’s positive performance, despite the numerical disadvantage, turned sour when Højlund was substituted. His teammates sorely lacked his potent pairing of physicality and pace up front, and Copenhagen were able to really take a footing in the game as a result.

The result, with Højlund’s performance and goals, mirrored the previous Champions League fixture against Galatasaray. Two goals by the striker were forgotten amidst a cacophony of mistakes by his teammates (and officials), concluding with a disappointing United loss.

Højlund, once again, deserved far more on a night where he looked worth every penny of the £72 million United paid for him in the summer.

The post Rasmus Højlund impresses again in the Champions League for Manchester United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

A Rasmus Hojlund brace and a converted penalty from Bruno Fernandes were not enough to sink Copenhagen at Parken.

United managed 48% possession to the opposition’s 52% share of the ball.

Erik ten Hag’s men had a total of 9 shots, with eight of these being on target. In comparison, Copenhagen amassed 16 shots with half of these requiring Andre Onana to swing into action.

United put together 497 passes with a success rate of 84%.

Copenhagen strung 517 passes with a pass accuracy of 88%.

One of the Red Devils’ better performers during a disappointing night at Parken was Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The Englishman made three important clearances during the time he was on the pitch.

Wan-Bissaka also registered four interceptions and came up with three tackles. He was not dribbled past even on one occasion.

The 25-year-old delved into seven ground duels and came out on top an impressive five times. Wan-Bissaka was required to contest two challenges in the air. He won one of these aerial duels.

The right-back lost possession of the ball 12 times and was fouled once. He had 83 touches of the ball to his name.

Wan-Bissaka successfully delivered 50 of the 56 passes he attempted, managing a personal pass accuracy of 89% to his name.

The defender made one key pass. He did not find his teammates with any of his crosses or long balls – an aspect of the game he will undoubtedly be keen to improve.

Wan-Bissaka embarked on one dribble which he completed.

(Stats obtained from Sofascore)

As a result of their defeat, United now have an uphill battle to make it out of the group ahead of crucial clashes vs. Galatasaray and Bayern Munich.

The post Aaron Wan-Bissaka produces defensively solid performance as Man United are beaten by FC Copenhagen appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United beat FC Copenhagen at Old Trafford and would have undoubtedly been keen on a similar result in order to advance to the next round of the competition.

Erik ten Hag started Andre Onana in goal with a defensive four of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Diogo Dalot ahead of the Cameroonian goalkeeper.

In midfielder, Ten Hag gave the nod to Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes.

Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho on either wing. Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 4-3 loss against FC Copenhagen.

Give Hojlund goalscoring chances and he will score

United started the game in breathtaking fashion through Hojlund who scored two goals in the third and 28th minute respectively.

For the first, a brilliant pass from Wan-Bissaka to find McTominay set the Scotland international very well inside the Copenhagen box. McTominay produced a stunning cross to Hojlund who was arriving at the back post.

The striker made no mistake from close range.

For Hojlund’s second, Garnacho tried to plant the ball into the back of the net but his shot was saved by Kamil Grabara. Luckily for United Hojlund was at the right place to score from the spilled save to give United a two-goal lead.

The 20-year-old is the first ever player to score five goals in his first four Champions League games for the 20-time English champions.

Rasmus Højlund is the first ever player to score five goals in his first four Champions League games for Manchester United.#UCL pic.twitter.com/ugACN43Ks9

— Squawka (@Squawka) November 8, 2023

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, a  seemingly ridiculous VAR intervention to send Rashford off led to events spiralling out of control to allow Copenhagen an avenue back into the game.

By the time both teams were heading down the tunnel, Jacob Neestrup’s men had restored parity.

Throughout the season, Hojlund’s teammates have been accused of not creating enough opportunities for him, especially in the Premier League where the Dane is yet to open his goalscoring account.

It’s clear that when presented with the chances during games, Hojlund certainly has the ability to score and make his mark. It’s up to the rest of the team to create for him.

United collapsed in the second half

During large parts of the second half while a man down, United seemed defensively sound and compact enough.

The Reds even took the lead momentarily after Fernandes dispatched a powerful shot from the penalty spot into the back of the net.

However, a big defensive mistake from Dalot allowed Lukas Lerager to draw Copenhagen level once more.

