Amorim must finally ditch Hojlund by unleashing Man Utd’s "magician"
da roleta： Manchester United were hoping they could carry their winning momentum from the 3-2 win over Ipswich Town into this weekend’s FA Cup clash with Fulham.
da cassino online： Ruben Amorim’s side were victorious over the Tractor Boys despite going 1-0 behind within the early moments of the game and being down to 10 men for the majority of the clash.
All three of the Red Devils’ goals came from set pieces. Their equaliser came courtesy of Sam Morsy’s own goal, before Matthijs de Ligt gave them a 2-1 lead. Harry Maguire made it 3-2 early in the second half to win the game.
Ipswich made it a hard-fought win for United, with some players in red struggling. That was the case again on Sunday against the Cottagers with Rasmus Hojlund notably dragged off in the second half having had just nine touches of the football.
Hojlund’s recent form for Manchester United
It has been a tough season for Denmark international Hojlund. He has managed just seven goals in 34 appearances, with just two of those strikes coming in 22 Premier League games. He has really struggled in front of goal.
Amorim has spoken out in defence of the Dane. In a recent interview, United’s Portuguese boss said: “We as a team, we are not helping Rasmus,” before adding: “We don’t create a lot of chances, we had a lack of threat,” which certainly plays a part in Hojlund’s form.
On top of that, Hojlund is clearly a talented player. Last season, he became the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six consecutive games. The 22-year-old bagged seven goals in that run, finishing the season with 16 goals across all competitions.
With that being said, Hojlund’s lack of form must surely be a cause for concern for a United side who look devoid of ideas in front of goal. Perhaps a short time out of the starting XI can help him get back to his best.
If that were to be the case for their next run of fixtures, Amorim might have the perfect replacement.
The player who could replace Hojlund at Manchester United
United are in the midst of an injury crisis at the moment. Amad is sidelined until the end of the season, and Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount are also out for a substantial amount of time. That leaves Christian Eriksen as the only senior attacking option on the bench of late.
The experienced Denmark international has been in and out of the side this season, whether under Erik ten Hag or Amorim. He has made 22 appearances, chipping in with four goals and four assists in that time.
He started against Fulham but on this occasion, did not replace Hojlund. The “magician”, as Statman Dave once described him, played as a No 10 with Joshua Zirkzee alongside him and the Dane starting as the focal point.
That said, Eriksen did come off for Casemiro with Bruno Fernandes – who started deeper – then playing in a more advanced role, subsequently scoring the equaliser.
With the Red Devils looking better when Hojlund went off the pitch, for the next game, perhaps the attack next time out could see both Eriksen and Fernandes behind Zirkzee.
If there is one thing Eriksen could add to United’s side, it is the creativity that they have perhaps been lacking in more advanced areas. In his 94 appearances for the Red Devils so far, he has 17 assists, while the ex-Spurs ace remains a chance-creating specialist.
In fact, Eriksen has shown just how creative he can be this season. As per Sofascore, Eriksen has created multiple chances in a single game numerous times, including six against FC Porto in the Europa League, where he also registered two assists.
Eriksen passing stats from select games in 2024/25
Stat
v Palace
v Porto
v Fenerbahce
Touches
77
61
69
Pass accuracy
88%
87%
82%
Passes completed
52/59
39/45
41/50
Key passes
3
6
4
Big chances created
1
0
1
Assists
0
2
0
Stats from Sofascore
Bringing Eriksen into the team could increase the number of chances United are able to create against Fulham. Of course, it might be at the expense of Hojlund, but perhaps some time out of the side could be beneficial for the striker.
Regardless, there is no doubt what Eriksen can add to the United side – an influx of chances created. As Amorim has identified previously, that is something they have certainly been missing.