Jamie Carragher U-turns on ‘outstanding’ Man Utd star who seriously impressed him v Brentford

Stretty News

·21 October 2024

Jamie Carragher U-turns on ‘outstanding’ Man Utd star who seriously impressed him v Brentford

As was the case in his maiden Manchester United campaign, Rasmus Hojlund has endured a slow beginning to the term.

The centre-forward saw his start delayed due to injury for the second straight campaign, this time due to a hamstring complaint that he sustained in the opening fixture of United’s pre-season tour in the summer.

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He made his long-awaited return to action in the closing stages of last month’s Premier League stalemate at Selhurst Park and proceeded to make two more substitute appearances before Erik ten Hag deemed him ready to be deployed from the off.

At the beginning of the month, Hojlund got off the mark for 2024/2025 in his first start when etching his name onto the scoresheet in the Reds’ second Europa League group-stage clash against FC Porto. Then, in his fourth Premier League outing, registered his first goal to complete a much-needed comeback over Brentford on Saturday.

Hojlund must hit the ground running after notching first PL goal

(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Given the club’s concerning form as of late, Ten Hag will be counting on Hojlund to provide up front. Now that he’s fully fit, there are no excuses for him to be going missing each week, which is, unfortunately, something he has grown accustomed to doing on numerous occasions since his big-money move.

Similarly, Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand is certain to be keeping tabs on how the 21-year-old fares before the mid-November international break, as he is approaching a full year without finding the back of the net for his nation. As a result, he risks losing his place in the starting 11.

Yet, two goals in six matches are likely to give Hojlund ample confidence to make his mark in the coming weeks, and if he’s paying attention to how the general media are reacting to his performances, he’ll likely be surprised to learn that he’s earned a new fan in the form of Jamie Carragher.

During tonight’s instalment of Monday Night Football on Sky Sports, the ex-Liverpool man singled out United’s No.9 for high praise when he told the panel: “Hojlund. I think he’s starting to look a player. I was really impressed with him a couple of weeks ago in Porto, where he put a real shift in. Outstanding again at the weekend.”

"The combination of that front three" @Carra23 and @aaronramsey on a positive Manchester United performance against Brentford 🔴
– Monday, 21 October 2024

Only in May had Carragher described how he felt ‘sorry’ for Hojlund on Stick to Football, explaining: “I feel a bit sorry for Hojlund. He’s a young lad. The jump he has made is probably a bit too much for him to start with.

“He should have gone somewhere else for two years then to United maybe. I just feel sorry for him.”

Footage courtesy of Sky Sports.

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Jamie Carragher U-turns on ‘outstanding’ Man Utd star who seriously impressed him v Brentford | OneFootball