Dalot did not notice Lerager behind them and the rival star was all too happy to creep in and score.

Just four minutes later, United failed to deal with a cross inside the box. The ball found Roony Bardghji who expertly connected with it to give Onana no chance of saving the ball.

All of United’s good work was undone in a few minutes in which some players lost concentration and let the moment get to them.

United’s Champions League dream hanging by a thread

As a result of their defeat at Parken, United’s dreams of making it out of Group A and advancing to the next round of the competition are hanging by a thread.

At the moment. the 20-time English champions are in the bottom position in their group with just three points.

Galatasaray who were beaten by two goals at the Allianz Arena by Bayern Munich, are a point above United.

United are now facing an uphill battle to make it to the round of 16 and will need big performances against Galatasaray and Bayern Munich.

The post Three things we learned as Manchester United suffer devastating 4-3 defeat vs. FC Copenhagen appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

(A score of 6 is around average)

Andre Onana 5- Could have maybe got down sooner for Copenhagen’s first but that’s nitpicking. Penalty is always a lottery and he can’t be blamed for it. Couldn’t do much for any goal.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 7- Giving United renewed thrust on the right side with improved attacking play. Smartly played in McTominay to slide it to Hojlund for United’s first.

Harry Maguire 5- Was having a good game before the red card to Rashford invited a wave of Copenhagen attacks. Looked rattled then.

Jonny Evans 6- Not much impact before hobbling off with what looked like a serious injury. Huge concern for Erik ten Hag.

Diogo Dalot 4- Lost his man for Copenhagen’s third goal in unforgivable fashion but was playing well on his wrong side at left-back before that.

Scott McTominay 7- Assisted Hojlund and United’s first goal with a great cut-back from the byline and generally kept possession well in midfield.

Christian Eriksen 6- Nothing notable, just kept the play ticking and didn’t get bypassed too often during transition in a huge improvement from earlier appearances.

Marcus Rashford 5- Was United’s main point of attack on the right before being cruelly sent off for what looked like basic shielding of the ball. He won’t be happy with himself but can’t be blamed for the decision of the referee.

Bruno Fernandes 7- Played really well as the connecting link of midfield and the attack. Kept his rushed balls forward to a minimum and scored with his penalty kick to give United the second-half lead.

Alejandro Garnacho 7- Rashford and Garnacho have cemented themselves as United’s first-choice pairing now after another fine performance by the Argentine. Looks to take on defenders and even when things don’t come off, shores up the attack.

Rasmus Hojlund 8- Had a dream start on his homecoming by scoring a goal within the first five minutes. He was in dreamland after getting a quick brace, proving that he will score goals if chances are created by his teammates. Didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.

Substitutes:

Raphael Varane 3- Things looked frosty between Ten Hag and the Frenchman when he was called to action after Evans’ injury. Showed why he hasn’t been trusted to displace Maguire and Evans with a shaky performance. Cost United the game by radiating panic across the backline.

Manager Erik ten Hag 6- Not making successful adjustments could be the only critique of the manager here but sometimes there’s nothing you can do when everything that can go bad, goes bad.

The post FC Copenhagen 4-3 Manchester United: Player Ratings appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United travel to Denmark this evening for their crucial Champions League group game against FC Copenhagen.

United’s qualification hopes are still in the balance after two losses from their opening two fixtures were followed up by a narrow win against tonight’s opponents, at Old Trafford.

Should Erik ten Hag’s men claim all three points this evening and Bayern Munich see off Galatasaray in Germany, United’s trip to Turkey on Matchday 5 will be the deciding fixture of their Group A campaign.

Ten Hag is well aware of the need for United to win the game this evening and despite a poor showing in the reverse fixture, will expect his men to secure the victory.

Rasmus Hojlund faces his former club and the Danish striker is likely to be United’s biggest weapon this evening.

The 20-year-old’s best moments have come in the Champions League for his new club and he will be chomping at the bit to make his mark on home soil.

Setting the electric pace of Marcus Rashford and Hojlund free should prove too much for the Danish Champions but getting the ball to the dangerous duo will be key.

With the technicality of European football suiting Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount, expect the pair to join Bruno Fernandes as the attacking trio around Rashford and Hojlund and their ability to interchange will keep Copenhagen guessing.

