Rasmus Hojlund had another disappointing performance as Manchester United were dumped out of the FA Cup by Fulham.
Ruben Amorim continues to have confidence in Rasmus Hojlund, as the 22-year-old retains his position in the starting XI for the match against Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
However, this may stem more from a lack of available players than anything else. Amorim only included seven substitutes in his squad, highlighting the ongoing injury issues plaguing Manchester United.
Hojlund had another tough outing against Fulham, recording just nine touches in 68 minutes before being substituted for academy striker Chido Obi, who, quite frankly, contributed significantly more than his Danish counterpart.
Amorim has backed Hojlund, indicating that the rest of the squad needs to create more opportunities for him. Nevertheless, his confidence appears to be severely lacking.
Ruben Amorim heard shouting to Rasmus Hojlund
Hojlund’s future at United is uncertain due to his disappointing season, but honestly, there is little Amorim can do now except to offer support and attempt to help him turn things around.
This is precisely what the United manager aimed to accomplish at Old Trafford, as reported by Sam C, who mentioned that Amorim was “guiding” Hojlund throughout the match with “constant encouragement.”
Following Amorim’s encouragement, Hojlund initially started the game fairly well, utilizing his body effectively to shield the ball, but he often had difficulty getting involved and ultimately became somewhat of a bystander.
Amorim anticipates that Hojlund will enhance his performance, yet there are concerning indicators that his development may be stagnating. The burden of being United’s primary—and only—senior striker appears to be weighing heavily on him.
Manchester United must prioritize signing a top striker this summer.
It is clear that a new forward will be at the forefront of United’s shopping list this summer.
Amorim will be keen on bringing Viktor Gyokeres with him to Manchester from Sporting Lisbon; however, Gyokeres does not align with Ineos’ transfer philosophy.
While United scouts are impressed with Victor Osimhen, acquiring him from Napoli won’t be inexpensive, and at 26, he also doesn’t fit the Ineos profile.
Nevertheless, Ineos can’t exclusively recruit young and emerging talents for this United team – Amorim requires experienced players and leaders who can manage the pressure.
If a new striking partner arrives, Hojlund might still revive his United career by sharing the goalscoring responsibilities.