Joshua Zirkzee image 11

Joshua Zirkzee Netherlands flag

2024-25 Performances


View full 2024-25 profile

4.9 Season Average Rating
Appearances
15
Goals
1
Assists
2
Yellow cards
1
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
One thing I have noticed is his weight of pass in the final third is always where a player wants it generally, which has been nice to see.
 
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.
He's only started 2 games for the NT so far. The first one he was great (came just after his Unites debut I think) and the second was crap.
 
Anyone here remember Daniel Braaten? Norwegian attacker? Not only does Zirksee look like him appearance wise, but also on the field. Braaten was faster, but other than that they where pretty similar. Technically good, big and physical. But also very lazy and had pretty lackadaisical attitude on the field and off.

Zirksee reminds me so much off him, sadly.. because Braaten could have been a very good attacker, but his attitude on and off the field didn't really help him.
 
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.
It was more the other way around, where ETH wanted to play that suicidal setup so we bought Mount to fill that spot.
 
He’s not a striker for me, his best position is behind the main striker, he can link up play really well and he can chip in with goals. But he is not a number 9.
 
He’s not a striker for me, his best position is behind the main striker, he can link up play really well and he can chip in with goals. But he is not a number 9.

I think he and a few others need to give their head a wobble and just focus on scoring goals. Forget all this debate about what number they are(a 9, a 9.5, a 10). Just impact the game.

This is where the game has disappeared up it's own backside a bit.

Young(ish) forwards just need to keep it simple. Get some shots off, get in and around the penalty spot more often. Goals will follow.
 
He’s not a striker for me, his best position is behind the main striker, he can link up play really well and he can chip in with goals. But he is not a number 9.

He's a fecking striker :lol:

Just because he's been underwhelming doesn't mean we have to invent other positions on the pitch for him.
 
He might be usefull if there is an actual plan in place. I think Amorim is a coach who makes a team more than the sums of the parts, who can actually give the players confidence and clear instructions. We had a muppet in charge who thought last year was a success. But, yes we paid way too much, for me he is a 15mill player. Im sorry if my English is bad, but I think you know what I mean. Cheers.
 
Don't rate him at all. Hope he proves me wrong but he has absolutely nothing that I'd consider good enough. Baffling signing. Still early days but I'm not sure this will work out even in the slightest