Denmark play to Rasmus Hojlund’s strengths – will Erik ten Hag follow suit with United?
By Carl Anka
There was a decent amount of screaming between Rasmus Hojlundand his Manchester Unitedteam-mates during his first season at Old Trafford.
The now 21-year-old striker, who United paid Italy’s Atalantaan initial €75million (£63.3m/$80.3m at the current exchange rate) for last summer, finished his 2023-24 debut year in English football with 16 goals in 43 appearances. So a qualified success for Erik ten Hag.
He was keen to get his point across, too.
“I’m always telling them (team-mates) that if they play the pass and I’m not there, then they can scream at me all they want and they can destroy me outside of the pitch,” Hojlund said, “but the opposite way, if they don’t do the pass and I’m there, I can scream at them.”
Hojlund’s goals last season often came in short bursts.
Five of them in the six Champions Leaguegroup-stage games showcased his talents early, but he had to wait until Boxing Day (December 26) for his first in the Premier League. He scored six goals in his following five league appearances before a muscle injury in February again upset his rhythm. Two goals in the final two Premier League matches suggested there was more to come from this streaky and, at times, stunning striker.
Denmarkwill hope Hojlund can produce another purple patch at this European Championship. His emergence into their national team has led to manager Kasper Hjulmand subtly reshaping the side since a disappointing World Cup 18 months ago.
The Denmark who take on Slovenia, England and Serbia in Group Cover the next week or so will favour long, direct passes and attempt to get the ball out wide whenever possible.
Their opener against Sloveniatoday (Sunday) will likely see Hojlund play as part of a counter-attacking 3-5-2, exchanging quick passes with strike partner Jonas Wind. Wing-backs Joakim Maehleand Victor Kristiansendo the lion’s share of their ball progression. Much of the side’s attacking play will revolve around getting the ball to Hojlund when he’s running into space.
The then 20-year-old’s hat-trick against Finlandin March last year, in what was his first senior start, highlighted his goalscoring skills and movement, particularly inside the area.
Hojlund’s shot map from the eight Euro 2024 qualifying games he played in shows a striker doing the majority of his work in and around the six-yard box.
That shot map is similar to his six games for United in the Champions League last season.
Hojlund is quick when running into space, making him a threat on counter-attacks and his movement when attacking crosses is exceptional. Several of his goals for club and country have been one-touch finishes after making a run towards the near post.
But when looking at his shot map across the 2023-24 Premier League season, some of his issues become clearer.
Hojlund’s figure of 0.20 expected goals (xG) per shot, a measure of average goalscoring quality and likelihood, indicates a player who knows how to wrongfoot defenders inside the area and get shots off from relatively dangerous positions. Trouble is, he did not go for goal anywhere near enough last season for someone who was the main striker of a club of United’s supposed standings. He averaged 1.58 shots per 90 minutes, suggesting a disconnect between himself and the other attacking players.
For Denmarkand in the Champions League, Hojlund focused on shooting from inside the six-yard box but looking in the Premier League, there is a rise in goal attempts from wide angles to the left of the penalty area.
Hojlund was signed early last August, not long after Ten Hag discussed his desire to turn the club into “the best transition team in the world”, but the Dane, who is best when running the channels and attacking crosses, spent too much time as an isolated target man.
Despite his 6ft 2in (191cm) frame, Hojlund is not the best at holding off defenders with his back to goal. His first touch can be shaky and long passes sometimes bounce off him. Injuries and tactical issues meant Ten Hag could not build an attack catered to his new striker’s strengths.
The manager’s preference for ‘inverted’ forwards (left-footers playing on the right or vice-versa) meant Hojlund rarely received the same amount of crosses he gets when in a Denmark shirt. Continued problems with the midfield options saw Hojlund supplied with limited through balls, compared to the number Christian Eriksenand Pierre-Emile Hojbjergoften supply him with on international duty.
Ten Hag took a striker who had a lot in common with a young Ollie Watkinsand asked him to play a lot like Olivier Giroudin his older years.
Hojlund — who described his role for United as finding “the spaces where I can be free and get the easy tap-ins, in the front post and the back post” — did not have a consistent platform from which he could attack his favoured areas.
“Normally, the manager wants me to go at the front, so I can create space for the others,” he said in January. One of the “others” was Scott McTominay, whose 10 goals last season occasionally came at Hojlund’s expense.
