Man United boss Ruben Amorim explains Rasmus Hojlund benching for Arsenal clash after goal drought
Ruben Amorim has opened up on why he has decided to drop Rasmus Hojlund to the bench ahead of Manchester United’s clash against Arsenal.
Hojlund hasn’t enjoyed the run of the green since Amorim’s Old Trafford arrival in November and is without a Premier League goal since mid-December, when he bagged in a 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest.
The £72million man has thus accrued his fair share of critics, with some branding him as one of the worst value-for-money signings in recent memory.
With just two leagues strikes to his name this term, Amorim made the decision to drop the Dane for Sunday’s game amid his now-20-game goal drought.
However, the Portuguese boss has insisted that form was not the reason behind his benching.
‘No, it’s freshness,’ he said. ‘I think he was really fatigued at the end of the game. And we tried different things.
Ruben Amorim dropped Rasmus Hojlund to the bench for Sunday’s clash with Arsenal
Hojlund hasn’t netted for United in 20 games, last scoring in the Premier League in December
Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee (left) have been amongst a litany of under-performers at United
‘We know that the opposition, the two centre backs, what they want, what they like. And we tried to do different things to surprise the opponent.’
Hojlund played the full 90 minutes as United took on Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie last week.
It was the Dane’s strike partner that bagged the Red Devils’ one and only goal, with Joshua Zirkzee catching the Sociedad stopper out to give United the lead in Spain.
However, a handball against Bruno Fernandes gave the hosts the chance to equalise from the spot – an opportunity gleefully taken up by Mikel Oyarzabal, who slotted past Andre Onana to put things on terms going into the second leg in Manchester.
United, who are dwindling in 15th in the table, faced the test of title chasing Arsenal – who, despite lacking a striker showed off their scoring prowess in the Champions League on Tuesday, firing seven against PSV.
The Gunners made the trip to Old Trafford, a stadium once considered a fortress but is now hardly that, with Man United’s home form being something of grim reading for Amorim – though they did secure a 1-1 draw.
While they scraped past relegation-threatened Ipswich last time out in the league, they have suffered home defeats by the likes of Crystal Palace, Brighton and most recently Fulham in the FA Cup, all since the new year.
While a mammoth fixture regardless of current form, United would have had to have produced a shock to come out as victors against Mikel Arteta’s side if they wanted to leap back above fallen giants Tottenham, who came from two behind to salvage a point against Bournemouth earlier on Sunday.
