Manchester United fans knew what was needed in the transfer market last summer. A striker.
It was not greedy to say Manchester United needed two strikers. It was just a practical point to make.
Ralf Rangnick warned back in 2022 that United needed two strikers. In two summer windows, the club signed only one, Rasmus Hojlund.
And you have to say, on balance, Rasmus Hojlund has done very well. He has just been placed in the wrong role – as we pointed out very earlier in the season.
Rasmus Hojlund was supposed to be the impact player
Manchester United did not have the budget to do what Erik ten Hag really wanted to last summer. Not after the decision to blow £55 million on Mason Mount.
United were keen on doing deals forHarry Kane and Rasmus Hojlund. But there were problems. Hojlund’s price tag increased beyond the £40 million United originally planned to pay, with a £64 million deal eventually agreed.
At this point, United had already decided to walk away from the Kane deal, fearing Tottenham’s Daniel Levy would charge a huge premium to tip a move over £100 million. This was not possible, not after the decision to release David de Gea and spend £43 million on Andre Onana.
So to cut a long story short, United ended up with one striker, Rasmus Hojlund.
United could still have signed an experienced veteran to take the pressure off the Dane. Mehdi Taremi was one relatively cheap name mentioned.
The decision was made to trust Anthony Martial in this role. Inexplicably. The injury-prone striker missed all of pre-season, and has contributed only five Premier League starts all season.
This has left Manchester United reliant on Hojlund. At times, the pressure has looked like it was taking its toll, and working against him. He has started 25 Premier League matches, plus a further 10 in cup competitions.
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Hojlund shows his quality from the bench, like it should have been
The last two matches, Rasmus Hojlund has started on the bench. Manchester United have not even had a striker.
While that sounds like a snub, it’s not. It’s Erik ten Hag trying to protect Hojlund ahead of the FA Cup Final, because he can’t afford for the Dane to get injured.
Hojlund has come on from the bench in both games, scoring what proved to be the winner against Newcastle and a goal at Brighton.
This has been excellent use of him. He’s been devastating in short spurts, using his power to run at defenders, taking advantage of their tiredness late in games.
It’s how Manchester United should have been using Hojlund all along at this stage of his career.
The Dane is blessed with rapid pace, which is most effective when going up against tired defenders rather than fresh ones. As an impact substitute, he has found chances easier to come by, and he has snapped them up.
While his season return of 16 goals, and counting, is very good, Hojlund might have been able to achieve similar had he been used as a back-up striker all season, behind a more experienced front man.
Had Kane been leading the line for United, then Hojlund thrown on late into games, United’s attack would have been a lot more fearsome, and the narrative over the Dane would have changed completely.
There would have been less pressure, and he would have been less exposed during the difficult moments.
Next step for Hojlund is unclear
Manchester United will sign another striker this summer to add to Rasmus Hojlund. The target is yet to become clear.
Will it be an experienced striker like Ivan Toney or Viktor Gyokeres, who Hojlund can play behind. Or will it be a younger player like Benjamin Sesko, who might take up the substitute role behind Hojlund.
One way or another, the responsibility will be shared. This season it has all fallen on Hojlund, and that’s been unfair.
Over the last two games, with the pressure off, Hojlund has been able to come in and do his thing without any expectation, and he’s been better for it.