Continuously disappointing for Man Utd, striker Rasmus Hojlund is being compared to the movie character 007 in a satirical way by fans of other teams.

Through the first seven matches played in the Premier League for Man Utd, Hojlund did not score or assist. Therefore, according to Marca newspaper (Spain), the 20-year-old striker is being ridiculed as “007”, adapted from the famous spy character of British cinema.

In three matches against Brentford, Brighton and Crystal Palace, Hojlund’s expected goals (xG) were 0.06, 0.09 and 0.22 respectively. The xG index ranges from 0 to 1, and the higher it is, the greater the chance of scoring.

Including the victory over Fulham in round 11 on November 4, Hojlund has played eight Premier League matches and has not left an impression. Hojlund’s total xG index in these eight matches is 2.73 – meaning he can score at least two goals.

Hojlund was depressed before being replaced in the 79th minute, in Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Fulham in round 11 of the Premier League on November 4, at Craven Cottage. Photo: AMA

The three goals that Hojlund has scored for Man Utd so far are all in the Champions League. He contributed one goal in the 3-4 loss to Bayern and two goals in the 2-3 loss to Galatasaray.

 Before joining Old Trafford, the 20-year-old striker scored five goals in 32 matches for Copenhagen (Denmark), 12 goals in 21 matches for Sturm Graz (Austria) and 10 goals in 34 matches for Atalanta (Italy).

In the summer, Man Utd spent 85 million USD to buy Hojlund from Atalanta. Initially, fans expected the 20-year-old striker to become the new Erling Haaland, due to similarities in style and body shape. 

According to Marca , part of the reason why Hojlund has not been able to explode is because Man Utd does not support him as well as Man City does with Haaland. Not having the ball makes Hojlund isolated in team play.

On the evening of November 8, in the fourth match of Group A Champions League , Man Utd will be a guest at Copenhagen’s field.

 The “Red Devils” are ranked third with three points, five points behind Bayern and one point behind Galatasaray. 

Copenhagen ranked last with one point. If they lose, Man Utd will face the risk of being eliminated right from the group stage.

In the Premier League , Man Utd is currently ranked eighth with 18 points. This position is considered a step back from the third place at the end of last season.

 However, in the last four matches, they gradually showed signs of improvement with three wins.