Rasmus Hojlund has not exactly been the same for Manchester United since his return from injury.
The Danish international enjoyed a fine run of goalscoring form earlier in the campaign, which saw him break the Premier League record for the youngest player to score in six consecutive league games.
Unfortunately, the £64m man was then injured but returned to the frame against Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Since his return, he hasn’t hit the back of the net once. A different stat is even more worrying.
Rasmus Hojlund not firing
Not only has the forward not managed to find a goal in his last five games, but even more shockingly – since returning from injury, the youngster has registered just one shot on target.
This is a huge issue. Hojlund is the only out-and-out striker at the club and should be the main source of goals.
To not even be creating goal-scoring chances is a major worry, and a worry that needs to be rectified. A shift in tactics is dually needed from Erik ten Hag.
Admittedly, this is a lot of pressure on someone who is still developing, but such is the chaotic nature of Manchester United at the moment – Hojlund has to step up.
When the Dane isn’t firing, goals are simply few and far between for the Red Devils.
It isn’t Hojlund’s fault…
Saying this, you can’t exactly pin the blame on the former Atalanta striker. Hojlund simply hasn’t been provided with the service he deserves over the last five fixtures.
As mentioned previously, the system is just not working at the moment. Ten Hag needs to shake things up, otherwise it could ultimately cost him his job.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Hojlund. He’s so isolated up top in every United encounter. The manager needs to figure out a way to get the ball to him in dangerous areas more often.
It’s easier said than done, but with the sheer abundance of talent that Hojlund has – you can’t help but think he’s being a little wasted at the moment for United.