{"id":292328,"date":"2023-10-04T09:24:42","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=292328"},"modified":"2023-10-04T09:24:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T09:24:42","slug":"hojlund-was-a-lone-bright-spark-on-a-night-of-chaos-for-man-united","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/hojlund-was-a-lone-bright-spark-on-a-night-of-chaos-for-man-united\/","title":{"rendered":"Hojlund was a lone bright spark on a night of chaos for Man United"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Rasmus Hojlund was a lone bright spark on a night of chaos for Man United&#8230; the defeat by Galatasaray showed there&#8217;s still issues in midfield but signs of blossoming partnership with Marcus Rashford look promising<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manchester United fell to a\u00a03-2 defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday night<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><span>Striker Rasmus Hojlund managed to impress despite the disappointing result<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport&#8217;s podcast &#8216;It&#8217;s All Kicking Off!&#8217;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The worst kept secret around Manchester United is that they have desperately struggled to score goals. After this one, perhaps we can add &#8216;can\u2019t defend&#8217; to the ever growing list of problems.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who has watched United this season, here or on the road, has seen it. The question Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff have been wrestling with is why.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ve got a \u00a372million striker leading the line in Rasmus Hojlund; they\u2019ve got a right wing department that cost in excess of \u00a3150m and Marcus Rashford, who scored 30 goals last season, on the left.<\/p>\n<p>Rashford has been unable to reproduce that form this season, and on the right wing, the absence of Jadon Sancho and Antony has added to United\u2019s issues.<\/p>\n<p>But here, in a chaotic home defeat for United, Hojlund burst into life with his second and third goals for the club to provide at least one reason to be cheerful.\u00a0Here, <span>Mail Sport<\/span> takes a closer look at United\u2019s attacking cast against Galatasaray \u2014 and where it\u2019s gone right, or more often wrong, so far this season.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/09\/76150971-12591147-image-m-14_1696409858756.jpg\" height=\"408\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Rasmus Hojlund managed to impress despite Man United&#8217;s disappointing loss on Tuesday<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76134379-12591147-image-a-34_1696376470421.jpg\" height=\"403\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The Red Devils were beaten 3-2 by Galatasaray in their Champions League group stage game<\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<h2>RASMUS HOJLUND<\/h2>\n<p>Twenty years old and leading the line for Manchester United\u2026 good luck!<\/p>\n<p>Hojlund arrived here tasked with being the man to solve this goalscoring crisis. It was always going to be a huge ask.<\/p>\n<p>On at Arsenal he looked to prove his strength and throw some weight around; against Brighton he saw a goal chalked off by VAR; at Burnley he struggled and in Munich he scored to give them life in the game. Hojlund was never prolific at Atalanta and is finding his feet.<\/p>\n<p>What Hojlund is bringing, amid a period of time where United look utterly disjointed and ragged, is boundless energy and is running the channels to try and open up spaces for the likes of Rashford.<\/p>\n<p>Here he got his reward and heeded the advice of Raphael Varane when the centre back called for efficiency.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76139189-12591147-image-a-36_1696376620078.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Hojlund managed to scored a brace on the night but it wasn&#8217;t enough to earn even a point<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76139195-12591147-image-a-37_1696376628460.jpg\" height=\"431\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The \u00a372million signing seems to be proving his worth in front of goal for Man United<\/p>\n<p>Sticking between the posts he got the right side of his marker, lunged forward and plunged in a header for his first Champions League goal for Man United.<\/p>\n<p>Ten Hag threw both arms up, fists clenched, in celebration. He hasn\u2019t done that anywhere near enough of late.<\/p>\n<p>Hojlund wasn\u2019t done either. He would score again and it was no surprise. Having had one chalked off against VAR he was not deterred. Shoulders back he puffed his chest out and surged away from the visiting defence, chipping Muslera for a quite fabulous second.<\/p>\n<p>A breakout performance on Galatasaray\u2019s night\u2026 but when the dust settles this was a major stride forward for the Dane.<\/p>\n<h2>MARCUS RASHFORD<\/h2>\n<p>Name-checked by his manager in Monday\u2019s press conference, Rashford won\u2019t have needed telling that he\u2019s been below the level United need him to be at.<\/p>\n<p>The England striker has had the second-most shots of anyone in the Premier League \u2014 behind only Manchester City\u2019s Erling Haaland \u2014 but just six of the 28 have been on target.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fans on the Metrolink tram on the way to the ground debated furiously what has been up with last season\u2019s star man. Fatigue? Lack of understanding with Hojlund? Or has he simply struggled for form?<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Marcus Rashford is a player that is capable of scoring goals in every game. When he comes in the right spots he will score,\u2019 Ten Hag said calmly.<\/p>\n<p>Here against Galatasaray he started on the left but was through the middle at one stage, then headed out to the right, where the first goal came from.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76139235-12591147-image-a-38_1696376705093.