Just when you think Manchester United have turned a corner, it turns out it was only a circle.
It had been a positive start to the year for Manchester United.
An undefeated streak of seven games coupled with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group taking charge of football operations from the Glazers was good cause for optimism.
That budding hope was once again smothered by a dreadful performance on the pitch, perhaps the worst yet, as Erik ten Hag’s side lost 2-1 to Fulham on Saturday.
The Cottagers had only won two away games all season before arriving at Old Trafford but were fully deserving of their win.
Calvin Bassey gave Marco Silva’s side a well-earned lead but United looked to have scraped a point when Harry Maguire turned in a rebound in the last minute.
But there would be more drama to come as the visitors caught United on the counter deep into added time and Alex Iwobi grabbed the winner.
The defeat leaves United eight points off the top four with a return to the Champions League slipping through their fingers.
If the game was good for anything, it proved just how important Rasmus Hojlund has become.
Rasmus Hojlund was a huge loss
Sometimes there is a piece of injury news that hits like a truck and the announcement that Hojlund would be out for a couple of weeks with a knock was in that category.
It might not be too long to be sidelined but it’s now clear United are going to struggle in any game they don’t have their main striker for.
United hadn’t lost a match since the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on December 30 which, not so coincidentally, was the last time Hojlund was unavailable.
The 21-year-old has become the focal point that United’s positive play is built around and without him, they crumbled like a Jenga tower missing a crucial piece.
What a turnaround
As frustrating as it is to see United so hapless without Hojlund leading the line – as well as terrifying ahead of next week’s Manchester derby – it is testament to how far he has come in such a short amount of time.
The Dane had unfairly become a laughing stock in some circles due to his struggles in front of goal early on this season.
But United always maintained he wasn’t the finished article and would need time to settle in the Premier League to show his best.
United is not an easy place to learn on the job but Hojlund has perhaps found a hot streak even quicker than expected.
The £64m man had scored in six successive games before his injury and has a good tally of 13 so far.
But more impressively, he has already become absolutely crucial for Ten Hag.
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