Manchester United took all three points from Craven Cottage, having beat Fulham 1-0.
Lisandro Martinez’s goal in the second half was enough, despite a poor performance overall from the Red Devils.
United’s inability to create chances of a high quality and defend high up the pitch was evident yet again.
A theme that has long been present at the club for a number of years.
Rasmus Hojlund came under scrutiny from Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand after a subdued performance.
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The Danish striker, 21, struggled to impact the game during a challenging first half, where United found it difficult to gain control.
Hojlund was substituted just before the hour mark for Joshua Zirkzee, and Ferdinand didn’t hold back during his analysis on TNT Sports at halftime.
“I’d be surprised if he [Hojlund] is not getting a few fingers pointed at him in the dressing room,” Ferdinand remarked.
“He’s so loose in these situations, the amount of turnovers he’s had today.
“He’s got to make the run earlier. Slack and loose in possession, giving it away.
“That bit of awareness, lay someone off.
“Man United, most of their possession has been the three centre-backs.”
Hojlund, who joined United in a £72 million deal from Atalanta in the summer of 2023, has yet to consistently deliver on his hefty price tag.
Despite ending the 2023-24 season on a strong note, the striker has struggled this term, scoring just twice in the Premier League.
However, he has fared better in the Europa League, with five goals in seven appearances.
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After the match, head coach Ruben Amorim defended Hojlund, attributing his struggles to a lack of training time due to the packed schedule.
“He wants really, really hard,” Amorim said in his post-match press conference.
“Then you can see it that sometimes without training, there is a disconnection.
Without training, sometimes he goes away when he should be near, sometimes goes near when he should make a run.
“We don’t have time to create that connection.
We don’t train these kinds of things; we just talk about them. And of course, he has a lot to improve, like the teammates.
Sometimes you have a good game, and other days you can have a not good performance.”
Hojlund’s struggles, coupled with United’s usual inconsistencies, have brought scrutiny on the attacking line.
Both he and fellow forward Zirkzee will need to find form quickly as United continue to search for consistency in their Premier League campaign.
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