This is shown in the move for the winner in December’s 2-1 defeat of Chelsea, which starts with Alejandro Garnachocoming onto the ball on the left.
When Garnacho plays a looping cross towards the back post, Hojlund and McTominay peel off their markers and make the same run towards the back post. McTominay beat Hojlund to head in.
Hojlund’s movement when attacking the front or back post preoccupied defenders, leading to additional space for McTominay to score goals.
The Scotlandmidfielder’s superior heading ability made him a potent attacking threat but his inconsistent passing meant he could rarely return goalscoring favours to Hojlund in open play. On more than one occasion, the striker could be seen reprimanding McTominay for not finding him.
Hojlund’s teething problems at United were exacerbated by injury issues limiting Ten Hag’s available squad options, in particular with their supposed backup striker Anthony Martial. Also, he admitted the Premier League was a “little bit faster” compared to playing in Serie A, requiring a period of adjustment. He has worked strenuously at the club’s Carrington training base on improving his body orientation when receiving the ball, in an attempt to be more decisive in his movement around the penalty area.
How do United get the best out of him next season? Ten Hag could take a leaf out of Hjulmand’s book and look to get more attackers working closer to Hojlund, providing him with more passes in-behind defences and additional opportunities to shoot.
The return of Englandfull-back Luke Shawto full fitness after a season wrecked by injury will see an increase in the number of crosses United will send in from the left towards the near post, an area where Hojlund flourishes. Potential movement in the transfer market for a new central midfielder could lead to a reconstructed engine room and fewer instances where McTominay makes similar runs to his.
And if Ten Hag can recalibrate their pressing and counter-pressing, then United may be able to create more of the conditions that led to Hojlund’s goals against Newcastle Unitedand Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of the season.
Both started with the striker picking up the ball outside the penalty area against an unstructured defence…
…before beating defenders with a burst of pace…
…and then unleashing a powerful shot.
There is an impressive goalscorer within Hojlund, who only turned 21 four months ago.
Hjulmand and Denmark will look to get the best from him this summer, before handing him back to Ten Hag and United.
Denmark play to Rasmus Hojlund’s strengths – will Erik ten Hag follow suit with United?
By Carl Anka
There was a decent amount of screaming between Rasmus Hojlundand his Manchester Unitedteam-mates during his first season at Old Trafford.
The now 21-year-old striker, who United paid Italy’s Atalantaan initial €75million (£63.3m/$80.3m at the current exchange rate) for last summer, finished his 2023-24 debut year in English football with 16 goals in 43 appearances. So a qualified success for Erik ten Hag.
He was keen to get his point across, too.
“I’m always telling them (team-mates) that if they play the pass and I’m not there, then they can scream at me all they want and they can destroy me outside of the pitch,” Hojlund said, “but the opposite way, if they don’t do the pass and I’m there, I can scream at them.”
Hojlund’s goals last season often came in short bursts.
Five of them in the six Champions Leaguegroup-stage games showcased his talents early, but he had to wait until Boxing Day (December 26) for his first in the Premier League. He scored six goals in his following five league appearances before a muscle injury in February again upset his rhythm. Two goals in the final two Premier League matches suggested there was more to come from this streaky and, at times, stunning striker.
Denmarkwill hope Hojlund can produce another purple patch at this European Championship. His emergence into their national team has led to manager Kasper Hjulmand subtly reshaping the side since a disappointing World Cup 18 months ago.
The Denmark who take on Slovenia, England and Serbia in Group Cover the next week or so will favour long, direct passes and attempt to get the ball out wide whenever possible.
Their opener against Sloveniatoday (Sunday) will likely see Hojlund play as part of a counter-attacking 3-5-2, exchanging quick passes with strike partner Jonas Wind. Wing-backs Joakim Maehleand Victor Kristiansendo the lion’s share of their ball progression. Much of the side’s attacking play will revolve around getting the ball to Hojlund when he’s running into space.
The then 20-year-old’s hat-trick against Finlandin March last year, in what was his first senior start, highlighted his goalscoring skills and movement, particularly inside the area.
Hojlund’s shot map from the eight Euro 2024 qualifying games he played in shows a striker doing the majority of his work in and around the six-yard box.
