[Blackwidow]

Yeah, I thought I remembered he had some good cameos early on, but then less so afterwards? Or is that he was loaned to Parma to get more match time, but failed to impress there?

Or am I just off entirely?

The situation did not change. The situation did not change now either - we had the chance to get him back but he did not want to sit behind Kane. He has worked with Kompany at Anderlecht and was a starter with him there. But it was good to see him at the Campus the last two days with big smiles on his face. The team of the Netherlands went directly to Munich after their away match in Hungary and is holding their trainings at the Bayern Campus where Zirkzee lived 2 years before he turned 18.

 

[Schmeichels pinky]

I am starting to think that prime Messi or Modric wouldn't be good for us at this moment. It can't be normal that all 25 players are struggling while they were all good in their previous clubs.
This guy has everything to be very good striker. When we start playing well (under Erik or some other manager) he will show his qualities.

He could become great. But more as CF than as a striker, I think.

 

[BigRedSwede]

He had two brief cameos and that's it. Koeman is fairly conservative in his team selections (i.e., sticks with players very long) and Memphis was his preferred starter. Weghorst was his preferred battering ram substitution (which makes sense) - so there was little place for Zirkzee in Koeman's plans. Many Dutch people would have liked to see Zirkzee start games though, especially once it was clear that Memphis wasn't contributing much to matches.

He moved from Feyenoord's to Bayern's youth at age 16, and then some years later got some first team time there. That wasn't a huge success, so he was loaned to Parma and Anderlecht. He did well at Anderlecht, causing Bologna to buy him from Bayern. His real break-out was his second season with Bologna, leading to his United transfer.

I remember signing him, he was a real gem in Football Manager at the time.

 

[Danilo]

Like all young people he is moody, he plays mainly for fun. I have seen practically all of United's matches from Italy and to be honest it is a team with a lot of confusion, you can see the players quite disheartened for not knowing how to move on the pitch. A good coach adapts his game to the players he has available and not the other way around. In Bologna, even though he played as a 9, he was basically the director of the attack and not the battering ram in the area, in fact he only scored 11 goals making an infinite number of assists or making space for the insertions of the midfielders. He has an excellent vision of the game, a fair amount of flair and great technique. Yes, he is apparently slow, not a great header but he makes up for this with first-intention passes but he must have someone next to him to pass it to. However, from what I know him, I see him very disheartened at the moment. Too bad.

 

[Devil81]

Not sure where to post this but seen a few strange links with a return to Italy as early as January today.

 

[didz]

Not sure where to post this but seen a few strange links with a return to Italy as early as January today.

All stems from one Milan fan who happens to be a commentator saying what he wants to happens.

 

[Devil81]

All stems from one Milan fan who happens to be a commentator saying what he wants to happens.

Juve was the club I seen mentioned.

He's a problem I'd like the club to nip in the bud quickly. They've made a mistake on this transfer.

 

[didz]

Juve was the club I seen mentioned.

He's a problem I'd like the club to nip in the bud quickly. They've made a mistake on this transfer.

Oh I thought you were on about the Pellegatta stuff, when you're actually on about Paulo Di Canio? Who effectively said Juve should go for it because United might just be batshit enough to accept

I don't imagine it's anything to take notice of in either case.

 

[Markolan]

We buy players from the likes of Bologna and Atalanta for absurd money and then wonder why our transfers don´t work out...Jesus, when did a transfer from Serie A work out good for anyone in Premier League!?

In Manchester United - Tottenham 0-3, Spurs had 5 players in the Starting XI signed from Serie A: Vicario (Empoli), Romero (Atalanta), Udogie (Udinese), Bentancur (Juventus), Kulusevski (Juventus) so it's not really a problem which league or club you buy from..
Manchester United signed top players from top clubs as the likes of Schweinsteiger, Casemiro, Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, Varane, Mason Mount, Sancho and no one of them did really work out.
I think simply is a problem of managment if Postecoglu has been great at bringing out the best from his Serie A signigns while Ten Hag can't do the same with Onana, Hojlund, Amad, Zirkzee (+ Amrabat last season)

 

[Nedved]

We buy players from the likes of Bologna and Atalanta for absurd money and then wonder why our transfers don´t work out...Jesus, when did a transfer from Serie A work out good for anyone in Premier League!?

