January 26th 2025.
Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand didn't hold back in his criticism of Rasmus Hojlund's performance in their much-needed Premier League win against Fulham. It wasn't the most impressive display from either team at Craven Cottage, but United managed to secure a 1-0 victory thanks to Lisandro Martinez's deflected goal in the 78th minute.
The Red Devils have been struggling in the Premier League recently, but they were able to pick up two wins this week, including a 2-1 victory over Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday. However, it was clear that not all of the players were at their best during the game against Fulham, and Ferdinand was particularly frustrated with Hojlund's lackluster performance. The Danish striker, who was signed from Atalanta for a hefty fee in 2023, has only managed to score two league goals this season.
During the match, TNT Sports presenter Lynsey Hipgrave informed Ferdinand that Hojlund had been dispossessed ten times in the first half alone. Ferdinand's response was scathing: "That says it all. I wouldn't be surprised if he was getting a few fingers pointed at him in the changing room at halftime." He went on to criticize Hojlund's inability to hold the ball and his slow decision-making, as well as the high number of turnovers he had during the game.
Ferdinand also pointed out that United struggled to move the ball forward when their No. 9 wasn't able to hold it up. Most of their possession was with the three center-backs, and whenever there was pressure, they would turn the ball over. It was a frustrating performance for Ferdinand, especially considering the team's recent struggles and the importance of this win for their confidence.
Last week, United's manager Ruben Amorim made headlines when he said that his team was possibly the worst in the club's 147-year history after their humbling 3-1 defeat to Brighton. While his comments were met with criticism, the team responded by beating Rangers in the Europa League and now Fulham in the Premier League.
After the win against Fulham, Amorim admitted that there hasn't been a significant improvement in the team's performance, but winning is always a boost. "That feeling of winning and getting three points is really important for us," he told BBC Sport. "We can't see a great improvement in the team right now, but this win will help us to improve. We've had some bad luck in previous games, but today we managed to get the win."
Amorim also expressed his frustration with the team's style of play, stating that he has a clear idea of what he wants to do, but sometimes it's frustrating when they can't execute it. He promised that they will continue to work on playing a different style in the future.
The win against Fulham pushed Manchester United up to 12th place in the Premier League, while Fulham remains in 10th. Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, was understandably disappointed with the result, stating that his team deserved more from the game. He felt that they dominated for the majority of the match and had several good chances to score, but unfortunately, they were unable to capitalize. Silva also acknowledged that United's goal was a lucky deflection and that they were the better team in the second half.
Silva stressed the importance of being clinical in their attacking play, especially at their current level. He hopes that in their next game, their attacking players will be more successful. Overall, it was a frustrating night for Fulham, and Silva knows that they will need to improve if they want to continue to compete at this level.
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