During his playing time, Alan Shearer was a beast. Even though many quality strikers went through the Premier League since he retired in 2006, he still holds the league record with 260 goals (and only Haaland can catch him). Apart from that, the former Newcastle, Blackburn and Southampton striker hold various records like: Most Premier League penalties scored (56), Most Premier League goals in a single match (5), Fewest matches to score 100 Premier League home goals (91 matches) and he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living player by famous Brazilian Pele in 2004. So, when a striker‘s ‘dean‘ speaks, everybody listens. And he doesn‘t have good news for Manchester United fans.Manchester United’s meltdown after Thursday’s miracleThe Red Devils are experiencing the worst season since the Premier League was introduced and one of the reasons for that is certainly the inefficiency in attack and lack of goals. Joshua Zirkzee is not the solution, just like Rasmus Hojlund. After a great season in Atalanta, the young Dane (22) arrived in 2023 and scored 10 goals in his first season. But this year, he found the net only three times and when your price tag is 73 million pounds, that‘s unacceptable.“I’m looking at a damaged player in Hojlund. ‘I think he wasn’t ready and isn’t ready to lead the line at a club like Manchester United. Three Premier League goals, and at the minute I’m seeing a player that doesn’t really want to get in there. He’s perhaps a second too early or a second too late, and his timing is all wrong. I think there’s no doubt he’s suffering from a crisis in confidence“ said Shearer.What can you expect when a defender is your best striker?The pressure just got bigger on Hojlund, not only because he is not scoring and the number of appearance is rising, but because Zirkzee got a season-ending injury so the Dane is the only recognizable striker in the team. But Shearer thinks that he is too young to lead the line in a high-pressure club like Manchester.“He’s been put into a really difficult situation at a club where unless you’re exceptional, to lead the line for the football club you have to be really talented. He’s not at the stage of his career where he should be leading the line. I’m not saying there’s not a good player in there, I think there is a good player in there. But the pressure that’s on him in terms of doing what he can’t do and also the price-tag, he’s not ready to lead the line as yet“ said former Newcastle‘s captain.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 33SaturdayBrentford – Brighton 4-2 (1-1)/Mbuemo 9, 48, Wissa 58, Norgaard 90+5 – Welbeck 45+3, Mitoma 81/Crystal Palace – Bournemouth 0-0Everton – Man.City 0-2 (0-0)/O’Riley 85, Kovacic 90+3/West Ham – Southampton 1-1 (1-0)/Bowen 47 – Ugochukwu 90’+3/Aston Villa – Newcastle 4-1 (1-1)/Watkins 1, Maatsen 64, Burn (og) 73, Onana 75 – Schar 18/SundayFulham – Chelsea 1-2 (1-0)/Iwobi 20 – George 83, Neto 90+3/Ipswich – Arsenal 0-4 (0-2)/Martinelli 28, Trossard 14, 69, Nwaneri 88/Man.Utd. – Wolverhampton 0-1 (0-0)/Sarabia 77/Leicester – Liverpool 0-1 (0-0)/Alexander-Arnold 76/Monday22:00: (2.55) Tottenham (3.50) Nott.Forest (2.85)***odds are subject to change***
