Hojlund spotted angrily shouting at Man Utd teammate as Saha has his say

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Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has been speaking about Rasmus Hojlund (Image: Lewis Storey)
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has been speaking about Rasmus Hojlund (Image: Lewis Storey)

Louis Saha wants to see more from Rasmus Hojlund after spotting the Manchester United star calling out Alejandro Garnacho during last week's win over Newport County.

The 20-year-old Denmark international joined the Red Devils in a £72million transfer from Atalanta in the summer but has struggled to live up to expectations and went months without scoring in the Premier League.

One mitigating factor behind Hojlund's slow start to life at Old Trafford has been the poor service he's received, with both Garnacho and Antony facing criticism in recent weeks for their reluctance to pick out the striker in the box, with Hojlund even confronting the former during the 4-2 win over Newport at the weekend.

Saha, who spent four years at United during his playing career, believes that is "a good sign" - but he still wants to see more from the youngster.

He told Betfred: “I think you can see his desire and realise how he can be an asset. Rasmus is a big lad and he's got the right mentality and the right approach. He's still young and you can see that he’s confident enough to demand the ball from his teammates. Against Newport County, I saw one situation where he actually shouted at Alejandro Garnacho for failing to provide him with a cutback and that was a good sign.

Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash eiqruidtridtinvMarcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

“His application and mentality is impressive, but he needs to improve his movement and sometimes he’s fighting too much with the defenders, so he’s making it harder for himself. I think he needs an experienced forward in the squad alongside him that can show him why he shouldn’t be fighting with defenders all the time.

"He needs to get away from defenders and I think he's losing energy by choosing to battle with them physically instead. He needs to reserve his energy for when he’s in the box. I think that his runs tire him out and that makes him less efficient in the box, where it really matters. He’s so eager to prove how hardworking he is, that he’s almost making things harder for himself by the energy he wastes in the wrong areas of the pitch.”

Join the debate! What have you made of Hojlund this season? Let us know here.

Hojlund spotted angrily shouting at Man Utd teammate as Saha has his sayHojlund has endured a challenging start to life in the Premier League (Shaun Botterill)

After breaking his Premier League duck over the Christmas period, Hojlund now has eight goals in 26 appearances in all competitions following his goalscoring exploits in the Champions League before United's early exit.

Speaking back in December after his maiden league strike, Erik ten Hag praised Hojlund's character and backed him to score plenty more. The Dutchman said: “I have to repeat myself but I trust him, I knew he could [score in the Premier League]. His goals in the Champions League and in Denmark showed what he did as a young player in Austria, in Italy and he is a very strong character.

“But, of course, this goal will give him confidence and belief that he is going to score and he is going to score more goals from this point on, I am sure.”

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Dan Marsh

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