The Devil's DNA

Hojlund's next steps to evolve - THREAD

Great piece below on Hojlund. Nuanced & insightful. Matches my thoughts from the article I did on him + threads on him since move to Man Utd. Have comments on issues raised & solutions to help him evolve & reach his potential.
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Firstly, point on shooting less is valid. I hyped his shooting efficiency &amp; goals/shot from Atalanta time. He was scoring a goal every 6 shots &amp; only an in-form Osimhen fared better. But that came while shooting less. Trend of high conversion but low volume continues at Man Utd. 

In fact, it can be argued that shooting a lot with avg or slightly above avg conversion rates is probably better than shooting less with high conversion rate. You'd rather be an elite shot-generator than have elite efficiency. In the long run, CFs who shoot a lot score a lot. 

Left-side bias in shooting that @JakeEntwistle  mentions was something I noticed at Atalanta too. And with shot opportunities reducing due to poor creation at Man Utd, both volume &amp; bias issues have become worse - he takes much lesser shots &amp; much more from preferred left-side. 

In a sense, he's gone further into his comfort zones instead of breaking out of them. The ideal development was for him to add variety in shooting &amp; find more ways to generate shots. We rarely see awkward or odd-position or dirty shots from Hojlund - a trait good scorers have. 

So, what are the solutions?

1) Team building: Amorim's ideal 3-4-3 has 1 AM who joins CF like a SS often forming a front 2 &amp; splitting striker runs (like far post &amp; near post). My hope was Rashford could split run-and-finish work with Hojlund, but his exile has hurt this plan. 

Hojlund had this with Lookman, who profiles close to Rashford. Even as AM Lookman would make opposing channel &amp; box runs to Hojlund so that one of them could be the foil to the other at a given time. Rashford was being played RAM before the exile &amp; I think LF-RF split was idea. 

With Rashford's (&amp; maybe Zirkzee's) future in doubt, it would be wise to recruit an off-ball threat SS type profile who can play both AM &amp; CF. Would help Hojlund when both are on pitch &amp; rotate at CF to reduce goal burden. Would compliment Bruno, Amad, Mount &amp; Garnacho too. 

2) Tactical: Team not being able to generate space &amp; enter final 3rd with patience has been a long-standing issue. Service &amp; more importantly right type of service impacts CF the most. As we progress as a team &amp; work more on final 3rd, that should improve
https://x.com/TheDevilsDNA/status/1870514371371380758

3) Coaching: Hojlund's ability to generate shots can improve. Some potentia areas:
- Right foot usage
- Shots from non comfort zone positions (RHS, distance)
- Use of (his good) carrying to create separation for shot
- Aerial threat (Hojlund's run-and-jump timing can be better) 

Overall, I still stand by the idea that Hojlund can become an elite CF at his peak. His physical &amp; technical profile enables him to be a good mover &amp; efficient shooter. If he can scale up his shot numbers as United improve under Amorim, he can enjoy a great peak. That's the hope 

Dropping the articles from which the screenshots were taken. First up, my Hojlund article covering his Atalanta days.
https://thedevilsdna.com/?p=273893

My Amorim system article on how Hojlund-Rashford could have worked &amp; still holds vaid for a Rashford-type to play at AM.
https://thedevilsdna.com/?p=274244

This excellent piece by @rwohan on shooting and what the data says about conversion and volume of shots. The rest of the piece is great too.
https://www.espn.in/football/insider/story/_/id/39363984/why-liverpool-darwin-nunez-premier-league-best-players

3 reasons Manchester United are showing improved fitness levels & game control

So far under Amorim, we've seen an energetic team that's able to stick to their gameplan while controlling games. This was a big reason we kept knocking on City's door to earn the win. How? 
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1. Data-driven rotation

Amorim is using data coupled with a hard stance on 'fit to play' to rotate &amp; use subs. Amorim &amp; the players have revealed that there were pre-decided minute thresholds set for many games, which ESPN also confirmed recently.
https://x.com/TheDevilsDNA/status/1865333905332580495?t=OKjfNy-xZQ0lbp7eOHSClA&s=08

This also stems from an approach that prioritizes squad-wide principles over key player reliance. Amorim wants the system &amp; roles to dictate gameplay rather than the core starters, which allows seamless rotation &amp; subs without suffering high quality drop.
https://x.com/TheDevilsDNA/status/1863543776289194450?t=L5Xsh7MXEHCz5XMMmuuXpg&s=08

2. In-possession control

We now aim for large sequences of possession to bait the press or recycle &amp; start over if we don't find the gaps to exploit. We did this vs Arsenal &amp; Man City (more success in latter). Creates better chances &amp; sustainably so.
https://x.com/TheDevilsDNA/status/1708898091930448281?t=FRDZ_AHRIiXr4d77KcvpvQ&s=08

But a big advantage is that it gives players breathers in build up. Notice players making shorter relaxed side-to-side movements in these sequences &amp; focusing on conserving energy for the eventual vertical play. Huge shift from high-tempo vertical mode.
https://x.com/TheDevilsDNA/status/1703811165804200285?t=7CQp_83VAN4dQEbTJ1ZyoA&s=08

3. Out-of-possession compactness

Previous point also extends to defence. With a higher line &amp; less intense press, we have compacted from both ends - balance of timely proactive pressing &amp; an organized block. Big shift from heavy end-to-end running demand
https://x.com/TheDevilsDNA/status/1769408205854249237?t=cEX-Ky7gFac8INeMJsnHIA&s=08

Together all 3 have resulted in 'control' both in terms of tactical (IP, OOP, transitions) &amp; also the physical (controlled intensity till end, better pressing success,  less fitness issues) which was the main issue in previous game model. Amorim's biggest early gain - Control. 

Best example of the in possession control point. We showed patience and composure for more than a minute, probing without going long and making everyone run forward. Went up the pitch as a team and engaged in switch and cross when the window came. 
https://x.com/WestGuardMan/status/1869058975796539641?t=FPeH_uYqGElhRm_IP9negg&s=08