“Perhaps even too much”: Napoli legend pinpoints exactly why Hojlund is struggling in Italy

Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund has had a roller coaster of a time at SSC Napoli during his loan spell so far. Positive start The Dane left United at the end of the transfer window on a loan with an obligation to buy if Napoli qualify for the Champions League next season. Hojlund got off to the perfect start, scoring on his debut versus Fiorentina. He also scored a brace in the Champions League versus Sporting CP and went on a positive mini-run for club and country where he scored six goals in four matches. Nonetheless, his form has tailed off recently, last finding the net for Napoli at the start of October. The Dane also missed a penalty in his side’s recent win over Qarabag in the Champions League. Struggles Speaking to Sky Sport Insider (via areanapoli.it) , former Napoli striker Antonio Careca claimed that “he’s actually just arrived, and patience is needed. I don’t know him personally, but you can sense he’s willing to give it his all.” Despite praising the 22 year old’s efforts on the pitch, Careca feels that this could sometimes be a disadvantage for the Dane. He went on to state that he tries “perhaps even too much, and that sometimes limits him. He has a great left foot, but both in the league and the Champions League, I’ve seen him struggle a bit: he struggled with his control, he showed a bit of nervousness, which is normal at his age.” Ultimately though, the former striker concluded that Hojlund “has a lot of qualities, we need to give him more time.” Similar problems Hojlund’s issues mirror what he often showed at United, a player willing to give it all but he would regularly get too involved in physical battles with opposition centre backs. As a result, he would often struggle to assert himself on the game being played. Rasmus Hojlund stats vs Qarabag MetricValue Goals0 Expected goals (xG)1.29 Assists0 Expected assists (xA)0.06 Total shots4 Expected goals on target (xGOT)0.77 Shots on target1 Shots blocked2 Big chances missed2 Penalties missed1 Distance covered8.4 km Top speed32.4 km/h Number of sprints13 Walking + jogging6.28 km (74.4%) Running1.25 km (14.8%) High-speed running0.65 km (7.7%) Sprinting0.27 km (3.2%) Touches30 Unsuccessful touches2 Dribbles (successful)1 (1) Was fouled1 Possession lost6 Key passes1 Crosses (accurate)1 (0) Accurate passes14/17 (82%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)12/15 (80%) Passes in own half (acc.)1/2 (50%) Tackles (won)2 (1) Interceptions1 Clearances0 Blocked shots0 Ground duels (won)4 (4) Dribbled past0 Source: Sofascore Featured image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images – The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.