How can Man Utd get Hojlund firing again?

Ruben Amorim's comments on Marcus Rashford grabbed the headlines from Sunday's victory against Fulham, but Rasmus Hojlund's performance at Craven Cottage also raised a few eyebrows. The Dane had minimal impact on the match, having just 17 touches and completing six passes before getting substituted early in the second half. Most concerningly, Hojlund also failed to register a single shot all evening.

It is not the first time that Hojlund has failed to have a shot in a game - in fact it has happened more often than not this season. As pointed out by The Athletic, Hojlund has failed to register a shot in seven of his 13 Premier League starts in 2024-25. No matter the circumstances, that is a troubling record for the £72m man.

Hojlund's struggles are clearly not just an individual issue. Aside from Bruno Fernandes, United desperately lack creativity which often leaves Hojlund with next to no service. But Joshua Zirkzee - who has been criticised just as much if not more than Hojlund this season - is out performing his strike partner in his maiden Premier League campaign.

According to FBref, Zirkzee is taking exactly double the amount of shots than Hojlund per 90 minutes (1.98 compared to 0.99), and more on target too (0.83 compared to 0.5). Zirkzee's numbers need to improve as well, but Hojlund has regressed from a decent first season in Manchester.

Yet to turn 22, the former Atalanta man still has plenty of time to develop his game and the 16 goals he scored in all competitions last season shows potential for future success. Moulding Hojlund into a more complete centre forward and improving Manchester United as a creative force should both be near the top of Amorim's to-do list for 2025.