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Premier League icon Alan Shearer has accused Manchester United of putting Rasmus Hojlund in a difficult situation at Old Trafford. The Englishman reckoned that the 22-year-old has been "damaged" by the burden of leading the line for the Red Devils.
Rasmus Hojlund is enduring yet another frustrating outing with Manchester United this season. The Dane has bagged just three goals in the Premier League and five in the Europa League so far, bringing his overall tally to eight goals and four assists in 45 games across all competitions.
The striker failed to impress once again as Ruben Amorim's men suffered a 1-0 loss to Wolves in league action over the weekend. Alan Shearer thinks he's not ready to lead the line for the Premier League giants.
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"I’m looking at a damaged player in Hojlund,’ Shearer said on Match of the Day 2 (via Metro). "I think he wasn’t ready and isn’t ready to lead the line at a club like Manchester United.
"Three Premier League goals, and at the minute I’m seeing a player that doesn’t really want to get in there.
"He’s perhaps a second too early or a second too late, and his timing is all wrong. I think there’s no doubt he’s (in a) a crisis in confidence."
The Premier League legend went on to defend the player, explaining how the immense responsibility, pressure and price tag are contributing to his struggles.
"He’s been put into a really difficult situation at a club where unless you’re exceptional, to lead the line for the football club you have to be really talented,’ he continued.
"He’s not at the stage of his career where he should be leading the line. I’m not saying there’s not a good player in there, I think there is a good player in there.
"But the pressure that’s on him in terms of doing what he can’t do and also the price-tag, he’s not ready to lead the line as yet," the Englishman added.
Since joining Manchester United in the summer of 2023, Rasmus Hojlund has now played 88 games for the club across all competitions, recording 24 goals and six assists to his name. It remains to be seen if his situation will change for good in the near future.
How have Manchester United fared this season?
Manchester United have failed in their bid for the Premier League title this season. They can't even make it into the top four as they currently occupy the 14th position in the table with 38 points from 33 games - 20 points below the top four zone and a whopping 41 points below the summit.
The Red Devils also crashed out of the EFL Cup courtesy of a 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the quarterfinals in December before being knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham via a penalty shootout in March. However, the club still has a lifeline.
Despite their struggles, Ruben Amorim's men have managed to make it into the semifinals of the Europa League after beating Olympic Lyon 7-6 on aggregate last week. If they go all the way to claim the trophy, it wouldn't only make up for their poor season, it would also secure their participation in the Champions League next season.
