Rasmus Hojlund was one of very few bright spots for Manchester United today, a club that is currently a complete mess, both on and off the pitch. The boo birds came out for manager Erik ten Hag when the Danish international was subbed off early, in a 3-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at home.
The booing of Ten Hag’s substitute decision here just inspires the question- how long before the club’s supporters turn on him?
Up until this point, he’s largely gotten the benefit of the doubt on most things, but the dramas and the losses are both piling up. In regards to Hojlund specifically, Ten Hag said that his back injury which plagued him at the start of the season prevented him from going the full 90 minutes today.
The 20-year-old center forward, who almost celebrated his first United starting assignment with a goal today (VAR ruled out what would have been a equalizer) only made his United debut in the last game, a 3-1 loss at Arsenal.
I think it was positive,” Ten Hag said of the £72 million signing’s first start today.
You see the fans in the first moment in Old Trafford, the reception for [Højlund] was great. I think he performed very well. It’s good they give this signal, this message. It will give Rasmus belief.”
Hopefully he believes, because the side itself, as a whole, is doing very little to inspire belief right now.
And from here on out, it only gets rougher- a trip to Bayern Munich, commencing UEFA Champions League play, is on tap for Wednesday night.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.