Manchester United put in a gutsy performance to come from behind to beat Hong Kong 3-1 on Friday afternoon.
In a performance that would have surely delighted their fans in Hong Kong, Man United put on a forceful attacking display, keeping the hosts on the back foot for the vast majority of the match.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all positive for Ruben Amorim’s side, who did show some signs of struggle in what was otherwise a fine performance.
1. There is no end to Rasmus Hojlund’s incompetence
While he suffered a dismal season, Hojlund has proved just as ineffective when coming up against weaker opposition in the post-season. Not only was he poor against the ASEAN All Stars, but he struggled to make any impact up front against Hong Kong.
One glaring moment of embarrassment came when a Bruno Fernandes shot was blocked by the goalkeeper, with the rebound falling to Hojlund. Despite being in the perfect position to score a sitter, Hojlund missed the follow-up completely, allowing the ball to travel behind him. While Jayden Kamason compensated with a solid strike from further out, his shot was cleared off the line. When an 18 year old with no senior competitive experience is more clinical on the attack, it becomes crystal clear that Hojlund is nowhere near the standard of striker that United require.
2. Chido Obi has a bright future
Although Hojlund’s performance was poor, on the flip side, United have a solid alternative. Coming off the bench at half-time, Chido Obi put in a lethal performance, pulling United level just five minutes after the break. The youngster showed great finesse to swerve past his marker and score with a surgical left-footed strike. That wasn’t the end of his brilliant performance, however. Obi’s heading was also on point as he put away a fine cross from Mason Mount to score his second goal of the evening.
3. United’s attack is not clinical enough
While United dominated the match, they continued a worrying trend that has persisted throughout recent months. Despite dominating the match in terms of possession and shots, United struggled to make their control count, with Hong Kong leading 1-0 at half-time by scoring with their only shot of the match so far. While United eventually came back to secure a comfortable win, it is worrying to see Amorim’s team constantly on the back foot, clawing their way back from behind while also not making the most of their many shots.
After all, they took a whopping 28 shots while the hosts’ attack was largely non-existent. With that kind of domination, United should have been in firm control of the match from the get-go.
Ultimately, it was a decent performance from United. Still, Amorim will want to iron out some aspects of his team’s performance as they look to prepare themselves for next season.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
