Zirkzee is great on the ball and good linkup play at the front but is he a creative player? Can he read the game and create chances out of will? Genuine question as I have not seen much of him before he joined us
A new elephant knocking on the door: can Bruno, Zirkzee and Højlund play in the same side?
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There's so many points in this post i disagree with, I don't know where to start.
Let me and you this, do you seriously believe it's possible to coach Bruno to be more "disciplined", and what problem this move of pushing him deeper solve exactly?
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The ‘can ya guess what it is yet?’ Is over so changing the title.
I’m surprised by the amount of people who think there’s no crossover in the positions of a #10 and #9.5, especially so with an actual striker entering the fray. #9.5’s typically don’t play with #10’s..
Having a proper linkman in attack is huge and something I think would be desired, not least for how it benefits the players orbiting.
I’m surprised by the amount of people who think there’s no crossover in the positions of a #10 and #9.5, especially so with an actual striker entering the fray. #9.5’s typically don’t play with #10’s..
Having a proper linkman in attack is huge and something I think would be desired, not least for how it benefits the players orbiting.
Given the situation we have been for 2 years, currently my answer is whoever is able to play consistently and able to put the ball in the net. At the moment we have maybe Garnacho that fits the description alone, and we are hoping that of other 6 players we have for the front 4, two or three grow as hoped /regain their form.
City are balancing 25 world class players every week yet we're making a fuss about having Bruno, Zirkzee and Hojlund?
Zirkzee would do much better than Bruno as a 10. His link up play is great, and he might form a great partnership with Hojlund.
Bruno won't be dropped though, every manager has that one player that he'd never drop and Bruno is pretty much invincible at this point. ETH would rather play him ahead of Maino, or out wide even, rather than drop him.
I don't know what happened to Bruno. He used to be much more composed in his early days. This high risk high reward approach isn't suitable to the premier league. I don't know if he has in him to change at that age, he's certainly a top professional and works his socks off for the team, but he's killing us at the moment.
Bruno won't be dropped though, every manager has that one player that he'd never drop and Bruno is pretty much invincible at this point. ETH would rather play him ahead of Maino, or out wide even, rather than drop him.
I don't know what happened to Bruno. He used to be much more composed in his early days. This high risk high reward approach isn't suitable to the premier league. I don't know if he has in him to change at that age, he's certainly a top professional and works his socks off for the team, but he's killing us at the moment.
Don't know why they should? It's a squad game and all of them will get plenty of minutes throughout the season.
Would it be so terrible to not have a terrible bench for once?
Bruno plays obviously. Zirkzee and Højlund can rotate.
Bruno plays obviously. Zirkzee and Højlund can rotate.
Who cares its a squad game
I think with Bruno he started off brilliant when he joined and gradually is getting worse. If TH hadn’t have made him captain he could have dropped him and tried different formations and players. Mount Eriksen McTom and now Zirkzee could have all been tried in his no 10 role.
I agree, think it's Bruno he will need to push out of the team.
Bruno feels a bit like Gerrard for the dippers at this point.
A clearly top player who may not fit a system but is undroppable as captain.
I feel like Bruno always starts off the season terribly but drastically improves as the season goes on, I have no evidence to back that up but just how I seem to remember it
Nobody encroaches on another’s position there; they’re a lot of things, but squad composition is clear and defined. They also have understudies, Zirkzee is not an understudy as he’s right in the middle stylistically.
Probably our best period was when Martial could play both roles at the same time, helped ably by Bruno behind him.
I wonder if we'll ever play something like
- - - - - - - - - - - - - Onana
- - - - - - - De Ligt - Yoro - Martinez
Mazraoui - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dalot
- - - - - - - - - - Ugarte - Mainoo
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bruno
- - - - - - - - - Højlund - Zirkzee
That sort of formation is probably the best way to get both Højlund and Zirkzee on the pitch at the same time. And it also gets our three best CBs in the lineup. However, it leaves little room for players like Rashford and Garnacho. I reckon Amad would be fine in Bruno's position. Finally, I'm not sure if Mazraoui and Dalot are that well-suited to playing as wingbacks.
Most of the season I expect that Højlund and Zirkzee will have to rotate, which is great given Højlund seemed to be playing when he probably shouldn't have been last season.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - Onana
- - - - - - - De Ligt - Yoro - Martinez
Mazraoui - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dalot
- - - - - - - - - - Ugarte - Mainoo
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bruno
- - - - - - - - - Højlund - Zirkzee
That sort of formation is probably the best way to get both Højlund and Zirkzee on the pitch at the same time. And it also gets our three best CBs in the lineup. However, it leaves little room for players like Rashford and Garnacho. I reckon Amad would be fine in Bruno's position. Finally, I'm not sure if Mazraoui and Dalot are that well-suited to playing as wingbacks.
