admin Bruno Fernandes was Man Utd’s transformative signing in January 2020 and Erik ten Hag hopes Rasmus Hojlund can have a similar impact.
Amid the rubble of Manchester United’s worst start to a season in 37 years, there is a glimmer of hope shining brightly for Erik ten Hag, the focal point for those hoping things will soon start to change.
Trying to find positives in a start that has produced six defeats in 10 games is like the Conservatives trying to sell the benefits of scrapping HS2 to the city when they took their conference to Manchester . I know you always focus on the bad news, but….
For United, however, good news is inevitable. A 6ft 3in blonde centre-back with explosive pace doesn’t really fit in. But for the avoidance of doubt, Rasmus Hojund announced his arrival on Old Trafford’s biggest stage on Tuesday night and then celebrated like Jude Bellingham in front of the Stretford End.
It was a fitting entrance and celebration for a messiah and it was the right thing to do for Ten Hag and United. He more than anyone else, has the right to be angry at the lack of defense that helped Galatasaray win the Champions League. What should have been Hojlund’s breakthrough night became yet another inquiry into United’s dismal start to the season.
But Hojlund’s impact is reason to hope that all is not lost. He can’t do it alone, but his positivity and form can lift the spirits of his teammates, especially as the injury crisis begins to ease.
It’s worth revisiting some of Ten Hag’s comments about Hojlund a week before he made his United debut with a lively debut against Arsenal at the Emirates.The 20-year-old had only just started full training that week, but Ten Hag had already noticed the energy he was radiating throughout the group.
“I think he’s a different character on our team and that makes things really interesting,” he said. “The balance in my team is very good and this week we have noticed that he has come with a different spirit. He brings this energy and the players also get energy from that. This That’s very good.”
How much United need him to spread that energy. Three-quarters of Tuesday’s Champions League match, that’s exactly what he was doing. Old Trafford is in good form, Hojlund unstoppable and United were winning. Then there was another collapse.
The way he scored the second goal against Galatasaray was hugely impressive, pace, power and composure completing it all the signs of a striker seemingly born for the big stage.Hojlund’s return to three goals in 453 minutes of play, from a total xG of 1.9, has been a very impressive start to his United career, considering how difficult the rest of his team has been the team had to go through.
United hope Hojlund will be at the heart of their season as they spent £72m to sign him from Atalanta this summer, but admittedly he is still learning his trade, with just one full season in Serie A, as well as 32 matches for FC Copenhagen and 21 for Sturm Graz.
He has exceeded expectations so far and the fact that he scored in two Champions League matches shows that this is a young striker who is hungry for the limelight.
Before he impressively escaped the back injury that delayed his Old Trafford debut, United were prepared to use Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in midfield to occasionally give the Dane a free pass. breathing time.However, it is difficult to imagine a starting XI without him at the moment.
For United to turn things around this season and create a platform for Hojlund to consistently excel, many changes need to be made. Conceding 18 goals in 10 matches is clearly an obstacle to success.
But the Denmark international has to only glance beyond him to see how an attacking signing can transform the mood at Old Trafford. In January 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first full season in charge was going nowhere. United lost to Liverpool and Burnley that month and after 24 Premier League games they were fifth, six points behind Chelsea and 14 points behind Leicester City.
Enter Bruno Fernandes. Having lost eight of those 24 games, United won’t lose again in the league and would finish above Chelsea and Leicester. Their only defeats in 22 games with Fernandes in the team came in the FA Cup and Europa League semi-finals, after the season had paused and then restarted in empty stadiums following the outbreak of Covid-19.
In those 22 games, Fernandes scored 12 goals and created eight more. His performances and output improved United dramatically, but so did his desire and his personality, raising standards at Carrington with his demands on teammates.
Nearly four years on, you could argue Fernandes remains the beating heart of this team, as well as its captain now. He has an example of how a player can have a significant impact on his teammates.
It’s asking a lot for Hojlund to do the same when he has played just 102 senior games in his career, but he looks up for the challenge at the very least.
