Rasmus Hojlund has expressed his frustration with Manchester United's hectic training schedule despite his heroic double securing a win against Viktoria Plzen.
The Danish striker, who came on as a substitute in Czechia to net two goals, bringing his tally to five under new manager Ruben Amorim, helped the team edge closer to Europa League progression.
Although it was a successful outing for Hojlund and the squad, he voiced concerns post-match to MUTV: "We still need more time. It's still very early days. It's about getting our routines together and its getting there."
He added, "But it still needs practice and time. I know it sounds odd, but we don't get enough time on the training ground, so we have to train it during the matches. But it's getting better and better."
His comments reflect a wider issue that manager Amorim is aware of, as he pushes for quick qualification to lighten their fixture load, noting, "We are improving in some details. We control really well the transitions and we are aggressive when we lose the ball."
The Man Utd manager emphasised the importance of positional play and keeping the ball close to the opposition's goal, as opposed to just focusing on transitions. He was pleased with the win as it helps to prepare for the next game, noting its significance for the team.
"We need time to work on the possession, this team needs to spend a lot of time near the opponent's goal and not just in transition. So we are trying to work on that but it's good to win, to prepare the next game. It's really important for us."
Regarding fans' input on the man-of-the-match choice, he added: "We know that we need to win one game and they fought until the end. That was important. I think we deserved the win."
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The manager acknowledged it wasn't their best performance but highlighted their determination: "We didn't play very well but we fought and we managed not to give up. That was a key point for me and we are in a good place in the table. It's really important we take those two [potential play-off] games from our schedule, to find time to work."
Despite the post-game tension between Hojlund and Amad over a missed hat-trick opportunity, the manager downplayed any worries about long-term conflict.
Fans are eager to see if Hojlund can continue his impressive run in the upcoming clash against Manchester City.
