Former Manchester United striker Dion Dublin is just glad that, when he was leading the line at Old Trafford, the role of the winger was a little different.
Ryan Giggs, a left-footed left-winger, on one side. David Beckham, a right-footed right-winger, on the other.
During the Sir Alex Ferguson heyday at Old Trafford, the job of Giggs and Beckham was – first and foremost – to provide a steady stream of service for the number nine in the centre of the penalty area.
If only Rasmus Hojlund, the man currently shouldering much of the goalscoring burden at Manchester United, had such specialist deliverers dropping crosses on a sixpence from out wide.
The Telegraph point out that Hojlund boasts the fourth-best conversation rate of any Premier League to attempt more than 40 shots since the start of 2024/25. He ranks ahead of Liverpool talisman Mo Salah.
Hojlund is more clinical than Manchester City’s terminator Targaryan Erling Haaland too, statistically soeaking.
Yet, his Premier League tally stands at 11 goals from 37 appearances. One in seven across 2024/25.
Dion Dublin blames wingers for Rasmus Hojlund’s Manchester United struggles
Man United’s 3-0 victory over Leicester City last time out was typical, really, of Hojlund’s Red Devils toils.
Even during one of United’s most coherent, creative performances of the season, the Denmark international found himself starved of service as Amad Diallo, Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho instead hogged the headlines.
And Dublin feels that, while Hojlund still has a lot of kinks to iron out in his own game, there is only so much blame that can be directed at Man United’s £64 million centre-forward.
Hojlund is a striker who relies on service. And, with Man United’s wingers preferring to cut inside and take shots at goal themselves, his plate remains relatively empty barring a few scraps and the odd cold leftover.
“If I was in that United side, I would probably lose a lot of pals on match days because of the way I’d react to players not crossing the ball,” Dublin tells The Telegraph.
“I get it’s different times, different kinds of players, a different era. But, as a winger, you need to deliver the ball. Your responsibility is to provide that end product. How many times does Alejandro Garnacho, as good a player as he is, get down the wing and cross it?
“Antony, [Marcus] Rashford the same?”
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Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford must help Hojlund
Hojlund, remarkably, averages 0.7 shots per game in the Premier League. No fewer than seven Manchester United players attempt more, Casemiro among them.
In contrast, Bruno Fernandes averages 3.1 shots per game, while the talented but inconsistent Garnacho sits on 2.8.
Dublin does feel that Ruben Amorim’s ability to get the best out of the free-scoring Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting – the Swede breaking the 30-goal barrier already with four goals in Sweden’s 6-0 hammering of Azerbaijan this week – bodes well for Hojlund in the post-Erik ten Hag era.
“The responsibility for Hojlund not scoring goals isn’t just his,” Dublin argues. “United don’t cross the ball. Sporting do. United’s wingers, for example, chop back all the time.
“I still don’t agree with right-footers on the left and left-footers on the right. If you’re Garnacho on the left or Antony playing on the right, all your crosses are going into the keeper.
“If you’re on the other side they’re coming away from the keeper and you have more room then to adjust as a centre-forward.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/igMy9JH