Most of the season I expect that Højlund and Zirkzee will have to rotate, which is great given Højlund seemed to be playing when he probably shouldn't have been last season.
You can't be serious about leaving Amad out. He has been our best player all season.This line up is too defensine and offers nothing on the wings. Dalot is no left back
Onana
Mazraou- - -De Ligt -- Yoro/Martinez --Shaw
- - - - - - - - - - Ugarte - Mainoo
- - - - - - - - - - - -Zirkzee/Eriksen
Amad - - - - - - Højlund -------- Garnacho/Rashford
United fans certainly have forgotten what it's like to have actual squad depth.
That formation gets Hojlund and Zirkzee into the side, but it sacrifices our width, which is arguably one of our strengths with Amad, Garnacho and Rashford being handy in those areas.
I'd personally rotate them. Start with Zirkzee to brings others around him into the game, and then bring Hojlund on if we're trying to be more direct, or vice versa. This is under the assumption that Bruno never gets dropped, which...is a very likely scenario.
Yeah. I doubt we'll ever see Hojlund and Zirkzee play together as a front 2, maybe the odd time Zirkzee will be out wide on tbe left next to him if Garnacho and Rashford are injured or out of form.
Take it easy. I'm not saying it's our ideal lineup at all, and as I mentioned, I'm not sure Mazraoui and Dalot are well-suited to being wingbacks. I'm just wondering whether we'd see something like it when playing both Zirkzee and Højlund, as I think that's what would suit them best if they're both on the pitch. It allows Zirkzee to drop deep without us abandoning the middle of the final third entirely as Højlund would move into the space that opens up when Zirkzee drifts.
3-5-2 doesn't have to be defensive at all, but it demands a lot of your wingbacks in terms of contributing offensively. You might also flip the midfield so it's a 6 and two 8s with some freedom to attack.
And in our case it means our wide players are a bit difficult to get into the lineup.
Just the 4500th iteration of "we'd be so much more good in attack when we stuff as many attackers as possible into the lineup" . It is as if people aren't watching football. Back in the day, I think the FIFA games played into that sort of thinking but not sure if that still is the case.
If you play it correctly you don't sacrifice width as your wingbacks basically don't have to concern themselves with anything but width. But it demands a lot of them, and I'm not sure ours are up to it. For us, it also gets players in wide areas who aren't looking to finish themselves all the time, which should help the central players. But yeah, I don't expect to see us lineup like that more than one or twice in fairly meaningless or meaningless parts of games.
Maybe it's actually also the way to get Bruno and Mount in the same lineup given there's an extra central defender, but then you'd play with two 8s instead of the 10 and two 6s/8s. Anyway.
The elephant in the room is that there's no need for a 10 like Bruno when your forward line has players like Zirkzee and Amad.
The problem with us is that Bruno and Rashford pretty much starts when healthy even if they’re stinking it up. What’s the point of having options available when we are basically having all the options competing for that single spot in the starting lineup.
Zirkzee will start with Hojlund on the bench (getting his chances in the cup).We will probably throw both on, with Bruno moving to a more conventional midfield position, if we really need a goal.
Which means Bruno needs to start scoring and creating more, I actually think Bruno better as an 8 than a 10, I’d like to see Ugarte, Bruno and Zirkzee with Kobbie given a rest for a few games and Hojlund play 15 yards further forward than Zirkzee and Amad. With Garnaucho or Rashford high and wide on the left.
This is like asking SAF whether Ole, Teddy, Andy and Dwight can all play in the same side. Yes, but not all at the same time.
4-4-2 baby!!
Now with Ugarte, think both Bruno and Casemiro should be tried out as an 8 in alternative set ups. Case without so much defensive responsibility could really energize our attack. I insist he’s one of our best, if not thee best general offensive threat we have when he’s on tune. That pass yesterday for Garnacho’s goal was world class and not all that unusual from Casemiro on the attack.
We will probably see the 4222 at times. Ugarte/Mainoo; Amad/Bruno; Zirkzee/Hojlund.
The way I see it, if Zirkzee is a success, there is two players here who is at risk; Hojlund and Amad. I think Mount could displace Amad and I think Garnacho or even Rashford could be an option for Hojlund.
