Joshua Zirkzee | signed for Manchester United

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NewGlory said:
This 100%

We cannot afford to buy 1-2 galacticto, prima donna players and hope they save the club. We need to build a capable squad, a well-functioning team that can be consistent and fight for top 4, maybe an odd trophy here and there.
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I believe this is where we've gone wrong in the last decade. As you mentioned, having a fantastic squad is the greatest format for modern football, especially considering the demands of the calendar. Good squads can dominate on all fronts. Drogba was not regarded as a prolific player prior to 06/07. With him and Gudjohnson continuously alternating, Chelsea had the strength up top dominate the league. It's also the same rotation method that we employed in the 98-01 run, which helped us succeed. Instead of relying on a few superstars, we can establish a strong collective of players.

The advantage of this method is that it makes us more resilient, provides us with the endurance to withstand a hectic campaign, and with more components, it makes it much more difficult for the squad's quality to plummet as it has in the past with a few departures.
 
Cutch said:
That would back up the post you've quoted that he's better on the right. Would have 32 goals and 22 assists if he continued with the same output until he played 90 games on the right
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It's because his form fell off at the end of the season. If he was better on the right, ETH would have converted him long ago.
 
Cutch said:
I dont think so. He wanted to keep faith with his big money signing and pretty much stumbled on the idea with our productivity so bad from that side, and when he eventually lost patience with Anthony.
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I agree, that’s why a front 3 of

Zirkzee - Højlund - Garnacho wouldn’t surprise me becoming the preferred option
 
the_cliff said:
I do like statman Dave and do understand the general reasons why we're signing him but unfortunately its always never as simple as that and he's made similar videos about our 'flops' and how they would have transformed our team and style of play.
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Ok, I don't know anything about statman or any of these analyst experts.
 
Cutch said:
Not sure, I think Amad could have a bit of a breakthrough season and could link up very well when its Zirkzee in the CF position
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Oh how nice it will be to have options.

Joking aside that is the exciting thing. Not having such a drop off when rotating and having different options for different opposition
 
From watching his goals on Youtube his shooting technique is really poor for a striker to be honest. Obviously our coaches know a lot more than I do but a little concerning given the responsibility for goals he will shoulder when he plays for us.

Irrespective of this, glad we are making a signing of a striker with a different profile to what we have, at a good, young age.
 
JB08 said:
From watching his goals on Youtube his shooting technique is really poor for a striker to be honest. Obviously our coaches know a lot more than I do but a little concerning given the responsibility for goals he will shoulder when he plays for us.

Irrespective of this, glad we are making a signing of a striker with a different profile to what we have, at a good, young age.
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He can turn players inside out and glide with the ball, 23 years old 6'4 his finishing can be worked on.
 
NewGlory said:
Beautiful, very apt analogy of the jigsaw! Love it

We need pieces that fit! Not some fancy pieces, that may be great on their own, but that do not add anything to our overall picture

Very well said!
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Some of the pieces belong to another puzzle, that need to be discarded. Others are worn out and need replacing.

I don’t think we can take this analogy too far.
 
If you lot buy Zirkzee, De Ligt and possibly Hancko who will I root for when you face Arne Slot :lol:
 
JB08 said:
Obviously our coaches know a lot more than I do but a little concerning given the responsibility for goals he will shoulder when he plays for us.
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Only in the sense that Firmino shouldered that responsibility for Liverpool. Goals will have to be ramped up by Rashford and Garnacho. Nice to have Højlund too.
 
KirkDuyt said:
No joke, just hard for me to decide. And the smiley I wanted to use has passed away :(
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I can’t believe what I am reading. Of course you will support MU, Van Persie played here, and there recently used to be a good lb from Feyenoord too, I think?
 
Remember the geese said:
Only in the sense that Firmino shouldered that responsibility for Liverpool. Goals will have to be ramped up by Rashford and Garnacho. Nice to have Højlund too.
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Correct I suppose, aside from the fact we don't have anyone remotely close to the ability of Salah or Mane to flank him :lol:
 
Cutch said:
Not sure, I think Amad could have a bit of a breakthrough season and could link up very well when its Zirkzee in the CF position
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If anything, Amad is far more likely to do well with Hojlund while Rashford is more likely to do well with Zirkzee. Amad and Zirkzee and Bruno would be like a much lesser version of Foden, Kane and Bellingham, all wanting to operate in the #10 area, nobody being the run in behind direct player. Need a balance where everyone likes to operate in their own areas so everyone has their space and to stretch the defence.
 
JB08 said:
So risk of more square pegs in round holes potentially.

I do hope I'm wrong.
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Well the whole idea of pursuing a Zirkzee type of striker is supposedly because he would be a better fit for our wide players. We would then also have the more direct and traditional source of goals via Højlund.
 
bosnian_red said:
If anything, Amad is far more likely to do well with Hojlund while Rashford is more likely to do well with Zirkzee. Amad and Zirkzee and Bruno would be like a much lesser version of Foden, Kane and Bellingham, all wanting to operate in the #10 area, nobody being the run in behind direct player. Need a balance where everyone likes to operate in their own areas so everyone has their space and to stretch the defence.
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Bruno’s best season goalscoring wise saw him frequently be the furthest forward and running beyond. He likes to pick the ball up in the 10 area, but he’s shown he’s more than adept at vacating the space and pushing forward when needed.
 
