As Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee toiled in the dying embers of the Erik ten Hag era, how the Red Devils could have done with Ruud van Nistelrooy on the pitch rather than in the dugout.
Only two teams in the whole of the Premier League – Crystal Palace and Southampton – have scored fewer than Manchester United’s tally of nine so far.
Joshua Zirkzee is yet to follow up his debut goal with a second in United red. Rasmus Hojlund, meanwhile, has only one in four league starts since recovering from injury.
But Van Nistelrooy, ninth on Man United’s all time scoring list, has no doubts at all that the latter will eventually prove himself to be a fitting recipient of that number nine shirt.
Speaking ahead of the arrival of Greek champions PAOK at Old Trafford in the Europa League on Thursday night, Van Nistelrooy explains what Hojlund must do to become a centre-forward worthy of being mentioned alongside the very best finishers in United’s history.
And the good news is that Hojlund shares a lot in common with Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres; the lethal, Lisboan who simply cannot stop scoring under Ruben Amorim.
Ruud van Nistelrooy gives advice to Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund
“[Hojlund must] stay calm and believe in himself. Believe in his qualities like I do, like his teammates do,” says Van Nistelrooy, taking interim charge against PAOK and Leicester City before Ruben Amorim begins life in England’s north west on November 11th.
“He is young. He is promising. The work he is putting in will pay off. I am confident in that.”
Hojlund did not manage a single touch of the ball in the Chelsea penalty area during the entire first half of Sunday’s 1-1 draw.
But, when the Dane was finally given the chance to make his presence felt, it was he who forced the foul out of Robert Sanchez which allowed Bruno Fernandes to convert from the penalty spot.
Van Nistelrooy accepts that Hojlund will need better service if he is to emulate the remarkable standards set by Gyokeres under Amorim at Sporting CP. Though his excellent hold-up play and his effectiveness when dropping deep means Hojlund can offer just as much outside the box as he can inside it.
“Most goals are scored in the penalty area, so that is where we want to get our players as much as we can,” adds Van Nistelrooy, who scored only one of his 150 Man United goals out of the box.
“But it depends on the game. When its needed for him to hold-up and get players into third-man positions, he does a brilliant job as well. And he is a guy who can change a game in a second like the penalty moment [against Chelsea].”
Man United’s interim boss ‘not worried’ over lack of goals
Van Nistelrooy also hit back at claims that Man United’s lack of goals is down to a dearth of creativity.
No team has missed more so-called ‘big chances’ as United this season with a staggering 25. Six of those have been squandered by Alejandro Garnacho, with that Chelsea draw another game in which the Red Devils’ best opportunities fell to their widemen rather than their number nines.
Given the manner in which Amorim has turned a certain jet-heeled Swede into one of the most feared strikers in Europe – the Man United supporters were blown away as Gyokeres’ hat-trick destroyed Man City in the manager’s Estadio Jose Alvalade farewell – it is difficult not to be excited by the impact he could have on Hojlund.
A striker who possesses the same running power, explosive acceleration, and instinctive finishing as Gyokeres.
“I don’t agree that we did not create enough chances! If you look at the statistics, we are one of the teams who are creating the most chances,” Van Nistelrooy says during his Wednesday press conference.
“It is the conversation [we need to improve on]. That’s why I am not worried. We are creating the chances, and with the talent we have – they are still young – there is lots of potential.
“When results come, confidence will rise. That is the key thing in scoring goals; confidence. And I think these guys have it in them.”
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