If only United could have the luxury of having the trio (Hojlund, Zirkzee and Bruno) fit at the same time every week.
Until that happens it’s not worth debating.
Until that happens it’s not worth debating.
Right now I think it's difficult to pick an eleven that utilizes all of our players in the manner that suits them the most.
Bruno and Mount both offer good qualities, but it's difficult to have a setup that puts both of them on the field together. I think Zirkzee and Hojlund would compliment each other well, but again, it's going to be difficult to put them on the field together without disrupting things elsewhere.
One option is to drop Bruno deeper, but the unfortunate thing about that is that it would likely force Mainoo off the field, which is a tough choice because at his tender age he's already our best player on the ball.
This is what I would try, once everyone is fit; my reasoning is that it might not be the worst thing in the world to manage Mainoo's playing time at this point:
..................................Hojlund...................................
..................................................................................
Rashford...................Zirkzee.........................Mount
..................................................................................
..................................................................................
...................Ugarte..................Bruno........................
..................................................................................
..................................................................................
Shaw.................................................................Dalot
..................Martinez...........de Ligt............................
...................................................................................
...................................................................................
....................................Onana....................................
With this setup, I think that Bruno can play in a manner that won't leave us as exposed, you get the pressing from Mount, who can wind up straying more centrally because Dalot can provide the width we need moving forward. Zirkzee has already demonstrated that he is an asset dropping deeper and being a facilitator, and might be the perfect complement to Hojlund because of it.
Bruno and Mount both offer good qualities, but it's difficult to have a setup that puts both of them on the field together. I think Zirkzee and Hojlund would compliment each other well, but again, it's going to be difficult to put them on the field together without disrupting things elsewhere.
One option is to drop Bruno deeper, but the unfortunate thing about that is that it would likely force Mainoo off the field, which is a tough choice because at his tender age he's already our best player on the ball.
This is what I would try, once everyone is fit; my reasoning is that it might not be the worst thing in the world to manage Mainoo's playing time at this point:
..................................Hojlund...................................
..................................................................................
Rashford...................Zirkzee.........................Mount
..................................................................................
..................................................................................
...................Ugarte..................Bruno........................
..................................................................................
..................................................................................
Shaw.................................................................Dalot
..................Martinez...........de Ligt............................
...................................................................................
...................................................................................
....................................Onana....................................
With this setup, I think that Bruno can play in a manner that won't leave us as exposed, you get the pressing from Mount, who can wind up straying more centrally because Dalot can provide the width we need moving forward. Zirkzee has already demonstrated that he is an asset dropping deeper and being a facilitator, and might be the perfect complement to Hojlund because of it.
87% pass completion, 1 assist for the all important first goal.
How was he Southampton’s best player again @Borys?
I thought it was obvious that Hojlund and Zirkzee wouldnt be able to play together much.
He was world class in the FA Cup Final.
The state of this place sometimes... Bruno has been our best player for 5 seasons and people talking about Zirkzee taking over after 3 average performances..
This.
Likewise, having Ole, Teddy, Cole and Yorke for two spots was not the elephant in the room. Nor was (insert any multitude of examples).
If anything we're one short, because Mount is a bit shit. With 50-60 games a season, and five subs to play with, I'd like a fourth option. Maybe Amad could play as a #10, but unless Antony has a transformation then Amad will be needed on the RW alot.
One injury and we suddenly have no #9 or #10 on the bench...when games start coming twice a week, that will end up hurting us.
Zirkzee has come in as a cheapish squad player and is competing with other two for a starting spot so I don't see it as an issue really
if he displaces either of them it means he's done well and deserves to start, which is great for the team
if he displaces either of them it means he's done well and deserves to start, which is great for the team
Mystery solved too quickly!Simple: Southampton had a Fernandes playing too.
Name of Mateus.
He wasn't Soton best player, I forgot about the kid who grilled Dalot until we got the goal. Then, they gave up what made it really easy for us. They did nothing after that, and in our team I remember Bruno miscontrolling the ball/ dispossessed a few times.
It's just his contribution to the team is a bit overrated now. But there's definitely an aura around him, even if he makes one thing right, it just counts. It's funny both him and Amad ended up with the same number of goal contribution yesterday, one creating chances constantly and the other having a stinker.
Agree. Legs are temporary, class is permanent. Same goes for Eriksen, except Case has the strength and aerial presence at both ends of the pitch going for him.