Rasmus Hojlund faced heavy criticism following Denmark’s 2-1 win over Northern Ireland.
It has been a challenging year for most Manchester United players following a turbulent 2024/25 campaign, which saw Ruben Amorim appointed as head coach in November, only for results to worsen in the Premier League, with the Red Devils finishing in 15th place.
United enjoyed a better run of results in Europe before losing the Europa League final to Tottenham in Bilbao. That result means the Red Devils won’t have any European football for the next year at least.
With the season over, there is a chance for members of United’s first team to recharge their batteries before preparations begin for pre-season. The relaxation period has been shortened for those involved in internationals such as Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot.
The Portuguese duo were involved in two Nations League matches as Portugal beat Germany in the semi-finals before beating Spain in the final on penalties.
Meanwhile, the international break brought misery to other United players, who will be looking to bounce back stronger next term.
Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photo by Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Brian Riemer takes blame for Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles against Northern Ireland
Rasmus Hojlund’s poor form carried into the June international break as Denmark beat Northern Ireland 2-1 in a friendly match.
The Danish media laid into Hojlund as he struggled to have an impact on the game, with national newspapers rating his performance below 3/10.
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The underwhelming striker managed just 13 touches in 66 minutes and failed to make a single shot.
After the match, Denmark manager Brian Riemer defended his player, taking responsibility for the poor start to the match.
“I’m super upset for Rasmus,” Riemer said as quoted by Ekstra Bladet. “It was planned that he could have had a nice first half, but when you stand as one 9, and Damsgaard ends up standing out wide, so we suddenly lack a lot of points around Rasmus, he becomes isolated, and then the match ends as it does.
“It’s a bit on my shoulders. I should have been better at fixing it in the first half. It was difficult for him, and it wasn’t what we had hoped for.”
Reimer has taken a similar approach to Ruben Amorim with Hojlund. Rather than publicly criticise the striker, which wouldn’t help his confidence, they’ve chosen to shift the responsibility elsewhere.
Amorim often accused his team of not creating enough chances for Hojlund last season.
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Hojlund’s future, despite the striker saying he is committed to the project at United.
What did Hojlund say about his performance?
Unfortunately, Hojlund has had to deal with lots of criticism since joining United.
It was a big jump moving to Old Trafford from Atalanta at such a young age, with questions now being asked whether the Dane is the right man to lead the line for United.
Hojlund knows the spotlight will be on him more as a United player. Speaking about his own performance against Northern Ireland, he said: “It will always be up for discussion. I have high demands on myself, and I would have liked to have handled some balls a little better than I did.
“Then you can always talk about how someone should have been closer and so on, but generally, I take it on my own shoulders. Now I have played 25 international matches, have a lot of experience and play for one of the world’s biggest clubs, so I also think I have to do better.”