Gary Neville has claimed that Rasmus Hojlund has been “asked to carry the whole of the team in some ways” after Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday.
Hojlund made his first start for United at Old Trafford and impressed in the first half for the Red Devils, with the Denmark striker denied a potential equaliser due to VAR.
United manager Erik ten Hag withdrew the 20-year-old Danish forward in the second half for Anthony Martial, a move which was met with loud boos inside Old Trafford.
Hojlund, who made his debut prior to the international break in United’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, was forced to watch on from the bench as his side dropped points again.
READ MORE: Man United fans all saying same thing to Erik ten Hag over two players ahead of Bayern Munich clash
Neville on promising Hojlund
United fans were forced to wait for Hojlund to make his debut in the first team due to the Denmark international recovering from an injury.
Hojlund was a key summer target for Ten Hag and United dropped a hefty £72m transfer fee to sign him from Serie A side Atalanta.
Speaking after the Brighton defeat, Neville hailed Hojlund as a ‘promising’ signing and admitted that he does “feel for him a little bit” due to the pressure on his shoulders.
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“There is no Manchester United fan I know, that has got a brain, that is most angry with Erik ten Hag,” he told Sky Sports.
“What they want really is a change of ownership and they want stability and they want a group of players that are committed.
“And I don’t think the players aren’t committed. I just wonder how good they are. That is my concern.
“There are players there that can step up. But the amount of money Manchester United have spent on that squad, it should have been a lot better.
“They’ve signed Onana, Hojlund and Mount. Does that make them better than what they were?
“Hojlund has got promise, but I feel for him a little bit. He has been asked to carry the whole of the team in some ways.
“Let’s see what happens but there are concerns, definitely, and concerns from the fans and concerns generally within the club. It doesn’t look right at this moment in time and it needs to stabilise.”
Early United worries for Ten Hag
Ten Hag is under enormous pressure going into United’s first Champions League clash against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
United have endured a shaky start to the season and Ten Hag is without several key players due to injury, including Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw.
The Red Devils are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table and have won only two of their first five league matches of the campaign.
Ten Hag, who was hailed for his debut season at United, must now find a way to turn the tide in his favour and an unlikely result against Bayern could be a serious momentum builder.