Following an almost non-existent performance from Rasmus Højlund in their 2-1 win over Northern Ireland, the Danish manager had his say on his player’s performance.
Manchester United endured a disappointing campaign last season, and it proved especially difficult for Rasmus Højlund, who frequently looked overwhelmed in his role as the team’s primary striker.
The Danish forward scored just four Premier League goals over the course of the season and, in the final months, even struggled with basic hold-up play.
Amid growing speculation about his future, what Højlund arguably needs most is a lengthy period away from football to reset mentally and recover from a confidence-sapping year, in hopes of regaining some form going into next season.
Despite already playing in a post-season tour, the 22-year-old found himself playing yet again in the most recent round of World Cup qualifiers, playing 66 minutes in a 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.
Danish media issued a savage verdict of the striker’s “disappointing” display, with the Danish striker putting up zero shots and completing just five passes from an attempted nine, while also winning none of his aerial or ground duels.
What the manager had to say on Højlund’s performance
Even before the final whistle blew, the media storm surrounding Højlund’s performance was already circling, with Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet rating his performance a 2/10.
After the match, however, Denmark manager Brian Riemer came to the defence of his No. 9.
Speaking to Ekstra Bladet, he said: “I’m super upset for Rasmus. It was planned that he could have had a nice first half, but when you stand as one 9, and Damsgaard ends up standing too wide, so we suddenly lack a lot of points around Rasmus, he becomes isolated, and then the match ends as it does.”
Riemer was quick to take the brunt of the criticism, blaming his lack of tactical switches to adjust for Højlund, saying: “It’s a bit on my shoulders. I should have been better at fixing it in the first half. It was difficult for him, and it wasn’t what we had hoped for.”
When commenting on his own performance, the 22-year-old said: “It will always be up for discussion. I have high demands on myself, and I would have liked to have handled some balls a little better than I did.”
What’s next for Højlund?
Despite links back to the Serie A, with Inter Milan showing interest in an interest for the Dane, Højlund has made it very clear that he does not want to leave United this summer, and wants to fight for his place back into the squad.
With the club’s financial situation this summer, a decent offer for the striker would be hard to turn down, as the club would want to recoup as much of the initial fee as possible to spend on new additions to Ruben Amorim’s squad.
United are set to sign a striker, regardless of whether Højlund remains at the club in September or not. If they sign an experienced striker like Viktor Gyökeres, then Højlund could do what he was meant to when he first joined the club: act as an understudy to the main striker and learn and grow to eventually surpass them.
The 22-year-old needs to put this disappointing season behind him. Hopefully, some time away from the pitch this summer can clear his head and allow him to return to the form he displayed in his first season at the club.
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