Hojlund or Zirkzee as first choice striker?

Threads like these make me sad and realize how bad we are in terms of coming back to Manutd of old.
We spent >100m on these two players and both are not good enough.
I was hopeful of Hojlund because between both of them he atleast has some pace but it has been pathetic performances over the season.
Zirkzee is a waste as CF. He is more like Berbatov, he is good as link player and would work only if we have prolifics wingers who can score a lot.
May be better to invest in old strikers, strikers out of contract. Anyone would do honestly.
 
dubplate warrior said:
He's scored 2 goals in the premier league this season. The idea that he's a good goalscorer is a complete myth.

I wouldn't be surprised if Zirkzee has more goals than him in the league.
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He's a good finisher. He's not a good goalscorer. And yes there is a different between the two things, because good goalscorers will find a way to score all types of goals and not just simple obvious chances presented to them to finish off.
 
Anyways, I think our best attacking lineup is probably Zirkzee with both Garnacho and Amad running off of him and Bruno at CM. Zirkzee clearly thrives with runners he can play in, so playing Bruno next to him when both want to get on the ball in the pockets of space is a waste.
 
Zirkzee has at least demonstrated that he can be an approximation of what Weghorst provided as a facilitator, and there's obviously a use for that.

Hojlund, outside of converting a pretty finish once every couple of months, basically provides nothing of value against Premier League-level competition.

Zirkzee is the better option until we can buy a legitimate goal scorer, if and when we're ever actually able to do that.
 
This will end up like the 343 thread, it's so abvious who is better at this point, and his name doesn't start with H.
 
Brazilian_Ronaldo_9 said:
If anything, Zirkzee should be given time. He has come to a new league which is more physical and quicker, he is adapting.

He should be given a run of games, get him confident. After all, he did sit Saliba on his backside with his dribbling.
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Finally. They are being compared 1:1 and it's a logical fallacy from the outset. They are not like for like; one is new to the league and had no preseason and the other has been here for over a season and is more than adjusted to the league, which is why he's having the stress of a point of realisation.
 
I’d rather play Maguire upfront at the moment than Hojlund.
 
The issue with Zirkzee is that he is slow. And not, adjusting to the league slow, he is just slow. Several times against Southhamptons defenders he would dribble past and then they would just catch him by basically jogging.
I see him as possibly very useful in one if the 10s or if we want all our goals to come from our 10s and wingbacks then as a false 9. But he cannot be the main goal threat as he is way to slow and just not clinical at all.
Rasmus needs a load out. Maybe to Dortmund with Rashford.
 
I think Hojlund will ultimately go on to be the better CF. But I'd start whoever looked better most recently, and right now that's Zirkzee.
 
We laugh at Havertz and Nunez on here but either would walk into the Utd team ahead of our pair.
 
It's a tough call - but not for positive reasons. The opposite of a managers 'good problem to have' when rich in options.

I think Hojlund has the higher potential as a goalscoring #9. Zirkzee being a good technical player but more suited to starting from a little deeper.

However, right now, Zirkzee is offering more in the #9 role - mostly a non/low-scoring one, but there's plenty of examples at all levels of a team playing better with a link up man up front who helps get the best out of the other front men. At this moment, Zirkzee is doing that to some extent - whereas Hojlund is pretty much doing nothing.

All that said, it feels like I'm more confident of either looking a bit better when they come off the bench - and poorer when they start. Though I guess that's also probably in keeping with our lack of first half goals as a team that's been going on for a good while now.
 
How on earth did we sanction a transfer for Zirkzee.

You could literally go into the championship and find many big lumps around for a few million and they would offer the same as him.

I literally see nothing redeeming there. Turning 24 this year he should be heading into some prime years.

Only grace excuse maybe getting used to the pace of the premier league.
 
Neither is the most appealing option.

In a game where the team was mostly 5/10, they stood out as below average. Hojlund more so, but we’re splitting hairs on degrees of shit.
 
Red Royal said:
Just have Bruno as a false #9 with Amad Garnacho behind him...
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Bruno or Garna for me. Otherwise I would have liked to see Wheatley given some minutes instead of going out on loan, or even Chido... I also know why it's not a good idea, but part of me wonders if they could be any worse.
 
Hojlund or Zirkzee?
Can we add a wheely bin as a third choice?

I wonder which would win?

.
 
We have to be somewhat fair to both players here. We had one shot on target this game. I cannot recall any dangerous balls or even attempted balls into the box. You are not going to get many goals if the team are like this.
Obviously Rasmus is woefully out of form and his touch is as subtle as a bull in a China shop at present so I think maybe Zirkzee is our best bet up front. I think we have to hope Dorgu (if we get him) hits the ground running and somehow transforms this team with his athletisism etc as we are not getting much width and pace outta of Mazraoui and Dalot.
 
I haven’t watched the reserves for a fair few years, but are there no Elangas or Welbecks coming through? Obviously it’s probably too soon for the young boy Chido but is there no one else that could be brought into the first team squad?
 
It’s horrendous at the moment, it really is. Shockingly bad!

At the moment I’d say Zirkzee can at least hold the ball up sometimes but in terms of actual goal threat i don’t remember a United forward line being so bad. At least LVG had Martial that season in 14/15 where our goal tally was ridiculously low.
 
It's time to try a third choice or something different. They both offered absolutely nothing tonight. They couldn't get on the ball, couldn't hold it when they did get on to it, and they did nothing to really get into positions to receive it. I thought their off the ball work was utter shite. They're too easy to defend against. They don't cause the defenders problems. They also don't create space for others. We have to try something else. Martinez will score another goal before either of these 2 will.
 
It really irks me Zirkzee just standing waiting for the ball to come to him and putting no effort into pressing. Affect the game you big dolt
 
This might be recency bias and I have forgotten how dreadful and lazy Rashford has been before being frozen out, but surely he can't be a worse option than Zirkzee and Hojlund... at least he scores a few goals.

What a disaster these two signings have been. Our attack is non-existent.
 
Zirkzee is much better. He can at least get things moving for us, though his box movement is absolutely hopeless. Hojlund is better than he's showing now, but even a more confident version isn't close to being good enough. Guy needs a loan to an easier league so he can rebuild his confidence and learn how to play as a striker with less pressure. He can't cut it in the prem right now.
 
I prefer Hojlund marginally but do wonder if it's just because his game is easier on the eye. Both are miles off being anywhere near good enough to play for our football club.

I'd keep Hojlund as a back up but for me he's been an incredibly expensive mistake.
 
It's difficult to fathom how we've spent so much for so little. It really isn't hyperbole to say Hojlund and Zirkzee are relegation fodder forwards. I'd love to read the scouting reports on them
 
I mean it should be Zirkzee right now, but they're both fecking shite and there's no point pretending otherwise.

One can't hold the ball up at all, the other one holds the ball up but gives it away with his next touch half the time and neither are a goal threat.
 
I guess I'd rather play Zirkzee, at least while Hojlund is so woefully out of form. Ideally, we wouldn't have given ourselves such a ludicrous selection dilemma.
 
Have we ever had a position where we were stuck with two options this bad?

Howard and Carroll in 2004/05 is the only one I can think of and even they were better than this duo.Taibi and VDG too to be fair.

How about for any outfield positions?
 
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