Manchester United Striker Rasmus Hojlund Searching for First Premier League Goal
Ruud Gullit believes Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund is being ignored by his teammates after their 2-1 win over Sheffield United on Saturday. The Denmark international is still searching for his first Premier League goal following his £72 million move from Atalanta in the summer transfer window.
Hojlund was replaced after just 63 minutes at Bramall Lane as Scott McTominay’s opener was cancelled out by Oli McBurnie’s penalty, but Diogo Dalot’s strike with 13 minutes to go rescued three points for Erik ten Hag’s side.
And Gullit believes United’s players are not doing enough to find Hojlund in attacking areas.
Gullit: United Players Too Eager to Score
‘I still think you have to get your striker on the scoresheet,’ Gullit told Premier League Productions after United’s win over Sheffield United. ‘Because if he gets on the scoresheet he gets confidence, then also the rest are looking for him all the time. They don’t look for him as much. And he’s in areas where you can have a look at him.
‘You see too many players too eager to score themselves, they’re coming inside, they want to hit the target all the time. I played with [Marco] Van Basten, I always thought if I give it to him it’s a goal, if I hit it then it could be a goal. I’d rather give it to him because it’s a definite goal.
‘You know strikers, they’re selfish, they need to score goals. If he’s happy in the team that makes a huge difference for the rest.’
Ten Hag Wants to Keep Hojlund ‘Sharp’
Meanwhile, Ten Hag insists he wants to keep Hojlund ‘sharp’ after substituting the striker in the 63rd minute against Sheffield United.
‘He plays often whole games, but idea behind is we have to manage his minutes,’ Ten Hag said. ‘Also it is internal competition. We have to keep him sharp. We have to swap in games, between games, otherwise we don’t keep the energy, focus and so fresh in every game.’
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