Rasmus Hojlund had another disappointing performance as Manchester United were dumped out of the FA Cup by Fulham.
Ruben Amorim continues to show faith in Rasmus Hojlund, with the 22-year-old keeping his spot in the starting line-up against Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
However, that may be more down to a lack of options more than anything else. Amorim only named seven substitutes in his squad which emphasises just how much Manchester United have been plagued by injuries – again.
Hojlund struggled again vs Fulham, managing only nine touches in 68 minutes before being replaced by academy striker Chido Obi – who frankly offered much more than his fellow Dane.
Amorim has defended Hojlund, suggesting that the rest of the team needs to provide him with more chances. But ultimately his confidence looks shot.
Ruben Amorim heard shouting to Rasmus Hojlund
Hojlund faces an uncertain future at United as a result of his poor season, but frankly there is nothing Amorim can do now other than support him and try to turn things around.
That is exactly what the United boss was trying to do at Old Trafford, with Sam C reporting that Amorim was “guiding” Hojlund through the game with “constant encouragement”.
Hojlund did make a fairly bright start to the game following encouragement from Amorim. He used his body well to defend the ball, but too often he struggled to get involved and he ended up becoming a passenger.
Amorim expects Hojlund to improve, but there are worrying signs that his progress is stalling. The pressure of being United’s first-choice – and only – senior striker seems to be weighing heavy on him.
Man United must sign star striker this summer
It goes without saying that a new striker will be at the very top of United’s shopping list this summer.
Amorim will want Viktor Gyokeres to follow him to Manchester from Sporting Lisbon, but Gyokeres doesn’t align with Ineos’ transfer strategy.
United scouts love Victor Osimhen, but signing him from Napoli will not come cheap and at 26 years old he also doesn’t fit the Ineos model.
But Ineos cannot only add young and upcoming players into this United squad – Amorim needs leaders and senior players who can handle the pressure.
Hojlund could still salvage his United career if a new strike partner can come and relieve him of his goalscoring burden.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