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Marcus Rashford has not been hitting the levels expected of him at Man United this season\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So often this season the frustration supporters have had is Rashford passing when he should shoot and shooting when he should pass, more often than not to Hojlund.<\/p>\n<p>And so when Rashford picked his head up and put his cross on the money for Hojlund to head in for 1-0, it felt like a breakthrough for a partnership that has been waiting to catch fire.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I am honestly super excited about it,\u2019 Rashford said of the Hojlund tandem recently.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I just want to understand his game and for him to understand my game as quickly as possible.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>One swallow doesn\u2019t make a summer but the recipe for how the two can complement each other was laid out here.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76139231-12591147-image-a-39_1696376710173.jpg\" height=\"424\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>However, the England international now looks to be striking a partnership with Hojlund (right)<\/p>\n<h2>RIGHT-WING REVOLVING DOOR<\/h2>\n<p>It most definitely hasn\u2019t helped United\u2019s attacking flow that the right wing position has been chopped and changed.<\/p>\n<p>Against Burnley, and again last night against Galatasaray, it was Bruno Fernandes. Facundo Pellistri and Alejandro Garnacho are talented but still look too raw to be relied upon to start.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sancho is showing no appetite to apologise to Ten Hag after their falling out so the \u00a373m man is no use, while Antony has been out of action for a month and is only now able to be reintegrated.<\/p>\n<p>What Fernandes does do so well in this role, and you can see why Ten Hag likes using him here in the big games, is that he is so fluid in his positioning.<\/p>\n<p>For the opening goal Fernandes had done so well to open up space by dragging his marker inside, allowing Rashford to get a run clear before crossing for Hojlund.<\/p>\n<p>Antony\u2019s return to the starting XI, whether that\u2019s Saturday or after the international break, should provide consistency and help fix their scoring woes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76139253-12591147-image-a-40_1696376740055.jpg\" height=\"450\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Bruno Fernandes (right) started out wide before Antony (left) came on as a substitute\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>MIDFIELD MUDDLE<\/h2>\n<p>For all the finger pointing that can go on with the forwards, service to them has been suspect and that buck lands at the door of Mason Mount, Hannibal Mejbri and Fernandes.<\/p>\n<p>Mount thrived in an attacking No 8 role in the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace and had a hand in both of the first two goals.<\/p>\n<p>Days later against the same opposition he looked a shell of the player that had run Palace ragged, operating in a deeper role alongside Casemiro. The biggest tweak Ten Hag needs to make now is finding a way to allow Mount and Fernandes to co-exist.<\/p>\n<p>Hannibal, making his Champions League debut here, is an important cog that perhaps showed his importance by dropping to the bench for the weekend defeat.<\/p>\n<p>His boundless running is crucial to the press and allows Mount and Fernandes to pick up pockets of space that drew Galatasaray out of their defensive mould.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/10\/04\/00\/76139423-12591147-image-a-41_1696376963851.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Erik ten Hag seems to still be figuring out how to use Mason Mount (above) in United&#8217;s midfield<\/p>\n<p>Where Mount\u2019s goals can come from \u2014 and this is a key focus of his for the season, adding goals \u2014 is late runs into the box.<\/p>\n<p>Just before half-time following a move down the left Mount pulled off the onrushing back into the six-yard box and when the ball broke from Rashford\u2019s cross it came to him on his right foot. Muslera was a relieved man when it deflected wide.<\/p>\n<p>Things are far from perfect. A second half collapse defensively will overshadow a breakout night for Hojlund. Can\u2019t score goals consistently and can\u2019t defend. Make that six defeats in 10 now.<\/p>\n<p>Hojlund the bright spark, most definitely. But the light barely stays on for long when United defend how they do.<\/p>\n<h3>IT&#8217;S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><span><span>It&#8217;s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span>It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/i\/pix\/2017\/08\/02\/636x90_facebook_ad_sport.png\" width=\"636\" height=\"90\"><br \/>\nSource: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12591147\/Rasmus-Hojlund-lone-bright-spark-night-chaos-Man-United-defeat-Galatasaray-showed-theres-issues-midfield-signs-blossoming-partnership-Marcus-Rashford-look-promising.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rasmus Hojlund was a lone bright spark on a night of chaos for Man United&#8230; the defeat by Galatasaray showed there&#8217;s still issues in midfield but signs of blossoming partnership with Marcus Rashford look promising Manchester United fell to a\u00a03-2 defeat against Galatasaray on Tuesday night Striker Rasmus Hojlund managed to impress despite the disappointing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":292327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hojlund was a lone bright spark on a night of chaos for Man United - Sports Life Tale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/soccer\/hojlund-was-a-lone-bright-spark-on-a-night-of-chaos-for-man-united\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hojlund was a lone bright spark on a night of chaos for Man United - Sports Life Tale\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rasmus Hojlund was a lone bright spark on a night of chaos for Man United&#8230; 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