Joshua Zirkzee image 11

Joshua Zirkzee Netherlands flag

2024-25 Performances

View full 2024-25 profile

5.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
19
Goals
3
Assists
2
Yellow cards
1
I really hope our recruitment improves from next summer, once INEOS have had a year to reshape our recruitment.

When he signed, it just stunk of another poor signing who wouldn't have a natural fit in the team. Like Mount. And as always with United, that's what it's looking like.

There's no excuse for it. Any regular watcher would have said we need a goalscorer. It's bizarre.
 
Bepi said:
Folks, he was sold as such: the outstanding, brainy midfielder from the most surprising side of the year.

Late October and he is Arthur 2.0, the by-product of another financial / accounting cosmetic trick.
Click to expand...
Not sure who told you that. Most people view him as a solid box to box. If there’s anyone in their midfield for you to have gone after it’s Kamara.
 
Serie A has 20 clubs, every club plays 38 games and with striker up front. meaning, the likes of Como, Genoa, Spezia, Torino, Sassuolo, Salernitana and Empoli all had their Zirkzee scoring 10+ goals during the season. it's the whole point of the sport, every French and German club have their main guy in attack as well, just like Bologna did.

doesn't mean every one of them should play for United otherwise every transfer would be a successful one.

there has to be something more beside scoring 10 goals per season, something in his playing style that made him interesting to our scouts. so far he looks tidy and that's about it.
 
LawCharltonBest said:
I really hope our recruitment improves from next summer, once INEOS have had a year to reshape our recruitment.

When he signed, it just stunk of another poor signing who wouldn't have a natural fit in the team. Like Mount. And as always with United, that's what it's looking like.

There's no excuse for it. Any regular watcher would have said we need a goalscorer. It's bizarre.
Click to expand...

You have to wonder who sactioned this signing when what we really needed was a striker, we may only have paid 34m but thats still more than we would probably get back if we sold him next summer.
 
Bepi said:
A loan swap with our misfit Douglas Luiz and we have a deal :p

I mean, Luiz here cannot get minutes because Serie A has too many CMs with his skills and almost all smarter than him. And he was the best CM in PL last year, really??
Click to expand...

Yeah maybe he was the best CM in the PL in the pool that Juve are shopping at. Definitely was not top CM in the league, there are a few better than him.

Rodri, Rice, Maccalister, Bissouma, Caceido.. but like I said those are all players Juve wouldn't get near so in the range where Juve were looking for, he was the best.
 
I think the timing of his movement is pretty good and he has a good idea of where to be in the box. He's been getting chances and half chances whenever he plays, more than Hojlund funnily enough- even though the common narrative is that the Dane doesn't get enough service. Zirkzee just isn't anywhere near as decisive in front of goal

Seems like he's simply trying to get his attempts on target and isn't particularly worried about power & placement- which to me is a sign of low confidence. Will need time to adjust mentally & physically.
 
Would like to see him in a 4-4-2. In our 4-3-3 we do not have enough players in the box (our weakness). Bruno or one of our wingers should support im in the box and create more movement. Our static 4-3-3 is poison for every striker.
 
Resch said:
Would like to see him in a 4-4-2. In our 4-3-3 we do not have enough players in the box (our weakness). Bruno or one of our wingers should support im in the box and create more movement. Our static 4-3-3 is poison for every striker.
Click to expand...
Is it not his job to get in the box?
 
I think INEOS went for him because he was arguably the highest rated young False 9 in the world.

We now have two strikers of two moulds that we can utilise depending how we want play in a particular match.

As others have said about Hojlund who is a more traditional number 9 - playing him with inverted forwards doesn't make tactical sense because he needs creativity to become a poacher type striker.

On the other hand Zirkzee is going to be better with Inverted forwards because he can interlink the play and make passes from deep as a False 9.

The biggest mistake Ten Hag is making in my opinion is that he is making Zirkzee press as a traditional striker (the way Hojlund does).

Making a False 9 press high especially next to another 10 in 442 shape alongside Bruno is quite questionable.

I also think Van Nistelrooy was bought more to improve Zirkzee than Hojlund especially when you consider how predatory RVN was.
 
That fact that he was second in Seria A last season for possessions won in the final third is bonkers. I just don’t see any urgency or bite in him.
 
crossy1686 said:
Rumours today out of Italy is that he’s already ‘regretting’ his decision to sign for United and Juve and Milan are interested in a loan come January if he wants out.

If there’s any truth in it then he should obviously be sent out on loan with an obligation.

Despite that, when we signed him I had zero expectations and I’m still disappointed in him.
Click to expand...
None of them will agree to obligation to buy.
 
Shark said:
Why can't our scouts identify what the average fan can in a couple of games. It's just baffling at this point.
Click to expand...

Because the average fan believes they are making accurate assessments, but it's usually not the case.
 
Rojofiam said:
Because the average fan believes they are making accurate assessments, but it's usually not the case.
Click to expand...

Do you think it takes an expert to determine if a player like Antony for example isn't good enough, or cut out for this league? Obviously you're right in most cases, but sometimes a player can be so badly out of their depth that the average fan can identify it.
 
Shark said:
Do you think it takes an expert to determine if a player like Antony for example isn't good enough, or cut out for this league?
Click to expand...
I read the feedback from our scouts was he was a £25 million player. It was the manager who convinced Murtough to go balls deep for him
 
Shark said:
Do you think it takes an expert to determine if a player like Antony for example isn't good enough, or cut out for this league? Obviously you're right in most cases, but sometimes a player can be so badly out of their depth that the average fan can identify it.
Click to expand...

The scouting department assessed Antony as a £25m player and I'm sure his weaknesses were correctly highlighted by them as well.

However, that signing was famously the one (along with Casemiro if I'm not mistaken) where common sense was ignored after the Glazers personally got involved in our recruitment out of panic after the opening two defeats vs Brighton and Brentford in August 2022. This is all according to The Athletic, so I think we can consider them facts.
 
GoodTimes said:
That fact that he was second in Seria A last season for possessions won in the final third is bonkers. I just don’t see any urgency or bite in him.
Click to expand...
Totti just this weekend claimed the current standard of Seria A he could still play.

Obviously tongue in cheek but it tells you all you need to know if an Italian legend is saying it.
 
Please, please sell him. He's not good enough for us and he never will be. Besides, he's not the type of striker I want to see starting at United. Beyond awful.
 
How much did he cost again..?
 
Ten Hag has no idea how to use seemingly any type of striker. Just throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks whether Zirkzee or Hojlund. Neither one capable of being the lion we need and he risks ruining both of them by putting them into this "system".
 
PoTMS said:
Please, please sell him. He's not good enough for us and he never will be. Besides, he's not the type of striker I want to see starting at United. Beyond awful.
Click to expand...
Calm down. Lots of players throughout football history have struggled in their first 3 months in a dysfunctional team and eventually came good.

By your logic we would've sold Vidic and Evra by March of 2006.
 
The ultimate luxury player, will look great against weak opposition but when you need fight and desire like Fenerbache away he's just not going to give you much.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.