Interesting to hear the comments on The Athletic transfers podcast about Zirkzee. Described as unicorn player. Fantastic first touch, has abit of zlatan about him and could develop into a zlatan type of player in the future. Though his ex-manager thiago motta said there's abit of ronaldinho about his play (off the cuff, lots of flair). The £43mil release clause means he's available well below his market value.

As they said we have Hoijlund who works the channels. Zirkzee who will drop deep and links play. Therefore all that is missing is a experienced PL proven striker I.e. Toney or DCL to complete your forward line and give ETH different tactical options.
 
dinostar77 said:
Interesting to hear the comments on The Athletic transfers podcast about Zirkzee. Described as unicorn player. Fantastic first touch, has abit of zlatan about him and could develop into a zlatan type of player in the future. Though his ex-manager thiago motta said there's abit of ronaldinho about his play (off the cuff, lots of flair). The £43mil release clause means he's available well below his market value.

As they said we have Hoijlund who works the channels. Zirkzee who will drop deep and links play. Therefore all that is missing is a experienced PL proven striker I.e. Toney or DCL to complete your forward line and give ETH different tactical options.
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Geez, I would sure like Zlatandinho to start a game over Memphis...
 
JJ12 said:
Are you suggesting Zirkzee isn't a cross between Ronaldinho and Zlatan? :wenger:
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No, I'm suggesting Koeman is a fecking clown.

Obviously Zirkzee isnt as good as those 2 (yet), but he's definitely better than Memphis Depay at this point.
 
Drifter said:
Ok, I don't know anything about statman or any of these analyst experts.
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Nobody can predict these things. What you need is a footballing structure with good coaches, analysts, sports scientists.

You can get a player in their peak and feed him pizza, booze and only get him to train an hour a day, have poor tactics you won't get a lot out of him.

Problem with United is falling behind the pack, its also about the system you play, if you don't get players to fit in with the system too its a waste of time. Its the reason you can go for galactico serial winners and not win much, they might be great in a specific system or club.

If we want to press you wouldn't sign Mesut Ozil, if you want to play a high line you wouldn't sign a 35 year old CB. If you want a transition team don't sign Weghorst.
 
KirkDuyt said:
No, I'm suggesting Koeman is a fecking clown.

Obviously Zirkzee isnt as good as those 2 (yet), but he's definitely better than Memphis Depay at this point.
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Koeman makes some weird selections. Depay is crap but frimpong should be starting every game.

Koeman is the sort of manager, if Holland had played France he wouldn't have started van Der Ven (quickest player in PL) to go up against Mbappe's acceleration and pace.

Like England, Holland have gotten this far inspite of their woeful managers.
 
I'm not a tactics expert but I wonder if Zirkzee is seen as a sort of a Bobby Firminho type that could play the "dirty work", pressing, false 9 type role in a front three? Hojlund is pacey and relatively two footed so he could play a little more "out wide". If Ugarte comes in as well could ETH try a 4-3-3 with Ugarte Mainoo Bruno behind Garnacho Zirkzee Hojlund?
 
dinostar77 said:
Koeman makes some weird selections. Depay is crap but frimpong should be starting every game.

Koeman is the sort of manager, if Holland had played France he wouldn't have started van Der Ven (quickest player in PL) to go up against Mbappe's acceleration and pace.

Like England, Holland have gotten this far inspite of their woeful managers.
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Frimpong is a bit of a tougher call though. We don't have his position and putting him at RB with a back 4 is too risky as he has no defensive ability whatsoever (and is basically a midget). He also doesn't compliment Dumfries as they will end up in tje same space.

So essentially it's Frimpong or Dumfries and Dumfries has been one of our most important players for years.

Van de Ven is awesome too, but Ake, likewise, has been one of our better players. I'd actually play Ake centrally and Vd Ven on the right and bench Van Dijk, but yeah, not happening.
 
KirkDuyt said:
Frimpong is a bit of a tougher call though. We don't have his position and putting him at RB with a back 4 is too risky as he has no defensive ability whatsoever (and is basically a midget). He also doesn't compliment Dumfries as they will end up in tje same space.

So essentially it's Frimpong or Dumfries and Dumfries has been one of our most important players for years.

Van de Ven is awesome too, but Ake, likewise, has been one of our better players. I'd actually play Ake centrally and Vd Ven on the right and bench Van Dijk, but yeah, not happening.
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What do you think of Zirkzee btw? Having Van Nistelrooy at the club will no doubt help with his finishing. I'm wondering if he can become a zlatan level/type of striker?
 
I can't believe his nickname is not Jay Z, maybe his generation is too young for that...
 
KirkDuyt said:
No, I'm suggesting Koeman is a fecking clown.

Obviously Zirkzee isnt as good as those 2 (yet), but he's definitely better than Memphis Depay at this point.
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Has international football always been this pragmatic at the top? Koeman, Deschamps, Southgate, etc
 
JJ12 said:
Has international football always been this pragmatic at the top? Koeman, Deschamps, Southgate, etc
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We turned pragmatic in 2010 and have been since then. Dunno about other teams though. I remember France being exciting too once upon a team at least.
 
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