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.
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.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.
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 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 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.
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.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.
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.
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.
You should never have more than one of them on the pitch at the same time.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.
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.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
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
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.
Hes fairly poor at football. Not sure how anybody else can say different.