[Garnacho Libre]

What I've found with Zirk and Rasmus is this. I'm not sure how many will agree.

I think fitness is a problem for both. When Rasmus starts, he runs and runs and has very little service. He gets tired and is out of the game. Zirk's comes on, seems to make an impact and improve how United play.

On the other hand. When Zirk's starts, it's like United haven't figured out the other team, produces very little. Rasmus comes on and has a bigger impact than the Zirk. And vice versa.

Does anyone else feel this way?

To me it's either a fitness issue or by the time one comes off the bench, United are more organised in the game etc... and they can make a better impact than the starter.

 

[CannibalSpectre]

What I've found with Zirk and Rasmus is this. I'm not sure how many will agree.

I think fitness is a problem for both. When Rasmus starts, he runs and runs and has very little service. He gets tired and is out of the game. Zirk's comes on, seems to make an impact and improve how United play.

On the other hand. When Zirk's starts, it's like United haven't figured out the other team, produces very little. Rasmus comes on and has a bigger impact than the Zirk. And vice versa.

Does anyone else feel this way?

To me it's either a fitness issue or by the time one comes off the bench, United are more organised in the game etc... and they can make a better impact than the starter.

I've seen this pattern and a few others have commented on it. However, it doesn't hold true in the PL for Hojlund. I can't remember the last time he did anything of note coming off the bench in the league, even though the sample size is small.

 

[ThanksBoss26]

I’d start him tomorrow and the same in the two games after. Give him a proper run to see what he can do. I’m dubious but in then out then in again isn’t doing him any favours I don’t think and Hojlund has had a run of games since Amorim came in.

 

[Lyng]

I’d start him tomorrow and the same in the two games after. Give him a proper run to see what he can do. I’m dubious but in then out then in again isn’t doing him any favours I don’t think and Hojlund has had a run of games since Amorim came in.

Id start him in Premier League games, but in Europe I would still use Rasmus. Its the one place where he has consistently been good for us.

 

[Longshanks]

Him and Rashford would be a good combination. Think Rashford would like playing with him and vice versa.

Unfortunately that isn't going to happen, but that is the sort of profile that would work well with zirkzee, outside of Rashford we don't really have a similar profile.

 

[Bobski]

Back to being crap, Hojlund didn't get a long enough cameo to start his stage of the Boom/bust cycle.

 

[Devil81]

Just back from the game and was scratching my head why he stayed on the field until 80 minutes. He's absolutely no threat and such a scruffy player, he's nowhere near the level needed.

 

[golden_blunder]

Mind made up, we are toothless when he plays. Swap him out

 

[Stadjer]

Had some okayish hold up play a few times. Not much more than that.

 

[Irwin99]

That wasn’t a good performance again. The choice between him and Hojlund at the moment is so difficult, and not because they’re good.

 

[Rockets Redglare]

Mind made up, we are toothless when he plays. Swap him out

Who for though? I’d say we look even worse with Hojlund up top.

 

[BorisManUtd]

It's weird as I thought he was decent. Nothing more than that but decent.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Mind made up, we are toothless when he plays. Swap him out

Yep.

Of course you can save yourself some typing by saving a copy of this post and using it again when Zirkzee gets dropped and Hojlund starts. Rinse and repeat.

 

[lsd]

He was decent but McCoist had a blind spot for Hojlund as he hasn't seen much of him this season and that convinces people to then think Zirkzee was rubbish

 

[AndyMUFC]

He was back to being quite poor tonight. He has an annoying tendency to hold the ball up quite well but then sloppily give it away with his next pass, and tonight was another one of those games where it seemed to happen nearly every time.

Neither him or Hojlund are the answer at the moment, I think that's as clear as day.

 

[Chinchy98]

Anonymous. Didn’t do anything egregiously bad, but almost nothing positive.

Hold up parts were the absolute basics expected.

5/10, but simply because of an absence to grade him on anything.

 

[Pav1878]

JZ and Rasmus both seem to have a good game followed by a theee bad games then a good game etc. inconsistency you would expect for younger players.

