The Manchester United players weren’t actively passing the ball to Hojlund, as they only sought him out as a last resort in attacking situations, which left the Danish star isolated.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the limitations in Hojlund’s abilities haven’t made him a convincing option for teammates at Old Trafford. Instead of directing the ball towards Hojlund, MU members often seek alternative ways to advance into the opponent’s final third.

Therefore, the attacking and goal-scoring capabilities of MU are not very promising as they have only scored 53 goals, a record that surpasses only 7 other teams in the Premier League this season. The Manchester Evening News commented: “Hojlund is struggling, but the fact that he is being avoided by his teammates indicates a lack of unity within the team and creates an unacceptable culture at Old Trafford. It’s unfortunate that Hojlund has to endure this pain.”

In fact, the lack of support from teammates for Hojlund is justified. In the 1-1 draw with Burnley on April 27th, striker Hojlund received the ball 4 times from goalkeeper Andre Onana, which is the highest number compared to any other MU player on the field. Diogo Dalot followed Onana with 3 passes. In many other matches, Hojlund mainly received long balls from the goalkeeper.

Surprisingly, Hojlund received the ball the most from goalkeeper Onana.

Meanwhile, other players around Hojlund rarely pass to the former Atalanta forward. According to The Athletic, Hojlund only receives an average of 16.5 passes per 90 minutes, a figure that reflects his isolation from teammates at Old Trafford.

Gary Neville believes that although Rasmus Hojlund may not become a top striker in the Premier League like Sergio Aguero or Erling Haaland, he could develop into a 20-goal-a-season striker similar to Ollie Watkins.

Hojlund joined the Red Devils at the age of 20 last summer from Atalanta and has become the club’s main striker this season. However, Man United legend Neville believes that Hojlund would develop better if he were to be a backup for a more experienced striker.

The lack of cooperation from some teammates often leaves the Danish star hungry for the ball.

This Danish footballer has played 40 matches for the Red Devils this season, scoring 14 goals and providing two assists. Hojlund is going through a tough period and has not shown composure in front of goal in recent matches. However, Neville believes that while Hojlund may not be Aguero or Haaland, he still thinks the Danish striker could emulate Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa.

Neville told the Daily Mail: “I think he’s a kid who’s struggling. Be patient with him. I’ve looked at Ollie Watkins in the past and thought Hojlund could be like that. He won’t be Haaland or Aguero, the great strikers in Premier League history. But he’s capable of playing like Ollie Watkins. I think Hojlund could score at least 20 goals.”

After the defeat to Arsenal last weekend, Man United have equalled their own record for the most home defeats in a season. Ten Hag’s team has two more matches in the Premier League hoping to finish the season in their current 8th position. The Red Devils will face Newcastle United on May 15th and Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day of the season, May 19th. Six days later, Man United will play the FA Cup final against city rivals Manchester City.