[hobbers]

It's like someone who just stumbled out the pub after putting 5 pints and 2 pies away, then got bundled into the back of a van in the car park and delivered onto the football pitch.

 

[Yorkeontop]

He's a 9½. He just has to get to grips with the pace of English football. He's not what we need, but he could be a valuable contributor.

 

[justboy68]

Can’t understand what we were thinking with this purchase really. Similar to Mount in the sense that it just doesn’t seem like a smart way to spend your limited money.

 

[redNATION]

Let me guess, we’ve given him £250k a week which makes it impossible to shift him on.

 

[dogwithabone]

I've watched the lad in the flesh more than enough to know he's no striker. That said when he dropped a little bit deeper he looked more comfortable on the ball so they should maybe scrap the idea of playing as a striker and try him in other positions.

It's either that or loan him out in January and get rid in the summer.

I think this is true. I watched him closely last night and he just doesn’t look like a number 9 - he’s not selfish enough and the ball rarely finds him in the box. However, when he drops deeper he looks a different player. He’s got a decent first touch and uses the ball well bringing others into play. If I’m honest I don’t really see a long term future for him at United but it will be interesting to see if Amorim can get any more out of him.

 

[FromTheBench]

Can’t understand what we were thinking with this purchase really. Similar to Mount in the sense that it just doesn’t seem like a smart way to spend your limited money.

Said at the time when we signed both that neither made sense.

If either was a even 10/15 million signing for squad depth still fine but paying what we did for either was stupid.

Rest of the signings this summer were still fine but this was strange. He has no goalscoring record of any kind anywhere to write about and we needed a 9.

 

[nazanto]

How can Amorim realistically get the best out of him? From what I've seen, his style differs from Gyökeres at Sporting. Zirkzee, to put it kindly, seems a bit out of sync—almost as if he's a step or two behind in his reactions and decisions.

 

[Steve 007]

He was our worst player last night.

However he’s young at a new club in a new country who are struggling this season. His confidence is shot to pieces, he needs time and he’ll come good.

 

[Woodywizz]

He blatantly needs to lose some timber.

 

[Judas]

Isn't a striker, I can see where he'd be useful, but I'm still massively struggling why he was seen as a good use of funds in the summer.

 

[Beachryan]

Strange match - we did score 5 goals with him as a fulcrum for the attack, yet he somehow didn't contribute much to any of them.

Clearly already struggling for confidence, you could see the effort and pain when things weren't coming off.

Then again, Fergie was pretty amazing about never pushing players instantly into the first team for a reason, and he is pretty young. Not losing hope at all, but I think we'll need to be patient with him. Some of his touches are lovely, and he clearly has a good understanding of football, but his lack of acceleration makes me doubt he'll ever be a true CF.

Interesting Ruud had him and Hojland on at the same time - something many on here wondered about. Nothing came of it, but the game's intensity had basically gone at that point.

 

[P-Nut]

That time the Leicester defender slipped and Zirkzee was basically clean through on goal you just knew the attack wouldn't even come close to amounting to anything

Yeah the crowd didn't take thar well at all. From that point on it was basically groans every time he touched the ball.

 

[arthurka]

Was he so heavy/sluggish at Bologna?

Ruben needs to put him on a diet plan.

This is what I feel as well he just looks out of shape. He was kneeling and huffing and puffing from the 20th minute yesterday.

 

[Floyd]

His shirt must be XL og XXL. Normally when people wear clothes that are visibly too big, they're either fat or pregnant. So which is it?

 

[Bole Top]

saying he isn't a forward suddenly is silly. I don't rate him, but that's where his past clubs and NT got the most out of him. he was scoring for Anderlecht, he was scoring for Bologna and he scored for Holland last time they started him. him not working at all in EPL doesn't mean he's been used in wrong position his whole career.