We need some experience up top for them to bed in

 

[bosnian_red]

Anonymous. Didn’t do anything egregiously bad, but almost nothing positive.

Hold up parts were the absolute basics expected.

5/10, but simply because of an absence to grade him on anything.

The hold up parts might be the basics, but at least he gives that... The alternative doesn't even provide that

 

[AndySmith1990]

Same old rubbish. He's not good enough, not even close, why pretend anything else? Just sell to the highest bidder and file this signing on the Bebe pile

 

[Red00012]

It's weird as I thought he was decent. Nothing more than that but decent.

How our standards have dropped . He was terrible , holding off a defender one or 2 times that plays in the Scottish league shouldn’t be called decent .

 

[#07]

Zirkzee is improving but he doesn't look dangerous in front of goal. That's a problem if you are a striker. He did some nice things in the build up but it just isn't enough.

We have had squads where substitute forwards have been levels above Zirkzee. Let's be honest, besides the ability to stay fit, what does Zirkzee have that Danny Welbeck doesn't?

To go from the likes of Cavani or Zlatan to our current options...

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

I am surprised that we haven't actually sold him back to someone in Italy tbh, he still probably has some value in that league.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

I feel like he would have been mint back in the day when teams didn't press so aggressively. He's a throwback to players like Bergkamp and Berbatov.

I love hyperbole as much as the next guy, but that’s too far even for me. That’s like saying Bebe was a throwback to Bryan Robson, or Weghorst was a throwback to Cantona. Zirkzee is lanky, and that’s about the end of the positive characteristics he shares with Bergkamp and Berbatov. He is so far below both of them in every facet of his game that I’m thinking your comment was meant to be ironic. Berbatov was an artist with the ball and oozed class. Bergkamp had more skill and athleticism in his pinky than Zirkzee does in his whole body. feck me. I hope you were having a laugh.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Zirkzee is improving but he doesn't look dangerous in front of goal. That's a problem if you are a striker. He did some nice things in the build up but it just isn't enough.

We have had squads where substitute forwards have been levels above Zirkzee. Let's be honest, besides the ability to stay fit, what does Zirkzee have that Danny Welbeck doesn't?

To go from the likes of Cavani or Zlatan to our current options...

Zirkzee is nominally playing as a 9 but either through disposition or lack of ability he’s not actually playing that role. He was all over the place against Rangers and never where an actual 9 would be in An attacking move. He dropped deep to play a 5 yard pass and then took himself out of the play, and that’s about the best thing he did. He has no nose for goal, times his runs wrong, moves to the wrong part of the box in attack, can’t shoot, and is easily bullied off the ball. Kiko Macheda was a lot better than him.

 

[Ludens the Red]

He’s basically a five a side goals player. Basically a player without a position.

Like he’s definitely not a centre forward. Has absolutely zero centre forward instincts/moves. He lacks the guile, delicacy and composure to be a ten like Ozil . He lacks the passing range, eye for goal or tenacity to be a Bruno ten.
Where in earth did this guy play for Bologna? I’m so confused by him….

I don’t even think he was that bad tonight. But I just don’t understand what he does or is meant to be doing.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Feels like both Zirkzee and Hojlund have most of their good appearances from the bench. Then, whenever they start, they mostly look pretty average (or worse).

Whether that's a major reason, or just a symptom, of the few first half goals that we score I'm not sure.

 

[cirilus]

Loan swap for Vlahovic please.

 

[bosnian_red]

Loan swap for Vlahovic please.

Vlahović is a certainty to be an expensive flop in this league (also would be very much a post Sir Alex Man United signing)

 

[Greck]

Zirkzee is nominally playing as a 9 but either through disposition or lack of ability he’s not actually playing that role. He was all over the place against Rangers and never where an actual 9 would be in An attacking move. He dropped deep to play a 5 yard pass and then took himself out of the play, and that’s about the best thing he did. He has no nose for goal, times his runs wrong, moves to the wrong part of the box in attack, can’t shoot, and is easily bullied off the ball. Kiko Macheda was a lot better than him.

