Ruben Amorim spoke the truth about Rasmus Hojlund at Manchester United

Even Ruben Amorim has admitted Rasmus Hojlund is getting worse.

"We talk about this a lot of times, a striker needs to score goals," Amorim stressed at Carrington on Friday. "We try to help him, he’s trying really hard and sometimes he wants some things really bad and he’s worse."

Alan Shearer, a would-be Manchester United No.9 in the Nineties, described Hojlund as "damaged". Damaged goods, perhaps. Two years after investing £72million in Hojlund to make him their long-term No.9, United will be moving for a new No.9 in the summer.

Hojlund has played one game more than last season and has half as many goals. Chido Obi was instructed to warm up as soon as the second half started against Wolves. The only surprise was that he had to wait 25 minutes to get on.

When Hojlund's number was up, he acknowledged the crowd and headed off urgently. His removal elicited sarcastic cheers earlier this season but United matchgoers know from last season that harmony did no harm in the run-in.

So United continue to embark on borderline laps of honour, even in defeat, at Old Trafford. Thousands stay but thousands have also long since left.

Three months ago, Amorim summoned Joshua Zirkzee after Hojlund lost an aerial duel against Southampton. Hojlund was wrapped in a tracksuit top on the bench after only 53 minutes.

Most ignominiously, Hojlund was one of five United players branded "not good enough" or "overpaid" by Sir Jim Ratcliffe last month. Hojlund is probably both.

It is not his fault United overestimated him, or settled on a potential striker rather than a proven commodity. A senior figure at United hoped Hojlund would "turn into Wayne". That's Rooney, not John Wayne.

Hojlund is not as quick off the draw as The Duke. He had to cross or