Expectations were high for Rasmus Hojlund when Man United signed him for £72m, but his stats and performances on the pitch suggest the Danish striker has yet to reach his potential.
Now, with Ruben Amorim leading the "Red Devils", Hojlund will have the opportunity to work with a coach famous for his ability to develop strikers, typically Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting Lisbon.
Hojlund is one of Europe's top talents but he is facing a team that lacks tactical cohesion. United currently lack proper coordination and especially the ability to exploit passes from the flanks - a crucial factor for a centre-forward.
The satellites around Hojlund such as Garnacho, Antony or Rashford often tend to cut inside instead of crossing the ball. This makes M.U not really provide the ball well enough for the 21-year-old striker.
In the last two seasons, only Everton have scored more goals from crosses in the Premier League than Man United. This is a big problem because Hojlund, like Gyokeres at Sporting, is a striker who often scores from the penalty area, where his sharpness and finishing ability are best.
It is therefore no surprise that among players who have scored 10 or more Premier League goals since the start of last season, Hojlund has had the fewest touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes (4.1). Equally worrying is that the Danish striker has also had the fewest shots (1.5). In contrast, Haaland has averaged 7.1 touches and 4.5 shots per game.
In 55 appearances for Man United, Hojlund has gone 21 games without a shot. In fact, the 21-year-old star has gone several games without touching the ball in the opponent's box. In contrast, Gyokeres has had at least seven touches in half of his 63 games for Sporting, averaging 10.2 per game in the last 16 months in the Primeira Liga.
Ruben Amorim has transformed Viktor Gyokeres into one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe. At Sporting, the Swedish centre-forward scored 66 goals in 68 games - an astonishing tally that shows his ability to organise attacks and get the most out of a striker in Amorim's system.
What made the difference was the way Sporting supported Gyokeres. Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system allowed the full-backs and wingers to consistently feed the ball to the highest striker. Gyokeres always received the ball in good positions to shoot, unlike Hojlund, who often received the ball in midfield or in one-on-one duels with the opposition centre-backs.
Ruben Amorim will need to improve Man United's system to maximise Rasmus Hojlund's potential. One solution is to use full-backs to provide width in play, rather than relying on wingers to cut inside.
One solution is to have wingers who are naturally stronger play on the right flank. This will make crosses less predictable and make it easier for the striker to run into space.
In addition, Hojlund needs to improve his movement and use of his body. Erling Haaland is a good example of this, knowing how to escape from marking and using his strength when necessary. If he learns these skills, the Man United striker could become a bigger threat in the box.
Despite the difficulties, Höjlund has shown his potential with explosive moments, such as his impressive goal against Galatasaray in the Champions League last season. The statistics are also promising, with the Danish striker's chance conversion rate of 25.6%, higher than Haaland (22.2%) and Mohamed Salah (17.7%).
With Ruben Amorim’s talent for developing strikers, United have reason to believe that Hojlund will become the Premier League’s version of Gyokeres. It is important that the new Portuguese coach builds a system that can fully support his striker – something the “Red Devils” have lacked for a long time. If he can do that, Hojlund and United’s future could be very exciting.
