In anticipation of Lyon, Rasmus Hojlund immediately took the words from Ticked Off Manchester United: why can't he score goals?
“I sit down and look at my game to see what I can do better,” Hojlund told the Disney+equivalent of Denmark, according to Bergens Tidende, when he was asked about his infertile run.
“I am also somewhere and think:” why on earth can't I score? Where is it going wrong? “
Those are two questions that nobody can fully find out – and the time is to find an answer.
Hojlund's nightmare display in Lyon, in which the French newspaper L'Equipe saw him as the worst player on the field with a 2/10 degree, even worse than teammate Andre Onana, typed the intersection that he is in his career.
The 22-year-old wilt in the spotlight. He deteriorates when the truth is told. If you want to be a little friendlier, you could say that he is standing still and does not make progress.
Only 11 touches his name of 63 minutes of action – and one shot on goal – underlined how peripheral plays a role Hojlund in this anemic United attack.
That is also an important distinction. This side is anemic when he attacks. Outside of Bruno Fernandes, the real threat threat is little for nothing.
But L'Equipe put it the best.
“Rasmus Hojlund (2) has not contributed anything to his team,” they wrote. “He was easily closed by the Lyon defense.”
Easy. They hardly had to come from the first gear to keep him still.
Fifteen touches against Manchester City, zero shots. Sixteen touches in 45 minutes against Nottingham Forest, one shot. Many of Hojlund's versions all merge with an unforgettable episode.
His blank in southern France makes it only one goal – against one side of Leicester City that is one of the worst in the history of the Premier League – from his last 25 United performances in all competitions.
“I am not the type to lie down and give up,” he said in that Disney+ chat.
'That is also the reason why I played and started in those games [during 21-game goal drought]. It is because I have continued to work for the team and at my own game. '
There are large pockets of the fan base that are ready to reduce their losses on Hojlund with a movement for a striker, possibly Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, prepared for the summer.
But the more appropriate movement may be from the Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot Playbook – a loan movement to remove your game from the bright lights of Manchester United.
Initially there would undoubtedly be the first few games. But Antony now blooms with real betis. Very few fans monitor the progress of Tyrell Malacia at PSV Eindhoven. Attention to Marcus Rashford, although high, is not as intense in Aston Villa as before in United.
Amad can bear witness to the merits of a loan, so can Dalot, if he can hang out mistakes on the side of hanging around and driving this storm away.
Amad tasted the first team promotion after he joined Atalanta before loans were sanctioned at Rangers – who did not go too well – and Sunderland, where he ended as their top scorer in the 2022-23 season. He returned to United as a much better player.
“I think this will help me a lot for next year,” Amad said in 2023 of his time in Sunderland.
“It helped me to become an adult, and I also grew at a mental level, and the feeling that I can show this next season.”
Dalot is also a good example, after he has reversed his career with a one -season second to AC Milan.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka arrived and after falling the pecking order, Dalot went on loan to Italy for his prospects at United in a do-or that moment. Just like Amad, it was a gamble that played his fruits of the burning clear spotlights at Old Trafford.
“It was perfect,” Dalot said earlier of his Milan loan. 'I met very good people in the club, very good people in the city and it was fantastic.
“The chance to play in another fantastic competition brought me some very good things, not only for football, but also for my life.”
With Speculation Intensification about the future of Hojlund and the interest that accumulates in Italy, Hojlund could do worse than investigating to take a step back to take steps forward again for United.
At the moment, De Kruimel of trust he earned with goals against Leicester City and against Portugal, while Denmark has disappeared for a long time.
'[Amorim] Today I told me not to think too much about the boys behind me and trying to work a little more on what was standing in front of me, to be very aggressive in the direction of the goal, “said the Dane in November after a brace to Bodo/Glimt.
He has since deteriorated and has to shy away from a loan in an attempt to try to ride the storm challenging, it probably does more harm than good for his prospects to wear the Manchester United shirt too long longer.