8 duels lost, 12 touches – Ruben Amorim lost patience with “anonymous” Manchester United star vs Everton

Manchester United salvaged a 2-2 draw against Everton in their Premier League clash on the weekend but several players disappointed with their performances.

Everton dominated the first half, with Beto opening the scoring before Abdoulaye Doucouré added a second goal 30 minutes into the game.

A stunning Bruno Fernandes free-kick pulled one back for Manchester United after the break, before Manuel Ugarte’s well-taken half-volley levelled the score.

In stoppage time, Everton were awarded a penalty after Ashley Young went down under a challenge from Harry Maguire. However, after a VAR review, referee Andy Madley overturned his decision, ensuring United escaped with a point.

Amorim losing patience with “anonymous” Højlund

Ruben Amorim has been deciding to stick with Rasmus Højlund up front throughout this tough spell despite his goalless record reaching 16 games.

The Danish striker seemed like he would suit the demands of the Portuguese head coach when he took charge at Old Trafford last November.

However, his form has been dismal in recent months but Amorim has stuck with him. The United boss has used Joshua Zirkzee sparingly as the centre-forward, instead utilising him as one of the no.10s instead.

Before the clash at Goodison Park, Amorim had also resisted dropping Højlund for any of the Academy stars in the ranks at Carrington. The 22-year-old has started 15 games since Amorim was hired.

But the performance from Højlund against Everton was even worse than his usual standard and Amorim ultimately seemed to lose his patience with the £72 million man. He hooked Højlund off the pitch for 17-year-old Chido Obi after 70 minutes while United were 2-0 down.

During his time on the pitch, Højlund lost every single one of his duels, with four on the ground and as many in the air. With just 12 touches on the ball and zero shots on goal, the Dane’s performance was described as “anonymous”.

It would be no surprise at all to see him dropped for the clash against Ipswich Town on Wednesday, despite Amorim’s light options in attack. Obi looked nervy on his second appearance, but shockingly, the teenager seemed much more well-equipped to deal with Premier League defenders with his back to goal.

Read More: 100% dribbles, 15/15 passes – Manchester United star has found the perfect role under Rúben Amorim

The record-breaking Under-18s Premier League goalscorer is very raw and certainly not the finished product, but unfortunately for Højlund, his form has forced a conversation to be had.

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