Manchester United’s Wednesday night was off to the worst possible start inside five minutes with Ipswich Town taking the lead.
It looked like a routine situation for Manchester United to contend with as the Ipswich Town long ball bounced toward the box.
Patrick Dorgu had it covered and as he went to pass it back to Andre Onana, the Cameroonian was nowhere to be seen as the backpass rolled helplessly toward goal.
It was a brutal miscommunication which Onana was at fault for – leaving United with a mountain to climb throughout the rest of the game.
Ruben Amorim will be delighted as his side did climb, as three set-piece situations brought the goals for United’s comeback to beat Ipswich 3-2.
United’s three goals showed excellent character. But there were still some awful performances across the pitch for United.
Rasmus Hojlund horrendous for Manchester United
Onana was labelled a ‘calamity’ on MUTV for not only the first goal but the second Ipswich goal which he allowed to pass him by into the goal.
Dorgu’s red card for United will also see his performance considered among the most disappointing.
However, at the other end of the pitch, it is arguable that Rasmus Hojlund was even worse than the goalkeeper.
Rasmus Hojlund stats vs Ipswich Town
| Stat | # |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Passes | 5/5 |
| Touches | 12 |
| Dribbles | 0/1 |
| Tackles | 0 |
| Clearances | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Recoveries | 0 |
| Duels won | 0/6 |
Hojlund’s impact on the game was minimal and honestly if United had gone to nine men, he wouldn’t have been missed.
To only touch the ball 12 times, at home against a team firmly in the relegation zone is appalling. Hojlund was bullied by the Ipswich defence which will soon be a Championship team.
So on Sunday, he could absolutely be dropped.
Chido Obi should start for United against Fulham
Hojlund’s performances have been dreadful all season but these struggles have reached new heights in recent weeks as the team around him is beginning to click.
United’s No.9 therefore is on thin ice with his only saving grace being the lack of options the Red Devils have right now in the attacking department.
Due to this, for Hojlund’s own sake, it could be worthwhile taking him out of the firing line and putting Chido Obi into the starting line-up against Fulham.
Obi stats for Manchester United by level
| Level | Goals | Assists |
| U18 | 13 | 1 |
| U21 | 2 | 1 |
| First-team | 0 | 0 |
Obi is just 17, yet he wouldn’t be able to do worse than Hojlund and he would have protection from criticism from the fans. Hojlund meanwhile is stuck in a rut of awful performances with his confidence at rock bottom.
It would be an invaluable experience for Obi and he would offer more in the way of link-up play for United. Amorim has a decision to make.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
