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When Rasmus Hojlund was brought in for nearly £70 million in the summer, there was an acceptance that Manchester United were making an all-in bet.
Their first-choice striker target, Harry Kane, was out of their reach so they invested in long-term potential instead.
Still, even with that acceptance, nobody could have foreseen the trainwreck that this United team would become.
Inevitably, in a dysfunctional team, Hojlund has looked even more undercooked than what was expected, although some purple patches of form have made his record on paper look acceptable.
However, if recent reports are to be believed, the problems with Hojlund are much more worrying and emblematic of the culture at the club.
Manchester Evening News reports that several United players are not convinced by Hojlund’s ability and thus, are “reluctant” to pass him the ball.
The Dane is going through a barren run in front of goal, with his effort against Sheffield United an oasis in a desert recently.
The report states that players are seeking “alternative solutions” in the final third because of this lean spell of their striker.
While Hojlund going through a lean spell is a fact, the response of his teammates to this run, if the report even has an iota of truth in it, speaks volumes of the culture and camaraderie at the club.
The teammates seeking “alternative solutions” haven’t been much better, with United barely looking like scoring in many games this season.
In fact, the best they looked was in the month of January, when Hojlund found his feet and started scoring with regularity.
The service, or the lack of it, to the striker has been one of the biggest gripes the fanbase has had with United players.
It would be completely acceptable if the team was firing on all cylinders but the striker wasn’t able to get involved, in which case there are question marks over his ability.
However, it seems like United are stuck in a vicious cycle where players are not passing to Hojlund because he’s going through a lean spell, but the lean spell is happening because he isn’t getting any service. Ultimately, the results are suffering.
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