 

[UpWithRivers]

I actually wasn't too mad at his performance. He's like when a striker is out of form and keeps missing shots you are happier they are at least in right position and just keep working till it goes right. Zirkzee looks to me like he is struggling with the pace of the game. He is half a second off. But he worked hard and he did the right things. Its just not working at the moment. If he was just that little bit quicker he would have looked good. he was all over the pitch. He was coming for the ball. He took a shot etc. Id rather this than is he was just anonymous. Im not sure he fits or if he will be brilliant but I can see him improving a lot given time. He might even need this season and come good next

 

[hobbers]

Let me guess, we’ve given him £250k a week which makes it impossible to shift him on.

Google says he's on about £105k a week, which is still an obscene amount to pay a 23 year old forward who's entire career is 16 goals in 1 season at Anderlecht and 13 in 2 seasons for Bologna.

 

[MadDogg]

He started poorly, but did improve as the game wore on. Once he actually gets going he also seems faster than I originally thought, and his pressing, while inconsistent, was effective at times. It's mostly just all his little touches and flicks that aren't quite working at the moment, but they are the kind of thing that probably will work if he can build confidence (like they were in a couple of his early games).

I wouldn't say I'm confident in him, but I'm not writing him off either. I'm really not sure where he fits in with Amorim's system though if he intends to play the same way as Sporting.

With the exception of Evra and Vidic, I can’t think of many players in our recent history that started badly and turned it around to become first team players.

Fred and Lindelof were both horrific in their first seasons (although Fred was starting to improve towards the end). Both improved quite a lot and while they were never great players, they were constants in the starting line-up for a few years. Oh, and Onana seems another one who started terribly but has now come good.

 

[El-Manos]

He looks poor so far, let's call a spade a spade. Doesn't mean he can't improve but I can see why people were questioning this transfer. His pressing is about the only positive so far really.

 

[McGrathsipan]

Joshua Trotzee

Man seems to amble about the field.

 

[Rossa]

He has 2 assists in 3 games! He must be doing something right.

One of which was a terrible attempt at a header on goal that went way wide that Casemiro quite brilliantly expedited in goal.

 

[Foolsgold21]

I quite liked his first few matches - but my god it feels like he is struggling to do much right currently.

At the match last night there were quite a few around me who are already at the point of laughing at him.

Needs to step it up

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Can’t understand what we were thinking with this purchase really. Similar to Mount in the sense that it just doesn’t seem like a smart way to spend your limited money.

Nah this was a better bet than Mount. Easy release clause for a player coming off a very good season and adds a profile in a position of need. It hasn’t panned out but I can see the vision and the cost was a little more than half of Mount (who was going into his last year as well).

Mount was an issue because we clearly needed another true CM/DM instead of a rotational 10 that was never going to start over Bruno at the time. Then ETH stupidly thought he could play both in that suicidal setup, and it all went downhill from there.

 

[Borninthe80ts]

Once we start playing with more tempo and structure I think he will improve his contribution to the team. He does need to maybe still find the rhythm and speed of the league but his game revolves around holding the ball high up the field and involving others in the game.

There were times that he took up good central positions only for the wide crosser to miss hit the cross. Hopefully with the new manager coming in we can score those cut back chances he can anticipate with his movement and intelligence.

 

[Sivorid]

He plays like that one completely out of shape guy in your 5-a-side team that you know used to be great - has an amazing touch and can find a pass with a fancy flick, but can barely move.

It's weird with him. He clearly has a great touch and can find a pass to link up play, but there's just something missing. I don't see it with him at all, but with all new signings I'm more than happy to wait at least a year to pass judgement. Fingers crossed he comes good!

 

[Geistman]

To be fair he hasn't set the world alight. I'd agree with a number of posters here in that he clearly needs to lose a bit of weight. This is top level modern football he's almost got a mid nineties footballer build. His touch seems to be off at the moment and you could see him getting frustrated. I still hold hope that he will get up to speed with the English game however I don't know exactly what his ceiling is so hope is all I've got.

 

[TheGhostOfJamesJoyce]

Maybe there's a reason for that.

Yes, because that is the rules of this forum.

You should read up on them if you have anymore questions.