Man Utd were beaten by Arsenal on Sunday but it was a promising debut for £72million striker Rasmus Hojlund at the Emirates.
Erik ten Hag felt two words would do the job. In a press conference dominated by discussion around Rasmus Hojlund ahead of his Manchester United debut, Ten Hag was asked about the mentality of the 20-year-old about to pull on one of the heaviest shirts in world football.
Anything else? "He is brave, he has belief and the rest will come." It was a fascinating answer about a player United acknowledge as a rough diamond that Ten Hag will need to polish.Unfortunately, a £72million price tag and an expectation he will score goals for the club mean that will happen in the public eye. Hojlund won't get the chance to fine-tune his craft in a quiet and calm environment.
He also praised Hojlund's "personality" as a reason why that lack of experience isn't a concern and after just over half an hour at the Emirates there was evidence of what he meant. He has possibly done enough to earn a start against Brighton now, especially if his match fitness develops with action for Denmark in the international break. A battle between Hojlund and Evan Ferguson would be fascinating to see, two young, raw strikers with the physical and technical gifts to take them far.
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