Ruben Amorim has urged Rasmus Hojlund not to become ‘frustrated’ after failing to score in Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Leicester City in the FA Cup on Friday night.
United came from a goal down at Old Trafford were rescued by a late header from Harry Maguire, who was offside, in order to secure their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Hojlund, meanwhile, started in attack but endured another difficult game as he failed to register a shot on target.
The Denmark international, who was signed in a £72 million deal from Atalanta in 2023, has not found the net in his last 14 appearances for United.
But Amorim insists the striker needs to remain ‘calm’ during his tricky period leading United’s attack.
‘I think it’s a good thing. I will not say one word bad about this type of behaviour,’ Amorim said when asked about his exchange with Hojlund during the second half of United’s win over Leicester.
‘He needs to understand that sometimes he has to do a job without touching the ball.
‘He cannot get so frustrated because in the next play, maybe he will have a situation near the goal. So he has to be calm.
‘But this is a character, and if you know so many players from that kind of character that he has from that country, they always want more. They want to score, they feel the critics.
‘So, it’s a good thing, but he will improve. And a striker needs a very good team to deliver very good balls for him, and we are not helping our strikers at moment.’
Alejandro Garnacho was brought on as a substitute at half time and was United’s brightest spark following a dismal opening 45 minutes against Leicester.
Asked how impressed he has been with Garnacho’s reaction after dropping him for United’s 2-1 win against Manchester City in December, Amorim said: ‘He doesn’t need a big change. We are talking about like the standards.
‘It’s just to train well, to receive the information, to understand that we want to help them. We want to play in the different system
‘But it’s not complicated. So, he changed everything. He trains really well. He stayed on the bench like five games in a row. Every time he came on the pitch, it was a different guy, receiving the information and playing.
‘So it’s simple things, it’s not a big thing. It’s just, I’m really happy and you can see it. I think he’s improving.’