Sunday’s Manchester derby finished in a goalless draw at Old Trafford as Manchester United generated more chances than their rowdy neighbors but were unable to take advantage of them.

Only two of the 13 shots the home team had compared to City’s nine were on goal, underscoring the lack of offensive flair that has impeded progress under Ruben Amorim.

Alejandro Garnacho and Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu made dubious decisions in the final third, forcing the Argentine to start every game now that Antony and Marcus Rashford are out of the team and Amad is still injured.

Rasmus Hojlund, who started the game after substituting in the previous Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, was once again the biggest letdown.

Another dull Hojlund performanceAnd once more, the 22-year-old appeared to be far behind the pace, finding it difficult to maintain possession of the ball under duress and providing little offensive danger in forward areas.

The former Atalanta star attempted zero dribbles and had zero shots. According to sofascore’s statistics, he failed to attempt a single long ball, cross, or vital pass.

Even his passing was poor; in 71 minutes, he only completed seven of nine passes and had only 15 touches of the ball, whereas Joshua Zirkzee, his replacement, appeared far more dangerous in the 19 minutes he spent on the field.

The Denmark international lost possession four times and only won one of four duels. The only thing Hojlund does, as past club legends have noted, is back into opposing defenders rather than attempting to outsmart or overtake them.

Nevertheless, Amorim has been forced to continue playing the Danish star despite his lack of confidence due to INEOS’s inability to sign a forward in January. Zirkzee is more of a link-up player than a striker.

Not prepared to take the leadHowever, Hojlund’s second season shows that he is not yet ready to take charge of the line by himself, and the Red Devils need to have recruited a more seasoned striker to mentor him.

Rather, Hojlund has been forced to participate in nearly every game, which has been more detrimental than beneficial. Amorim needs to progress quickly despite his youth and promise because he does not have the luxury of time.

As a result, there are several stories suggesting that Amorim wants the United No. 9 to go once the window opens, leaving his future uncertain.

Instead of depending solely on young players, INEOS needs to bring in a seasoned and brutal finisher like Victor Osimhen or Viktor Gyokeres.