Alan Shearer blames Man Utd for damaging player who is suffering a crisis

Alan Shearer has sympathy for the struggling Rasmus Hojlund (Picture: Getty Images)

Alan Shearer has labelled Rasmus Hojlund a ‘damaged player’ in a ‘crisis of confidence’ and he has pointed the finger at Manchester United for putting him in that situation.

The 22-year-old has had a really bad season up front in a team that has struggled badly, especially in the Premier League.

The Dane has scored just three Premier League goals in 28 appearances, 19 of which have come in the starting XI.

On a brighter note, Hojlund has managed five goals in the Europa League as Manchester United continue their run in Europe, facing Athletic Bilbao over two legs in the semi-finals next month.

That is a pretty dim bright spot, though, and the striker’s future at the club is in doubt after struggling to convince anyone that he is ready to fire the Red Devils back to anything like their former glories.

Shearer feels the experience of being tasked with leading the line at such a young age has caused damage and has ruined Hojlund’s confidence.

‘I’m looking at a damaged player in Hojlund,’ Shearer said on Match of the Day 2. ‘I think he wasn’t ready and isn’t ready to lead the line at a club like Manchester United.

Hojlund scored 10 Premier League goals in his first Man Utd season (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Three Premier League goals, and at the minute I’m seeing a player that doesn’t really want to get in there.

‘He’s perhaps a second too early or a second too late, and his timing is all wrong. I think there’s no doubt he’s (in a) a crisis in confidence.’

The Newcastle legend did defend the struggling forward, saying that the club put him in a very tough position by asking him to do something that he is quite clearly not ready to do.

‘He’s been put into a really difficult situation at a club where unless you’re exceptional, to lead the line for the football club you have to be really talented,’ he said.

Hojlund has continued to be picked regularly by Ruben Amorim (Picture: Getty Images)

‘He’s not at the stage of his career where he should be leading the line. I’m not saying there’s not a good player in there, I think there is a good player in there.

‘But the pressure that’s on him in terms of doing what he can’t do and also the price-tag, he’s not ready to lead the line as yet.’

Hojlund last scored for Manchester United on March 16 in a win at Leicester City and scored for Denmark four days later in a victory over Portugal.

However, that goal for his country on March 20 was the last time he found the back of the net and has continued to look very blunt.

The former Atalanta forward started in the Premier League clash with Wolves at Old Trafford on Sunday, which the visitors won 1-0 to go level on points in the Premier League with the Red Devils.

Ruben Amorim defended his misfiring forward after the loss to Wolves, saying it is more of a team issue than an individual one.

‘I think again it’s a team thing,’ said the manager. ‘Of course, we have an idea of what this team needs but also the guys we play with at least three guys in front, they can score goals. We play with midfielders that can reach and you see it today in the game.

Amorim has few options with Joshua Zirkzee out injured (Picture: Getty Images)

‘All the team needs to score more goals and you have opportunities with the midfielders, with the striker, we need to improve as a team. If you do not score goals in this league it is impossible to win games.

‘I think if you look at the games, we have several players that missed big chances, not just Rasmus. But for Rasmus, the game is to score goals because he is a striker.

‘But it is a team thing. I have already said that. Our team should score more goals, it is not just Rasmus missing chances, it is all the team.

‘The only way I know is to work on him, show him the videos. He needed to score a goal, he will not score if he’s out (of the team). So I try to manage that during games. But he needs to score one, maybe that’s all a striker needs.’