Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has shifted the blame away from strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee for a lack of goals this season, placing some of the “responsibility” for the pair's struggles on himself and others across the team.
Hojlund has scored just once in his last 14 Premier League appearances. For Zirkzee, his brace against Everton on December 1 has been his only goalscoring appearance in the competition since a heroic debut in August. Between them, they have five league goals in a combined 41 games.
United's winning goal against Fulham on Sunday was scored by Martinezwho is beginning to flourish in an attacking sense due to Ruben Amorim's system giving him the freedom to get forward.
But the Argentine has accepted United Midfielders, wings and defenders need to be better than their attackers, although it can't be a one-way street either.
“Absolutely, we take responsibility. I think we played a lot of long balls for him (Hojlund and Zirkzee), and it's certainly difficult for them, especially because they fight against two center turns. Really difficult,” said Martinez to reporters.
“(Hojlund and Zirkzee) have to do better as well. They're really good players, but I think we have to keep (doing) more, and put them in better spaces on the court. We have to find them in the right places, dangerous places, to make them score “.
Hojlund has fared much better in European competition this season, scoring five in seven Europa League appearances. It was a similar pattern for the Dane in Europe last season, netting five times in the Champions League before netting once in Premier League.
Hojlund scored 16 times in all competitions for United in 2023/24, while Zirkzee bagged 12 – as well as seven assists – for former club Bologna in Serie A and the Coppa Italia.