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Peter Schmeichel reveals who deserves blame for ‘fantastic’ Man Utd star’s woeful form
Schmeichel believes he still has a huge future at United (Picture: Getty) Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has leapt to the defence of Rasmus Hojlund and insisted Ruben Amorim is not playing to the striker’s strengths. Hojlund is on a run of 13 games without a goal, last hitting the back of the net in the Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen in December. Both he and fellow striker Joshua Zirkzee have failed to score in 2025 with Amorim making the decision to bench both players in Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace, instead playing Kobbie Mainoo in a false nine role. The experiment was a damning indictment of the situation at Old Trafford, with Hojlund and Zirkzee, who combined cost over £100million, the manager’s only options up for the remainder of the season. Former United captain Gary Neville has suggested Amorim ‘may not like’ Hojlund leading his attack with United likely to focus on signing a new centre forward this summer with Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres among their targets. But Schmeichel has backed the ‘fantastic’ Denmark international to be key to any success United have going forward. ‘Manchester United don’t play the way you should play when you have a guy like Hojlund,’ the former goalkeeper told Tipsbladet. Hojlund has not scored in 13 games (Picture: Getty) ‘It’s been difficult for him, and I think he’s doing fantastically. ‘He never gives up, he fights, and he doesn’t let it get to him. For me, there’s no doubt that he’s the future, and for me, there’s no doubt that he’s part of the forward-looking project. ‘What has happened this year, he will learn a lot from. This also applies to many other players at Manchester United – that it is a learning period.’ Hojlund, a £72million signing from Atalanta, scored a very respectable 16 goals in his first season in English football, 10 of those coming in 25 Premier League starts. Hojlund was dropped from the starting XI on Saturday (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) The 22-year-old has scored just twice in the league this term, however with the vast majority of his goal contributions coming in the Europa League. While Schmeichel is convinced Hojlund will still have a major role to play at United, Premier League legend Alan Shearer has suggested the Dane may now be considering his future after being dropped at the weekend. ‘Ruben Amorim opted for Mainoo in the false nine position against Crystal Palace at the weekend and I imagine Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee will be feeling very flat,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘They’ll be thinking whether they actually belong or want to be at the football club when you’ve got the new manager playing a midfielder as a false nine ahead of centre-forwards. ‘Hojlund and Zirkzee will be feeling very flat and there’ll be a lot of thoughts going through their minds about whether they want to be there and whether Amorim actually rates them or wants them. Clearly, he doesn’t because he needs results, which he isn’t getting, and he’s not playing either forward.
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has leapt to the defence of Rasmus Hojlund and insisted Ruben Amorim is not playing to the striker’s strengths.
Hojlund is on a run of 13 games without a goal, last hitting the back of the net in the Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen in December.
Both he and fellow striker Joshua Zirkzee have failed to score in 2025 with Amorim making the decision to bench both players in Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace, instead playing Kobbie Mainoo in a false nine role.
The experiment was a damning indictment of the situation at Old Trafford, with Hojlund and Zirkzee, who combined cost over £100million, the manager’s only options up for the remainder of the season.
Former United captain Gary Neville has suggested Amorim ‘may not like’ Hojlund leading his attack with United likely to focus on signing a new centre forward this summer with Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres among their targets.
But Schmeichel has backed the ‘fantastic’ Denmark international to be key to any success United have going forward.
‘Manchester United don’t play the way you should play when you have a guy like Hojlund,’ the former goalkeeper told Tipsbladet.
‘It’s been difficult for him, and I think he’s doing fantastically.
‘He never gives up, he fights, and he doesn’t let it get to him. For me, there’s no doubt that he’s the future, and for me, there’s no doubt that he’s part of the forward-looking project.
‘What has happened this year, he will learn a lot from. This also applies to many other players at Manchester United – that it is a learning period.’
Hojlund, a £72million signing from Atalanta, scored a very respectable 16 goals in his first season in English football, 10 of those coming in 25 Premier League starts.
The 22-year-old has scored just twice in the league this term, however with the vast majority of his goal contributions coming in the Europa League.
While Schmeichel is convinced Hojlund will still have a major role to play at United, Premier League legend Alan Shearer has suggested the Dane may now be considering his future after being dropped at the weekend.
‘Ruben Amorim opted for Mainoo in the false nine position against Crystal Palace at the weekend and I imagine Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee will be feeling very flat,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘They’ll be thinking whether they actually belong or want to be at the football club when you’ve got the new manager playing a midfielder as a false nine ahead of centre-forwards.
‘Hojlund and Zirkzee will be feeling very flat and there’ll be a lot of thoughts going through their minds about whether they want to be there and whether Amorim actually rates them or wants them. Clearly, he doesn’t because he needs results, which he isn’t getting, and he’s not playing either forward.
