TalkSPORT presenter Ally McCoist has insisted that one Manchester United star could be a catalyst for turning around the Red Devils’ season under Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League table after managing to secure only three points out of a possible nine in their first three matches.
Erik ten Hag’s men beat Fulham 1-0 at Old Trafford in their Premier League opener last month after summer signing Joshua Zirkzee scored a late second-half winner.
Following on from the Fulham match, United’s momentum took an early blow after Brighton inflicted a 2-1 Premier League defeat on Ten Hag’s side at the Amex.
Ten Hag suffered another major setback before the September international break after Liverpool comfortably defeated United 3-0 at Old Trafford.
United’s Premier League campaign resumes on Saturday with an away trip to the St Mary’s for the Southampton match, with kick-off slated for 12:30pm UK time.
McCoist on Man Utd star’s impact
Erik ten Hag was dealt an early blow even before the start of the new Premier League season after injuries to two of his first-team players in pre-season.
Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro were both forced off in the first half of the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in July.
Leny Yoro, who was signed from French side Lille, underwent surgery on a foot injury in August and is expected to be out of action for three months.
Rasmus Hojlund, on the other hand, was sidelined for around six weeks and is tipped to return for United after the September international break.
Ten Hag has turned to captain Bruno Fernandes for a false nine role and Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee in the absence of Hojlund this season.
Ally McCoist now believes that the return of United striker Hojlund from injury could help kickstart the Red Devils’ season after their “toothless” performances.
“Rasmus Hojlund coming back from injury is going to be massive for Manchester United,” he told talkSPORT, as per the Manchester Evening News.
“They look toothless going forwards at the moment – they play some nice football on occasion, but there’s no real cutting edge and they don’t have a proper goalscorer in the box to attack crosses and through balls.
“Even when they beat Fulham there appeared to be a lack of presence in the area.”
McCoist on Man Utd’s need for Hojlund
Rasmus Hojlund arrived at Old Trafford last summer after United dropped a hefty £72m fee to sign the Danish forward from Serie A side Atalanta.
The 21-year-old United striker had a tough start to life at Old Trafford after he failed to score in his first 14 Premier League matches of the season.
But Hojlund impressed at other points in the 2023-24 campaign, including scoring five times in six Champions League appearances for United.
The United striker, who scored 10 times in 30 Premier League appearances, currently remains a doubt for the Southampton clash on Saturday.
“I thought Hojlund had a good first season at the club considering he came in from a different league, but he has to step up again and bring the goals that United are crying out for,” McCoist continued.
“The first few games of the season have shown exactly what United are missing. It’ll be a big responsibility for him but we’ll see how everything plays out.”
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