Antony is yet to score or assist this season (Photo: Getty)
Manchester United stars Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are to blame for Rasmus Hojlund’s poor form, according to Rene Meulensteen.
Hojlund moved to Old Trafford last summer in a deal worth £72million and though he has shown flashes of great potential, he’s hardly been the solution to United’s striker problem.
Though the Dane has scored five goals in six Champions League appearances, he is yet to find the back of the net or record an assist in the Premier League.
Moreover, performances have been lacking of late, with Hojlund failing to register a single touch in Bayern Munich’s penalty area on Tuesday night as United lost 1-0 and crashed out of Europe.
Though the 20-year-old has been earmarked as one for the future, there is incredible pressure on him to deliver straight away, especially with the rest of the forward line struggling to score or create.
But former United assistant manager Meulensteen believes the youngster cannot be held entirely responsibly for his struggles, instead his teammates must share some of the blame.
‘I thought he [Hojlund] was way short [against Bayern]. Against those defenders, he never got a kick,’ Meulensteen told talkSPORT.
Alejandro Garnacho has created just one assist in 17 games this season (Photo: Getty)
‘But the problem is he is flanked by two individual players [Antony and Garnacho] who have no intention to give him any kind of service because they want to create things for themselves and not help any striker.
‘So there’s an imbalance, and that imbalance is going forward but also going back in terms of the defensive shape which we’ve seen in so many games.’
Antony is get to register a goal involvement this season, while Garnacho has three goals and an assist, though in their defence the rest of United’s forwards – like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial – haven’t done much better.
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Hojlund’s plight is made worse by the fact that Erik ten Hag’s top striker target last summer was Harry Kane, who instead joined Bayern for only £10m more and has since registered 22 goals and eight assists in 20 appearances.
‘The Glazers have backed the managers with money but have they backed them with the players the managers want?’ Meulensteen added.
‘Everybody knows that if United had got Harry Kane he brings 25 to 30 goals into your team. Simple.’
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