[vanrooney]

To compare him with wout . He is technically gifted and connects well with the team. He just has no end product yet. He is not the problem.

 

[FrankWhite]

We need to play through him more often. We seemed hellbent on progressing the ball through Rashford instead. This and the overall lack of urgency was the problem today, I felt.

 

[Litch]

Gifted player that will look shit in how this team is set up. You can play him and Bruno in the same side. Different players that are occupying the same space at times offensively

 

[quadrant]

I worry he's going to be an odd fit for us. He feels like the kind of player you need as a focal point and to choose players that can play off him. But I'm not sure we have the players in the team to complement him. And honestly, he doesn't look so outstanding that we should be buying players with him in mind.

That said I think we can still cycle through a few more formations and team selections to try and unlock his undoubted talent.

 

[Marwood]

I worry he's going to be an odd fit for us. He feels like the kind of player you need as a focal point and to choose players that can play off him. But I'm not sure we have the players in the team to complement him. And honestly, he doesn't look so outstanding that we should be buying players with him in mind.

That said I think we can still cycle through a few more formations and team selections to try and unlock his undoubted talent.

If you don't want a 9 who is a focal point we play off what type of striker would you prefer?

Because if its more of a poacher how would that work in a team that is just poor at creating chances.

 

[mctrials23]

Technically very good but not a proper striker. Looks like he should be a 10. Also very lightweight and reticent to put any force or put himself about at all. Keeps trying to get little pokes and touches when he needs to be far more aggressive. In the right team he would be very good I think. We are not that team at the moment.

 

[youngrell]

Complete opposite to the CP performance. Every pass to him seemed to be either a yard too far in front or just behind him. Not sure if it was his teammates poor passing or he wasn't positioned very well but so disjointed compared to the CP game where he knitted things together nicely.

Quite clearly isn't up to full fitness though. Very rare you see a pro with hands on their knees after a sprint these days.

 

[Bondi77]

Technically very good but not a proper striker. Looks like he should be a 10. Also very lightweight and reticent to put any force or put himself about at all. Keeps trying to get little pokes and touches when he needs to be far more aggressive. In the right team he would be very good I think. We are not that team at the moment.

Yeah, he is a big unit and I feel he should impose himself more in games as well but it is early days and I think he is doing OK at the moment.

 

[Lu Tze]

Really want to see him and Hojlund together. He's about 15x more sane than Bruno on the ball and could combine fantastically well with Rasmus.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

To compare him with wout . He is technically gifted and connects well with the team. He just has no end product yet. He is not the problem.

I think the lack of end product is harsh. He’s already scored once this season and in every match he’s started he’s consistently forced the opposition keeper to make decent saves and/or came very close to converting chances. Even last night he was the one and only player who tested the Twente keeper (apart from his own team mates anyway)

He certainly looks a lot more likely to score than Wout. Not to mention Hojlund, who looks miles out of his depth at the moment.

 

[Blood Mage]

Think he'd be better in the hole behind a striker.

 

[sugar_kane]

I don't particularly like what I've seen so far.

He's technically gifted (which we need) but he spent most of the game ambling round aimlessly. Far too casual for top level football.

 

[didz]

Thought he had a good first half. Him and Rashford linked up very well. I think Bruno needs to be getting beyond him more, or at least someone central does.

That's what Zirkzee was at Bologna - a sort of attacking pivot who you need to play off and then break forward. If you look at who he was linking up with last season and how he was doing it, it becomes very clear how he needs to be used.

 

[quadrant]

If you don't want a 9 who is a focal point we play off what type of striker would you prefer?

Because if its more of a poacher how would that work in a team that is just poor at creating chances.

I don't think its a binary choice between a false 9 and a straight poacher. Garnacho, Rashford and Amad don't really live in the penalty area. They tend to start wider, come central and then cut towards the edge of the penalty area to get shots off. But with Zirkzee generally planting himself on the edge of the box, we're getting congested in that area.

If we're playing with our current set of wide players, I think we need a mobile striker who can operate in the penalty area. Either they're pulling opposition centre backs around to create space for others, or they're able to compete for balls sent in by wide players.

Or alternatively we need wide players who can spend a lot more time in the box, where they can benefit from the link up play of a striker on the edge of the box.

 

[AB_89]

He had a decent first half, was linking up well and helping us to progress the ball into dangerous areas. Thought he drifted out of the game in the second half and should have been replaced a bit earlier.

Overall I'm happy with his signing for the fee we paid. He is young and has some positive attributes, I can't see him being a world class striker however he is a more than capable rotation option.

It's a bit upgrade on last season, as we essentially had 1 striker. Now we have 2!

