He can’t score a goal

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has criticized Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund following their 5-4 victory over Lyon in the Europa League. Redknapp claimed he would have gone ahead with Harry Maguire up front after the defender bagged the winner in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday, April 17.

After the first leg finished 2-2, the Red Devils had the tie under control when they went 2-0 up in the first half at Old Trafford. But Lyon refused to yield and leveled things up in the second half to force the game into extra time (ET). The two sides scored twice each in ET, leaving the game hanging at 4-4.

Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim had pushed Harry Maguire up front in a desperate attempt to get back in the game after going two goals down in ET. The defender would end up proving decisive by sending a powerful header into the back of the net in the 121st minute to seal his side’s triumph.

After the game, Harry Redknapp aimed a dig at Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund by urging Ruben Amorim to stick with Maguire up front. He told talkSPORT (via United in Focus):

“Do you know what I would do. I’d stick with Harry Maguire up front. I would, I swear. He gets on the end of things, he’s a target. I’d work with him there for the next couple of weeks.

“They haven’t got anybody. The other boy [Hojlund] can’t score a goal. I’d get him on diagonals. I’d get people around him. He’d be like a Crouchy [Peter Crouch] or something. He’s unstoppable in the air. We’ve seen it over the years. I think Maguire could do a job short term.”

After seeing off Lyon, Manchester United will now go head-to-head with Spanish outfit Athletic Bilbao for a spot in the Europa League final.

What next for Manchester United?

After securing a spot in the semifinals of the Europa League, Manchester United will now bring their attention back to the Premier League. They are scheduled to lock horns with Wolverhampton at Old Trafford on Sunday, April 20.

The Red Devils will then go head-to-head with Bournemouth away from home in another top-flight action on Sunday, April 27. They will then face Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their semifinal face-off at San Mames on Thursday, May 1.

Meanwhile, they still have a long way to go in the Premier League, where they currently occupy the 14th position in the table with 38 points after 32 games. They have won just 10 matches in the English top flight so far this term, drawing eight and losing the remaining 14.

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Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi’s brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava