Manchester United legend Gary Pallister has drawn parallels between Rasmus Hojlund’s current goal-scoring difficulties and those faced by a young Andy Cole before he established himself as an Old Trafford icon. Hojlund joined United under immense pressure, transferring from Atalanta for £72 million amid a notable lack of competition.
In his inaugural season, the Denmark international emerged as the club’s leading scorer, tallying 16 goals across all competitions. However, his performance has declined this season, with only seven goals in 38 matches, including a mere two in the Premier League, and he has gone 21 consecutive games without scoring. This struggle in front of goal has adversely affected the confidence of the United No. 9, making him hesitant to take shots when opportunities arise.
This issue became particularly evident during the Red Devils’ pursuit of a second goal in their 1-1 draw against Arsenal earlier this month. Following a defensive error by the Gunners, the ball fell perfectly for Hojlund, but his moment of indecision allowed Declan Rice to execute a flawless challenge and thwart his attempt.
In that instance, Pallister, who celebrated 15 trophies during his nine-year tenure at Old Trafford, recognized echoes of Cole’s early challenges after his transfer from Newcastle United for a then-record £7 million in January 1995.
“He seemed to kind of freeze. Like, ‘Oh my God, that chance has come to me’,” Pallister told Express Sport with Spaceport Sweden.
“His touch wasn’t the greatest and his awareness wasn’t there, and that allowed the time for Declan Rice to make the tackle. But yeah, I’m sure when you go that amount of games without scoring goals…
“I mean, I’ve seen it happen to Coley [Andy Cole] when he first came. He missed a few chances, and then you see it eating away at him, and he starts overthinking things.
“And it took him a little bit of time before he really settled at Man United.”
Despite Hojlund’s current woes, Pallister has backed the starlet striker to come good like Cole, who went on to score 121 goals for the club, having been wowed by his attitude and work ethic.
He continued: “Listen, I love the kid’s attitude. You can’t knock him for his attitude, his willingness to run, his willingness to work, his willingness to be physical.
“But he’s got to add a little bit more to his game, I would think, if he’s going to succeed at Manchester United.
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