Jim Ratcliffe’s potential Man Utd investment assessed | Football Digest
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has showcased glimpses of early promise after his £72million transfer from Atalanta in the summer. But United have been desperately short of goals during a poor start to the season, and he is yet to find the net in the Premier League. That said, aiming the blame at the 20-year-old would be severely misplaced.
Regardless of his inexperience, Hojlund was always going to arrive at Old Trafford with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
That goes without saying if you cost any club £72m, never mind becoming the most expensive striker in United’s prestigious history.
Hojlund has been the shining light of a disastrous Champions League campaign, scoring all three of his United goals in Group A defeats to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.
But he has drawn blank in his other seven appearances. Marcus Rashford failing to build on his career-best 2022/23 campaign and Antony continuing to unimpress hasn’t helped matters.
United have won just six of their opening 12 outings this season, losing the other six.
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Only one has been by more than a single goal – the 3-0 Carabao Cup triumph against a rotated Crystal Palace side.
Critics will automatically point the finger at United’s striker, but it would be difficult for any striker to regularly record goals with such limited service. Hojlund’s xG (expected goals) of 1.3 indicates his lack of chances.
Bruno Fernandes unsurprisingly leads the way in xA (expected assists) with 0.41 per 90 minutes. Luke Shaw (0.36) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (0.30) join the United captain in leading the way.
But Rashford, Antony, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot are trusted with creating chances for other attacking players in Ten Hag’s team. And they simply aren’t delivering.
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Antony has an xA of 0.19 p90, Rashford 0.13, Dalot 0.08 and Mount 0.06. The data shows these creative players aren’t making passes that lead to good goalscoring opportunities.
Perhaps it is down to Ten Hag’s forwards taking time to gel, given they spent most of last season without an out-and-out striker to play with.
Whichever way you see it, it doesn’t make good reading, and Ten Hag will be as disappointed as anyone that his big-money striker signing isn’t being as involved as he needs to be.
Hojlund also needs a period of adaptation, of course. But confidence comes with goals, and he can’t be expected to carry United’s attack at such an early age.
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