Amorim must bench Hojlund to unleash the “genius” in his new role

And it all comes down to this. A pivotal game that not only defines the season, but also defines the future of Manchester United.

With their victory in the Europa League Finals, United will sneak into the Champions League next year, providing additional funding and additional negotiation tools for future transfer negotiations.

It also provides a welcome boost for the early Reuben Amorim administration. This is the moment when he begins his largely miserable tenure on the Premier League front.

The Portuguese coach has repeatedly said that winning the competition isn’t enough to “save” the club’s season, but it could potentially be 17th in the table.

In fact, the Red Devils simply need to win. The problem is that the same applies to Tottenham Hotspur while it needs to end 17 years of barren running with regard to silverware.

With so many things in a large game, Amorim and Co can’t afford passengers – certain Rasmus Hojlund looks like it is now.

Rasmus Hozilund’s number of games and Chelsea

Ange Postecoglou made the decision on Friday to leave his key man to Aston Villa – along with Mickey Van de Venn among those left behind from the matchday team at Villa Park – Amorim chose a different approach at Chelsea.

The worry for the former sports CP boss was that despite the encouraging opening where Harry Maguire saw a great finish choke for offside, the Red Devils still failed to provide its cutting edge in the final third.

Of what a consecutive eighth league match was without a victory on the Old Trafford side, it was unlikely that Amado Diallo came closest in an angled effort.

Meanwhile, for Hojlund, this season represents yet another game, with him not even able to register a shot on the top flight.

Certainly, the struggling Dane lost the ball from 13 times, 26 touches to 13 times, recording 65% passing accuracy, and did not complete a single successful dribble, according to Sofa Scole.

The specific issue remains the 22-year-old’s desire to engage in unnecessary fights with opposition centre-backs, as he ultimately wins only two of his total 11 duels and gets almost a change from Tosin Adarabioyo and Levicorwill.

Amorim later described the former Atalanta man as “really happy,” but perhaps the Portuguese were just trying to raise a misfire marksman in the absence of obvious alternatives through the middle.

Certainly, even if it’s a risk to such a critical game, it may be time to actually consider replacing Hojlund with a wildcard solution…

How Man Utd replaces Hojlund

With just 10 goals in his name in 2024/25 and just four of the top flights, Hozilund is nearing the end of a disastrous second season in Manchester, failing to build in the debut campaign where he finished as the club’s highest scorer in all competitions.

These disasters ensured that despite limited options due to Joshua Zilky’s recent injury, it was worth considering a potential central replacement for a Wednesday night crash.

The Dutch is portrayed in training alongside Renee Yolo and Diogo Darott, but it has yet to be seen whether he will rush back to action tonight.

One solution is to try Cobbie Mineau in that role again, following the surprising start as a striker against Crystal Palace in February, despite the fact that the youngster failed to “fade after the first 15 minutes” as journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Maguire should be the last resort of the game’s dying embers, which the British need to hold defensively amid concerns like Matthijs de Ligt.

With that in mind, Amorim should instead seek the mischief skipper Bruno Fernandez.

The Portuguese star previously played in its central berth in the past, working in parallel with Scott McTominai as part of the Front 2 in the FA Cup final at Manchester City last year.

As welcomed by Erik Ten Hag, a player of valuable versatility and quality, playmaking “genius” appears to thrive wherever he is unfolding.

Meanwhile, Fernandez could be adjacent to two bersers, Alejandro Garnacho, Amado and Mason Mount, and its fluid frontline could cause problems for the Spurs’ side, who have endured the term.

An additional advantage of that switch is the ability to drop deep and drag things like Van de Ben and Christian Romero along with him.

As athletic Jay Harris points out, “Van de Ben and Romero are in Start XI, and the Spurs can play thrilling football and compete for trophies. Without them, they look mediocre.”

Trying to pair the centre-back better can give the two men more things to think about, rather than being content with Fernandez dealing with the unfortunate Hozilund.

Yes, that’s a bold call to make such a switch to the final, but since his performance at Stamford Bridge was last time, Hojlund cannot guarantee a start simply because he has no choice.