 

[Marwood]

I don't think its a binary choice between a false 9 and a straight poacher. Garnacho, Rashford and Amad don't really live in the penalty area. They tend to start wider, come central and then cut towards the edge of the penalty area to get shots off. But with Zirkzee generally planting himself on the edge of the box, we're getting congested in that area.

If we're playing with our current set of wide players, I think we need a mobile striker who can operate in the penalty area. Either they're pulling opposition centre backs around to create space for others, or they're able to compete for balls sent in by wide players.

Or alternatively we need wide players who can spend a lot more time in the box, where they can benefit from the link up play of a striker on the edge of the box.

That's Hojlund.

But Hojlund played all last season and we created nothing for him.

Doesn't matter who is upfront if the team behind them isn't functioning.

I don't think we created a proper chance last night. Not one.

 

[Borys]

Apart from being a bit too slow to attack the box, I have no complaints. I think he justifies keeping him in the team, especially that most of the game was going through Rashford.

 

[quadrant]

That's Hojlund.

But Hojlund played all last season and we created nothing for him.

Doesn't matter who is upfront if the team behind them isn't functioning.

I don't think we created a proper chance last night. Not one.

Sorry I don't follow. I didnt say that the other players in the team were good enough. And you don't seem to arguing in favour of Zirkzee over Hojland. So I'm not sure what you were getting at in your original question.

 

[Jock Steins Boots]

Isn't it obvious by now? The real problem, is the insistence on playing Bruno behind these guys.

As other posters have mentioned, you played Hoijlund up front last season, you've now have a few games with Zirkzee and yet the same quotes are coming out for both of them like... 'if they had better service they'd be better...Zirkzee isn't a striker, he's more a 10 like Bruno....Hoijlund never had the service last year...'

As I've mentioned in the Bruno thread, the problem isn't Zirkzee or Hoijlund, the problem is Bruno. Once his name is put down it doesn't matter who's playing up front because Bruno screws up passes, tries too many Hollywood shots and doesn't link up play well.
Hoijlund made plenty of runs last year but just wasn't fed, by Bruno or Rashford.
Now you've got Zirkzee playing as a striker but finding himself dropping back into his natural position that Brunos occupying, because he's not being fed.

Either put Zirkzee in Brunos place and Hoijlund upfront or have Mount in Brunos place with Hoijlund/Zirkzee up front.
Bruno is the problem here, not Zirkzee or Hoijlund.

Zirkzee is one of those players that goes to United, full of potential, that gets ripped out of him because he's not played in his most natural position. He then goes onto another club like Madrid and turns into a world class player.

 

[Hughes35]

Isn't it obvious by now? The real problem, is the insistence on playing Bruno behind these guys.

As other posters have mentioned, you played Hoijlund up front last season, you've now have a few games with Zirkzee and yet the same quotes are coming out for both of them like... 'if they had better service they'd be better...Zirkzee isn't a striker, he's more a 10 like Bruno....Hoijlund never had the service last year...'

As I've mentioned in the Bruno thread, the problem isn't Zirkzee or Hoijlund, the problem is Bruno. Once his name is put down it doesn't matter who's playing up front because Bruno screws up passes, tries too many Hollywood shots and doesn't link up play well.
Hoijlund made plenty of runs last year but just wasn't fed, by Bruno or Rashford.
Now you've got Zirkzee playing as a striker but finding himself dropping back into his natural position that Brunos occupying, because he's not being fed.

Either put Zirkzee in Brunos place and Hoijlund upfront or have Mount in Brunos place with Hoijlund/Zirkzee up front.
Bruno is the problem here, not Zirkzee or Hoijlund.

Zirkzee is one of those players that goes to United, full of potential, that gets ripped out of him because he's not played in his most natural position. He then goes onto another club like Madrid and turns into a world class player.

I can't say i'm 100% sold that Zirkzee has the potential to be world class. But I do agree on Bruno. I think most fans are now at the stage where we would like to see 4 or 5 games in a row with Mount, Zirkzee or Amad as the 10 and Bruno having a few games out.

 

[Marwood]

Sorry I don't follow. I didnt say that the other players in the team were good enough. And you don't seem to arguing in favour of Zirkzee over Hojland. So I'm not sure what you were getting at in your original question.

It's because you said you don't think a striker we can play off, who gets others involved is what this team needs. When I think its exactly what this team needs. I think its what most teams need.

So in asking what you'd prefer you said a penalty box striker basically.

Well in a team that doesn't create, how would a penalty box striker help?

The evidence of this would be Hojlund. He's more of what you want but as we saw last season, of limited use if you don't feed him plenty of penalty box supply.

Which we don't.

All strikers need supply but this team doesn't need more attackers who are only interested in that final touch of a move, the glory moment.

 

[quadrant]

It's because you said you don't think a striker we can play off, who gets others involved is what this team needs. When I think its exactly what this team needs. I think its what most teams need.

