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It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Manchester United’s season, its success or failure, relied upon Rasmus Hojlund adapting to his new membership.
It has confirmed to be true, with United struggling when Hojlund couldn’t purchase a objective within the league, then thriving when he began scoring, then went again to struggling after his damage.
Nonetheless, contemplating the complete image, the Dane has blown previous expectations as a 20-year-old enjoying solely his second season in a European top-five league.
As a equally precocious teenager who burst into the scene in thrilling trend, Owen’s endorsement of Hojlund’s efficiency will come as music to his ears.
In an unique interview with The Peoples Particular person hosted by Betideas, Owen stated that Hojlund obtained thrown into the deep finish in less-than-ideal circumstances, however has navigated properly.
He stated: “With the state of affairs at Manchester United, Hojlund has are available and performed on a regular basis. He’s anticipated to be the celebrity and rating on a regular basis.
“He’s nonetheless a younger participant studying the sport and he’s not a full bundle. It’s not straightforward at Manchester United in the mean time for any participant at any place.”
An enormous criticism levelled at United after the summer season was the identical, that Hojlund because the first-choice is likely to be contentious, however him as the one alternative was extraordinarily poor planning. Owen subscribes to that viewpoint, recalling the height United groups that had a humiliation of riches up entrance.
He stated: “I steered prior to now that it’s best to have a terrific striker and then you definately would convey Hojlund in to enhance him, to study from him and play a bit bit for a season or two.
“At present, you’re enjoying a participant who doesn’t even need to be enjoying there (Rashford as a striker). You take a look at the nice Manchester United groups, the likes of Yorke, Cole, Sheringham, and Solskjaer, and also you’ve obtained 4 wonderful gamers, all of whom supply one thing totally different.”
Whereas Owen acknowledged the truth that soccer has modified, and groups hardly ever play with two strikers anymore, having just one choice going into the season was not a sensible transfer, as could be seen in Rashford’s struggles up entrance this season, one thing which Owen went into intimately right here.
In the end, Ten Hag additionally technically acknowledged this error when he revealed that the membership tried exhausting to get a putting reinforcement within the winter window.
Nonetheless, the January window is even more durable than the summer season and the membership needed to hedge all their finest in Hojlund’s favour.
It is likely to be a bet that finally ends up costing Ten Hag his job, turning one other Michael Owen assertion prophetic.
