Michael Owen says he feels ‘so sorry’ for Rasmus Hojlund and believes the Manchester United striker is ‘playing in the hardest position in the Premier League’.
Ruben Amorim’s side were dealt another blow on Boxing Day as they were beaten 2-0 by Wolves at Molineux.
The defeat leaves United 14th in the Premier League table and just eight points ahead of 18th-placed Leicester City.
Hojlund, meanwhile, endured another frustrating game leading United’s attack as he had just 14 touches of the ball and was unable to register a shot on goal before he was replaced by Joshua Zirkzee with 11 minutes remaining.
Owen, who scored 17 goals during his stint at Old Trafford, feels Hojlund has been given a ‘poised chalice’ by being asked to spearhead United’s attack and says he is unable to judge the quality of the Denmark international, given the lack of service he receives from his teammates.
‘I say they’re [United] not so bad at the back but I mean they play to defend, they don’t commit everybody forward,’ Owen told Premier League Productions after United’s defeat to Wolves.
‘I’m looking at the Manchester United team half the time there [against Wolves] and they’ve got three players marking one at the back, you’d never see a Liverpool team doing that, they’d all go man for man and if they’ve got spare men they’d push them into attacking areas.
‘That’s probably what he [Amorim] is working towards but at the moment, even if they weren’t conceding many goals I wouldn’t be getting carried away because the team isn’t functioning.
‘They’re absolutely awful going forward, I can’t think of a chance that they had there today [against Wolves].
‘Hojlund… I feel so sorry for the lad. That first half, six passes he received, four of them from defenders so in other words four of them are probably hopeful, long passes and two passes in the first half from a player who you would want to receive a pass off. And he’s supposed to do something with that.
‘I can’t judge him as a player, I don’t know if he’s good or bad, and that’s the most damning thing you could say because after watching him for a year, I just feel as if he’s playing in possibly the hardest position in the Premier League to play in at the moment – centre forward for Manchester United – I never thought I’d be saying that.
‘Centre forward for Manchester United used to be the dream for every centre forward in the world, scoring dozens and dozens of goals, and now it’s a poised chalice. And I never thought I’d be saying that.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Ruben Amorim sends blunt message to Marcus Rashford after Manchester United defeat to Wolves
MORE: Wolves respond after Arsenal transfer link with Matheus Cunha
MORE: Enzo Maresca explains Noni Madueke and Joao Felix snub after Chelsea defeat to Fulham
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