So in asking what you'd prefer you said a penalty box striker basically.

Well in a team that doesn't create, how would a penalty box striker help?

The evidence of this would be Hojlund. He's more of what you want but as we saw last season, of limited use if you don't feed him plenty of penalty box supply.

Which we don't.

All strikers need supply but this team doesn't need more attackers who are only interested in that final touch of a move, the glory moment.

Based on the last couple of games I'd say its yet to be proven that a false 9 gets the most out of our current attackers. I actually think Zirkzee's done ok in isolation, but clearly isn't fitting in immediately with those around him.

 

[Lentwood]

Looks a really good player to me. Clearly operating in another dimension with respect footballing intelligence compared to our current lot.

I'm really not sure I have ever seen a collection of footballers with a lower football IQ than Bruno, Garnacho and Rashford.

 

[Big Andy]

Zirkzee is basically a Firmino (just not as good), which is all well and good if you have a Salah and Mane as the wide forwards making runs for you to find. We don't have those prolific goalscorers from the wide forward positions.

 

[dubplate warrior]

Looks a really good player to me. Clearly operating in another dimension with respect footballing intelligence compared to our current lot.

I'm really not sure I have ever seen a collection of footballers with a lower football IQ than Bruno, Garnacho and Rashford.

You should never have more than one of them on the pitch at the same time.

 

[Andycoleno9]

i am not happy with the lack of goals (of course) but of all our signings i like him the most. Goals will come i hope. Everything else looks great.

 

[Ekeke]

I dont think he has the movement to play as a normal 10

More suited to being a target who might knock the ball down to another forward like McTom and Fellaini when we threw them forward

 

[Josh 76]

Decent player. Nice and tidy. Nothing more. Wouldn't get anywhere near the great Fergie teams. Then again not many would.

 

[bosnian_red]

I dont think he has the movement to play as a normal 10

More suited to being a target who might knock the ball down to another forward like McTom and Fellaini when we threw them forward

Yeah definitely not a modern 10. I think both him and Hojlund just suit playing in a 4-4-2 type where they're a strike partnership. Also think Rashford suits that, playing alongside Zirkzee.

 

[Teja]

Gifted player that will look shit in how this team is set up. You can play him and Bruno in the same side. Different players that are occupying the same space at times offensively

Assuming you're saying you can't play him and Bruno in the same side and I agree with that. I'd like us to experiment with something like a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-2-3-1 with a Casemiro, Ugarte, Mainoo midfield or an Ugarte - Eriksen - Mainoo midfield. Maybe shift Bruno to the right if you really need to get him in.

The problem is that there are knock on effects in terms of pressing structure, build up etc.

I think he brings enough right now to try to tweak the system to play him. He's also getting into the right positions, so the goals will come.

Or yeah just go 4-4-2 and straight swap Bruno for Hojlund and say feck it.

 

[Cassidy]

If we are being honest his link up play isn’t even as good as Nicolas Jackson so far.

He has displayed very little dynamism to his game too. Nice touches and is neat and tidy and thats it. Hes a bit meh

 

[In Absentia]

Technically very good but not a proper striker. Looks like he should be a 10. Also very lightweight and reticent to put any force or put himself about at all. Keeps trying to get little pokes and touches when he needs to be far more aggressive. In the right team he would be very good I think. We are not that team at the moment.

I don't think he's a 10. I think he’s a linking 9 (you've got to prove yourself before being called a ‘false 9’ IMO).

We have to move away from a 10 so that we can build a proper midfield.

Zirkzee has the skills to be a good false 9 but its such a specialist position. Easy to be a mediocre one, hard to be a good one. It’s the hardest thing to be a world class one.

Zirkzee has to improve his intensity, he needs his dropping off to be more focused and purposeful, and he needs a three man midfield behind him to be a false 9.

- I think he could do that, but I'm not sure if he really will. Not least because a lot of it is out of his hands due to tactics. Grenades as 10 and Zirkzee looks like ‘what not to do’.

Then again, Firmino looked a dud for at least a year.

 

[Ichabod Ferguson]

I think he’s a good player, but the stuff that he’s bad at baffle me a bit.

As a striker you should want to score goals, but he seems to view it as simply a nice thing to have done, there doesn’t seem to be any desire to actually hurt the other team or to actually be decisive, he’s simply content to go with the flow and let the game come to him.

I also find the number of times the ball just evades him in the area infuriating. I’m not sure I can recall off the top of my head Haaland failing to get onto the end of those. He’s consistently anticipating them and he will literally strain every sinew to get there; Zirkzee seems to go at them as if he’s forced into it. I’m not at all convinced that when the ball is 1 or 2 cm out of reach consistently that’s just bad luck.