Man Utd duo causing team-mate ‘massive issue’ in Ten Hag’s ‘cobbled together’ side – Sutton
Manchester United duo Alejandro Garnacho and Antony are hindering Rasmus Hojlund’s attempts to score goals, according to former Premier League striker Chris Sutton.
Hojlund signed for the Red Devils in the summer transfer window from Serie A side Atalanta with the Premier League club paying the Italian outfit £72m for his services.
The Denmark international made his mark in the Champions League, before Man Utd were knocked out on Tuesday night, with five goals in six matches.
However, he is yet to register a goal in the Premier League since his summer move and fingers have been pointed at his team-mates for failing to provide him with enough opportunities.
And Sutton has criticised wingers Garnacho and Antony – who only have one Premier League assist between this term – with the former Blackburn Rovers and Chelsea striker suggesting Hojlund doesn’t have ‘an understanding of how he can score a goal’ at Man Utd.
“If Liverpool have a bit of a vulnerability, I think it is defensively,” Sutton said on the It’s All Kicking Off podcast. “Manchester United can only win playing counter-attack. I don’t want to keep going back to Manchester United, but we watched Hojlund the other night. I felt really sorry for him.
“I feel really sorry for him. He looks like a player that are a little bit low on confidence now, but I don’t think that he has an understanding of how he can score a goal at Manchester United because the wide players want the ball for themselves.
“Antony, the other night, never got his head up. Pass, follow, link-up – there aren’t combinations. And that’s a massive issue.
“And then you look at what Liverpool have in their attacking armoury and they are slick, there’s a great understanding, they are dangerous.
“Manchester United’s hope is that they can hang on in the game, defensive rear-guard action and maybe counter.
“A piece of individual brilliance, whether it is Hojlund at center forward with a ball over the top or whether it’s [Alejandro] Garnacho [off the wing].
“I just don’t see it. You look in the midfield, [Sofyan] Amrabat is athletic but he’s not a great technician.
“He’s not a holding midfielder who will get on the half-turn and start off incisive passing moves and patterns of play. He’s not that type of player. [Scott] McTominay’s not particularly slick on the ball, albeit he nicks a goal.
“They are just cobbled together. They are muddled together. They don’t really have an identity. So you’ve asked me how Manchester United can win this game, they can only win this game by being slightly fortunate and hoping Liverpool have an off day.
“They cannot win this game as far as I’m concerned, based on performance.”
