Manchester United suffered another defeat in the Premier League at the hands of Crystal Palace, leading to some criticism towards their star striker, Rasmus Hojlund. The Danish striker is off to a slow start to his career at the Manchester club against the initial comparison to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
Hojlund started the game but didn’t cause significant problems for the back line of Crystal Palace. The young striker was involved in the buildup but was toothless in the attacking third. The slow start by the Danish striker was acknowledged by Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel.
🚨🚨🎙️| Peter Schmeichel on Rasmus Højlund: “I would say he was involved in 90% of what was good about the #mufc side. The problem is that the team hasn’t had a real number 9 for a very long time, so “It will take time for them to get used to it. He makes the right purchases, he… pic.twitter.com/UHqdnLmYpM
— centredevils. (@centredevils) October 1, 2023
Schmeichel asked for patience in the case of Hojlund, “I would say he was involved in 90% of what was good about the Manchester United side. The problem is that the team hasn’t had a real number 9 for a very long time, so It will take time for them to get used to it. He makes the right purchases, he remains patient, but he is not served properly“.
At the start of the season, Manchester United fans were buzzing after the signing of Rasmus Hojlund. The fan base hoped for a similar impact from Hojlund that Manchester City got after signing Erling Haaland last season.
Once again, Manchester United lose in the EPL! 😬
Is Erik ten Hag’s job on the line?! 🤔 pic.twitter.com/dEKBNY3dEZ
— Bet9ja (@Bet9jaOfficial) October 1, 2023
The comparison between Rasmus and Erling was natural due to their playing style, their build, and their Scandinavian origin. However, Hojlund has made six appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions and scored only one goal in 372 minutes of action.
The eye test also shows that the new striker of Manchester United needs some more time to settle into the side which is under transition in the second season of Erik ten Hag following some controversies with their wingers including Antony’s domestic ab*se charges and Jadon Sancho’s spat with the Dutch boss.
Manchester United has more losses than wins in the Premier League
The defeat to Crystal Palace has put Manchester United 10th in the Premier League table, with four losses in seven games. The English club now has more losses than wins since the start of the season. This start has put immense pressure on Erik ten Hag.
The fans and owners were expecting the side to build on their 3rd-place finish in the league last season. The club backed the manager in the summer by spending $219 million on the incoming transfers of Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Sofyan Amrabat, etc. However, they are already seven points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, with only nine points in seven games.
🗣 “When you play Crystal Palace, you have to win.”
Erik ten Hag reflects on Manchester United’s fourth loss in seven Premier League games this season 🔴📉 pic.twitter.com/Wl1Rv3hGUG
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 1, 2023
The forward line has to be consistently changed due to controversies with Antony and Jadon Sancho; meanwhile, Marcus Rashford is yet to find his form from last season, where he scored 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 matches in all competitions.
The pressure is on Erik ten Hag, who has been backed by the club in the transfer market, and against the rifts between him and some key players in the squad. During his tenure, United supported the Dutch manager in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire, David de Gea, and Jadon Sancho.
Fans and owners of Manchester United have been patient with the management of Erik ten Hag. However, the pressure is bound to increase on the Dutch boss if the results don’t improve in the coming weeks. Moreover, the club will now host Galatasaray in the upcoming group-stage match of the UEFA Champions League.