Sometimes it feels like he's actually trying to get out of the way. Like he's content with his one build up touch. I don't know if it's confidence or he just doesn't know how to. Even for a link up forward shouldn't go entire games without getting on the end of one scoring or assist opportunity. Not when the attack is this toothless and the bar is already really low. Bruno and Garnacho aren't world beaters on their worst days but still show what it means to have more ambition than Zirkzee's good day.

 

[Oscar Bonavena]

JZ and Rasmus both seem to have a good game followed by a theee bad games then a good game etc. inconsistency you would expect for younger players.

We need some experience up top for them to bed in

1 good game in 4 would be an improvement for Rasmus! I doubt he's even had 1 good game in 10 this season!

 

[Kweku Amonoo]

A lot of analysis about how he’s shit and isn’t a threat, and I agree to an extent. But what we shouldn’t forget is just how our forwards like Garnacho and Amad, to a lesser degree, refuse to play the simple pass across to him for a tap in. There were 2-3 times where he should’ve been played in.

He isn’t the type of forward who’d make those far post runs, but the players should know that by now. He almost always positions himself on the penalty spot for a cut back. They should know that and try to cut balls back to him there. There were a lot of times they could’ve done that, and we would’ve been talking about how he had such a great game.

 

[RRCE]

He certainly wasn’t amazing, but I think some of the criticism is a bit exaggerated. I thought he actually picked up some good position in the box, but was simply denied service via poor decision making / selfish play. It happened on 3 or 4 occasions. If those passes come to him, he could have scored one or two, and perhaps his game is viewed differently. Again, he wasn’t pulling up trees, but simply didn’t have much help either.

 

[thefrenchy]

Rewatch the game and I found that he makes good run behind thé défense but didnt receive the ball and many time he was in a good position in the box to score but Amad didnt give him the ball.

 

[Lyng]

Rewatch the game and I found that he makes good run behind thé défense but didnt receive the ball and many time he was in a good position in the box to score but Amad didnt give him the ball.

He did and its been a major concern. There is a reason people talked about lack of service to Rasmus in the beginning. Sadly he stopped making runs and started a wrestling career. I worry that we will see issues regardless of which striker we get as our wide players simply dont pass enough.
That having been said he was served a good pass with a brilliant chance to score but just toed it straight at the keeper.
We need a new striker because neither of the two we have right now are good enough, for different reasons.

 

[Shaw's Shank Redemption]

Im very biased but you simply cant play Zirkzee with an attacking midfielder - it destroys the purpose of a striker false 9 like him. It stresses me out that we have both Amad & Garancho who are great inverted forwards and still havent seen them in a front 3 with zirkzee in the middle.

His pressing has improved but after 60 mins he looks like he has asthma.

Hopefully he gets accustomed to the stamina required of playing for United maybe through pre-season etc but it is starting to worry me. Its like he is trying so hard in the first half that in the second half he really seems like he cant handle playing a full 90mins.

 

[afrocentricity]

A lot of analysis about how he’s shit and isn’t a threat, and I agree to an extent. But what we shouldn’t forget is just how our forwards like Garnacho and Amad, to a lesser degree, refuse to play the simple pass across to him for a tap in. There were 2-3 times where he should’ve been played in.

He isn’t the type of forward who’d make those far post runs, but the players should know that by now. He almost always positions himself on the penalty spot for a cut back. They should know that and try to cut balls back to him there. There were a lot of times they could’ve done that, and we would’ve been talking about how he had such a great game.

Agreed.... He also made some good early runs into the box and got ignored.

 

[Dans]

He's not a striker. We need a striker.

 

[Lyng]

He's not a striker. We need a striker.

This is the crux of it. He made decent runs a few times, but when he did receive a great opportunity he just wasted it. His finishing is woeful.

 

[Escobar]

It's weird as I thought he was decent. Nothing more than that but decent.

I thought so too. Much better hold up play and bringing others into play. But like Holland, he is not enough on the ball in dangerous situations. I'd still start him though, as he brings more to the team currently

 

[Lyng]

I thought so too. Much better hold up play and bringing others into play. But like Holland, he is not enough on the ball in dangerous situations. I'd still start him though, as he brings more to the team currently

Id say they have had some very decent strikers over the years....