That shot map is similar to his six games for United in the Champions League last season.
Hojlund is quick when running into space, making him a threat on counter-attacks and his movement when attacking crosses is exceptional. Several of his goals for club and country have been one-touch finishes after making a run towards the near post.
But when looking at his shot map across the 2023-24 Premier League season, some of his issues become clearer.
Hojlund’s figure of 0.20 expected goals (xG) per shot, a measure of average goalscoring quality and likelihood, indicates a player who knows how to wrongfoot defenders inside the area and get shots off from relatively dangerous positions. Trouble is, he did not go for goal anywhere near enough last season for someone who was the main striker of a club of United’s supposed standings. He averaged 1.58 shots per 90 minutes, suggesting a disconnect between himself and the other attacking players.
For Denmarkand in the Champions League, Hojlund focused on shooting from inside the six-yard box but looking in the Premier League, there is a rise in goal attempts from wide angles to the left of the penalty area.
Hojlund was signed early last August, not long after Ten Hag discussed his desire to turn the club into “the best transition team in the world”, but the Dane, who is best when running the channels and attacking crosses, spent too much time as an isolated target man.
Despite his 6ft 2in (191cm) frame, Hojlund is not the best at holding off defenders with his back to goal. His first touch can be shaky and long passes sometimes bounce off him. Injuries and tactical issues meant Ten Hag could not build an attack catered to his new striker’s strengths.
The manager’s preference for ‘inverted’ forwards (left-footers playing on the right or vice-versa) meant Hojlund rarely received the same amount of crosses he gets when in a Denmark shirt. Continued problems with the midfield options saw Hojlund supplied with limited through balls, compared to the number Christian Eriksenand Pierre-Emile Hojbjergoften supply him with on international duty.
Ten Hag took a striker who had a lot in common with a young Ollie Watkinsand asked him to play a lot like Olivier Giroudin his older years.
Hojlund — who described his role for United as finding “the spaces where I can be free and get the easy tap-ins, in the front post and the back post” — did not have a consistent platform from which he could attack his favoured areas.
“Normally, the manager wants me to go at the front, so I can create space for the others,” he said in January. One of the “others” was Scott McTominay, whose 10 goals last season occasionally came at Hojlund’s expense.
This is shown in the move for the winner in December’s 2-1 defeat of Chelsea, which starts with Alejandro Garnachocoming onto the ball on the left.
When Garnacho plays a looping cross towards the back post, Hojlund and McTominay peel off their markers and make the same run towards the back post. McTominay beat Hojlund to head in.
Hojlund’s movement when attacking the front or back post preoccupied defenders, leading to additional space for McTominay to score goals.
The Scotlandmidfielder’s superior heading ability made him a potent attacking threat but his inconsistent passing meant he could rarely return goalscoring favours to Hojlund in open play. On more than one occasion, the striker could be seen reprimanding McTominay for not finding him.
Hojlund’s teething problems at United were exacerbated by injury issues limiting Ten Hag’s available squad options, in particular with their supposed backup striker Anthony Martial. Also, he admitted the Premier League was a “little bit faster” compared to playing in Serie A, requiring a period of adjustment. He has worked strenuously at the club’s Carrington training base on improving his body orientation when receiving the ball, in an attempt to be more decisive in his movement around the penalty area.
How do United get the best out of him next season? Ten Hag could take a leaf out of Hjulmand’s book and look to get more attackers working closer to Hojlund, providing him with more passes in-behind defences and additional opportunities to shoot.
The return of Englandfull-back Luke Shawto full fitness after a season wrecked by injury will see an increase in the number of crosses United will send in from the left towards the near post, an area where Hojlund flourishes. Potential movement in the transfer market for a new central midfielder could lead to a reconstructed engine room and fewer instances where McTominay makes similar runs to his.
And if Ten Hag can recalibrate their pressing and counter-pressing, then United may be able to create more of the conditions that led to Hojlund’s goals against Newcastle Unitedand Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of the season.
Both started with the striker picking up the ball outside the penalty area against an unstructured defence…
…before beating defenders with a burst of pace…
…and then unleashing a powerful shot.
There is an impressive goalscorer within Hojlund, who only turned 21 four months ago.
Hjulmand and Denmark will look to get the best from him this summer, before handing him back to Ten Hag and United.
