Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has come to the defence of under-fire striker Rasmus Hojlund, insisting the team’s lack of goals is a collective issue rather than the fault of one player.
United’s 1-0 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday marked yet another missed opportunity in front of goal, with Hojlund’s struggles continuing. The 22-year-old Danish striker has now scored just once in 28 appearances across all competitions.
Despite criticism over United’s £72 million ($96 million) investment in Hojlund two years ago, Amorim dismissed suggestions that the striker alone should bear the responsibility.
“If you watch the games, you’ll see that several players are missing big chances, not just Rasmus,” Amorim told reporters. “Of course, for Rasmus, scoring goals is the main task because he’s a striker, but this is a team problem.
“We should be scoring more as a group. It’s not only about Rasmus missing. The only thing we can do is keep working with him, showing him the right movements, the right chances. He needs that goal, and he can’t get it from the bench — so I manage that as best I can during matches.”
The loss to Wolves dropped Manchester United to 14th in the Premier League, their 15th defeat of the season — the most they’ve suffered in a single league campaign since 1989-90.
Amorim was candid about the challenges the club faces.
“We’re honest with our fans — we’re lacking in many areas as a team, and we miss a lot of chances,” he said. “If we don’t start scoring, we won’t win matches. Now it’s about focusing on gradual improvements, one step at a time, and understanding that this is how the rest of the season might be unless we change something.”
