The Premier League alone has had 139 more strikers than Rasmus Hojlund this season. When talking about why Manchester United had difficulty scoring, a number immediately appeared: 1.20. That is the average number of shots their striker makes per 90 minutes.
Comparing Hojlund's 1.20 shots with other top Premier League strikers: Erling Haaland (3.82), Nicolas Jackson (3.24), Ollie Watkins (3.26), Alexander Isak (3.09), Luis Diaz (2.71), Darwin Nunez (2.60), Dominic Solanke (2.59). Even the much-criticized Kai Havertz has reached 2.54.
It is clear that goals (not to mention shots) are not the only measure to evaluate a central striker. But in the 3-4-2-1 system, it is extremely unusual for a "number 9" to rarely finish. The problem could be Hojlund or Ruben Amorim, or even both.
Amorim has applied the formation at Man United as when he was in charge of Sporting CP. Viktor Gyokeres - Amorim's former striker at Sporting, has had an average of 4.59 shots per 90 minutes this season compared to 3.52 last season. The Swedish striker has scored 51 league goals since August 2023, four more than Hojlund.
Sometimes Amorim uses another central striker, Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman has occasionally taken on the attacking midfield role, further away from the goal, but still has an average of 1.96 shots per game, nearly double that of Hojlund.
Hojlund has not scored much under Amorim and has not scored much under Erik ten Hag. Even when playing for Sturm Graz, the Danish striker only had an average of 2.10 shots per 90 minutes. The only time Hojlund's number has increased to over 2.5 was in the 6 months at Atalanta (2.65).
So, is Hojlund the reason for Man United's declining attack? No. There are clearly other factors affecting this. At Old Trafford, Hojlund plays alongside midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who has an average of 2.98 shots per 90 minutes. And that will definitely affect Hojlund.
Of course, it is not mentioned that the task of a central striker is not only to shoot the ball into the goal. In addition, Hojlund has just turned 22 and has plenty of time to improve.
That said, it is understood that the "Red Devils" scored few goals for many reasons. A striker striker is unlikely to be in a favorable position or lack confidence. And of course, all of the above reasons can be included.
Hojlund must improve, while Amorim needs to fix what Man United did in the final third. And if there is no increase in Hojlund's shots, Man United must decide to find a new replacement.
