Rasmus Hojlund has nowhere to hide from some brutally awful Manchester United statistics.
Zero goals. Zero assists. And it does not end there.
The £72million striker has attempted just 16 shots on goal in 12 Premier League games since arriving at Old Trafford.
As the Red Devils were dumped out of Europe with a limp 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, Hojlund did not manage a single touch in the opposition box.
The 20-year-old Dane arrived from Atalanta with bags of potential but only 18 professional goals to his name – and many are beginning to question the hype.
At the other end of the pitch, a 30-year-old Harry Kane has been worth every penny of the £82m paid by Bayern Munich last summer.
The England captain has 22 goals and eight assists in 19 matches, dropping deep and getting heavily involved in everything good for the Bundesliga giants.
As Kane created Kingsley Coman’s winner on Tuesday night, it was impossible not to question where United would be with the former Tottenham superstar instead of Hojlund.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant Rene Meulensteen said: “The Glazers have backed the managers with money, but have they actually backed them with the players that the managers want?
“There is a case for each of the previous managers. Everyone knows if United got Harry Kane, you bring 25 to 30 goals into your team. Simple.
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“They went for Hojlund. I thought he was way short against those Bayern defenders. He never really got a kick.”
But according to Meulensteen, Hojlund is not all to blame.
Erik ten Hag‘s first-choice attack lacks potency across the board and no forward can take any pride from their statistics this season.
Marcus Rashford has two goals and three assists, Alejandro Garnacho has two goals and one assist, while Antony has not made a single goal contribution this term.
Midfielders Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes are the only players with more than two goals for United in the 2023/24 campaign.
Muelensteen believes Hojlund has been starved of service due to selfish and greedy wingers either side of him.
The coach added: “The problem is… he is flanked by two individual players who have no intention to give him any kind of service because they want to create things for themselves.”
According to stats collected by the Premier League this season, Hojlund has only been presented with eight clear chances.
United fans may be right to reserve judgement on the striker until his teammates use him properly.
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