"He should have a rest one day and back in again" - Alan Shearer insists Manchester United star is 'unfairly' treated
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer believes Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund has been unfairly treated after the 20-year-old recently scored his first Premier League goal for the club.
Erik ten Hag and Co. signed Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta over the summer for a reported transfer fee of £64 million. The Denmark international usurped Anthony Martial's spot in the starting XI and got off to a decent start, scoring five goals in six UEFA Champions League appearances.
However, he struggled to cope with the demands of the Premier League. He went 14 games without registering a goal contribution, finding himself at the center of criticism on most game weeks.
Hojlund's fortunes changed when he fired home the winner to help Manchester United secure a 3-2 comeback win against Aston Villa on Tuesday, December 26. His relief was evident in his celebrations as he emotionally acknowledged the Old Trafford faithful.
Shearer addressed this on The Rest Is Football podcast, saying (via The Boot Room):
“Hojlund who got his first Premier League goal, you could see the relief on his face. I thought he was going to burst when he was doing his celebrations and rightly so because you can imagine the pressure, unfairly at times because we’ve said it, he should be in and out. He should be learning. He should have a rest one day and back in again."
He added:
"But because of the transfer fee and the situation at Old Trafford he has had to play more than he should have been and that’s been tough on him. But the relief that he will have will be huge."
Hojlund has scored six goals in 23 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United this season.
Charlie Adam hails Manchester United starlet after Aston Villa win
Former Liverpool star Charlie Adam waxed lyrical about Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo after he had another impressive outing during their 3-2 win against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Mainoo bounced back after a costly mistake during his side's 2-0 defeat to West Ham United last week with an assured performance against the Villans. The 18-year-old had a pass accuracy of 85 percent, won seven duels, and made two recoveries.
Adam said (as per United in Focus):
"I watched him last season in the EFL Trophy against Fleetwood Town and he was unbelievable. I know it’s against League One opposition but he was running the game. For me, you could see the personality and you need that if you’re going to be playing for Manchester United."
He added:
“The trust he has from the first team group, they know he is going to be a top player. Erik ten Hag knows he’s got a top player on his hands but he just needs to know when to play him or take him out because youngsters will have dips.
“To come in and play for Manchester United when they’re going through a rough time, really highlights his attitude and the mentality that he has.”
Mainoo missed over three months of action due to a serious ankle injury he suffered during pre-season. He has looked extremely composed for his age since making his return in his seven senior appearances to date.