All can operate wide on the right, as well as in the middle and if they can dovetail successfully, United should be in for a fruitful evening.

Andre Onana, who has looked long more times than expected since his arrival will surely be tasked with popping the ball into his back four for United to eventually get their playmakers into the game.

Then it will be down to the attacking talent to interchange and combine to feed Hojlund in particular who, despite his domestic barren spell, looks like he has a goal in him in Europe.

Naturally, United will have to settle into the game and with an electric atmosphere expected in Denmark, controlling the ball from the early stages will be crucial.

United are still without the influential Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez but Harry Maguire, who has returned to form in recent weeks, and the experienced Raphael Varane should be happy enough to take the ball and look forward.

Copenhagen showed they were a threat at Old Trafford so there will be no excuse to be caught cold tonight.

If Hojlund can continue his good form in Europe, expect him to be the difference maker and ease the pressure on his boss, who has come under fire this season.

An early goal would be the perfect tonic to any nerves on a night where United simply have to win if they want to avoid an embarrassing early exit from Europe’s top competition.

The post Tactical preview of Manchester United’s crucial Champions League clash with FC Copenhagen appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

It was always going to be a tough start to life at Old Trafford for Rasmus Højlund.

The dynamic Dane has, arguably, settled reasonably well at his boyhood club. Højlund is yet to find the net in the league, going eight appearances without a goal. Three goals in three Champions League games tells a different story, however, as does Højlund’s general play amidst a range of poor performances by his team-mates.

The 20-year old has impressed with his potent pairing of pace and physicality. His willingness to press, and the intensity with which he approaches matches, have been excellent. Højlund’s link-up play has also been positive, demonstrating an ability to receive the ball, hold off defenders and find team-mates in space; integral skills to effectively lead the line.

The match against Galatasaray – which Højlund was unlucky to not come away with a brilliant hat-trick – demonstrated his ruthlessness in front of goal. It’s just a trait he is yet to translate into domestic matches.

The striker’s struggles in the league are very little do with any lack of quality, however, and much more to do with a lack of confidence and a lack of service.

This statistical comparison by Sky Sports highlights Højlund’s with the former.

"He's not the finished article just yet."@DanielSturridge on the potential of Rasmus Højlund pic.twitter.com/2RpFM28jXt

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 6, 2023

The Dane ranks in 100th place among Premier League players for shots taken per ninety minutes, with 1.7.

Darwin Nunez, by comparison in 1st place, takes 5.7 per ninety. Haaland clocks in at 5th with 4.1 while Callum Wilson is one spot below with 3.9 shots per ninety. Marcus Rashford takes 3.6 shots per ninety, which ranks him 12th.

Put simply, Højlund is not shooting as often as those in the same areas of the pitch as him. This is understandable for a 20-year old in their first season in the Premier League, where a player may look to keep things simple and not take risks.

Often, taking a shot results in the end of an attacking move. It takes a confident player, maybe even a slightly egotistical one, to be consistently willing to gamble on themselves providing the finishing touch to a passage of play. As Højlund’s confidence grows in his newfound role, so too will his willingness to take this risk.

This will, in large part, be reliant upon an improvement to the latter reason for his lack of goals, however – a lack of service.

Across Højlund’s last three games, his team-mates have not created a single chance for the striker. Indeed, across the striker’s eight appearances in the league, his xG (expected goals) is 1.37; essentially, rather than zero goals, Højlund should have 1.

Manchester United have not created a single chance for Rasmus Hojlund in the last 160 minutes of Premier League action. pic.twitter.com/J4YQfjG0qC

— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) November 4, 2023

It would be difficult for any established striker to be feeding off the relative scraps Højlund has been, let alone an inexperienced one facing Premier League defenders for the first time.

Bruno Fernandes and Rashford should be doing far more to help their young team-mate, providing the platform for him to succeed. It is an area – attacking fluidity and chance creation – Erik ten Hag must focus on if United are to improve upon their poor start this year.

The early signs have been promising for Højlund – he just needs the confidence to realise it- and for his team-mates to start delivering equally positive performances. Then the goals will come.

The post The stats which explain Rasmus Højlund’s difficult start appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

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.

The post Rasmus Hojlund’s promising start at Manchester United analysed appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.