In addition to all Tottenham signings, Salah and Jorginho come to mind...

 

[El Jefe]

In Manchester United - Tottenham 0-3, Spurs had 5 players in the Starting XI signed from Serie A: Vicario (Empoli), Romero (Atalanta), Udogie (Udinese), Bentancur (Juventus), Kulusevski (Juventus) so it's not really a problem which league or club you buy from..
Manchester United signed top players from top clubs as the likes of Schweinsteiger, Casemiro, Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, Varane, Mason Mount, Sancho and no one of them did really work out.
I think simply is a problem of managment if Postecoglu has been great at bringing out the best from his Serie A signigns while Ten Hag can't do the same with Onana, Hojlund, Amad, Zirkzee (+ Amrabat last season)

In addition to all Tottenham signings, Salah and Jorginho come to mind...

Serie A players can do well in the PL, it’s the attackers especially the strikers that I’m weary of having the same impact, especially if their physicality was a dominant feature in Serie A.

Defenders and midfielders do well enough it’s the forwards I don’t trust.

Salah was a hit of course but there’s a lot more flops.

 

[Godfather]

Serie A players can do well in the PL, it’s the attackers especially the strikers that I’m weary of having the same impact, especially if their physicality was a dominant feature in Serie A.

Defenders and midfielders do well enough it’s the forwards I don’t trust.

Salah was a hit of course but there’s a lot more flops.

Meh. You can get good players from every league. It's just that we are shit at identifiying them.

 

[Nedved]

Serie A players can do well in the PL, it’s the attackers especially the strikers that I’m weary of having the same impact, especially if their physicality was a dominant feature in Serie A.

Defenders and midfielders do well enough it’s the forwards I don’t trust.

Salah was a hit of course but there’s a lot more flops.

To be honest, no high profile or 30m+ Serie A forwards have moved to England apart from Zirkzee, Chiesa, Salah, Kulusevski and indirectly Ibrahimovic and Sanchez. And they have mostly done very well. I am not counting Lukaku, who broke through in England. Maybe I am forgetting someone.

Most forward signings were midtable teams buying midtable forwards in the price range 15 m - 25 m, usually players whose career rapidly went downhill after their moves back to Serie A. Many nutcases or injury prone players. Players like Osvaldo, who retired young to became an actor. Or Balotelli. Or permanently injured Jovetic. Scamacca could have done better, but he was never a prolific scorer in Italy and his performance for Atalanta last year against Liverpool was superb.

It's not the Osimhens or Lautaro Martinez's that have been signed.

 

[GoodTimes]

Has the same languid doesn’t give a shit style as Martial. Another Ten Hag disaster class.

 

[Golden Nugget]

To be honest, no high profile or 30m+ Serie A forwards have moved to England apart from Zirkzee, Chiesa, Salah, Kulusevski and indirectly Ibrahimovic and Sanchez. And they have mostly done very well. I am not counting Lukaku, who broke through in England. Maybe I am forgetting someone.

Most forward signings were midtable teams buying midtable forwards in the price range 15 m - 25 m, usually players whose career rapidly went downhill after their moves back to Serie A. Many nutcases or injury prone players. Players like Osvaldo, who retired young to became an actor. Or Balotelli. Or permanently injured Jovetic. Scamacca could have done better, but he was never a prolific scorer in Italy and his performance for Atalanta last year against Liverpool was superb.

It's not the Osimhens or Lautaro Martinez's that have been signed.

Shevchenko is the one that pops in my mind. Not sure if he was declining when Chelsea signed him but he really flopped in the Premier League.

The likes of Mutu and Crespo also, which all happened to be Chelsea signings

 

[lex talionis]

The jury is still out but based on his initial performances one can reasonably question of the buy of Zirkzee.

 

[Nedved]

Shevchenko is the one that pops in my mind. Not sure if he was declining when Chelsea signed him but he really flopped in the Premier League.

The likes of Mutu and Crespo also, which all happened to be Chelsea signings

If we have to go back twenty years to find examples, we may as well add Zola, Vialli, Bergkamp, Ravanelli and Henry to the list.

 

[ROFLUTION]

To be honest, no high profile or 30m+ Serie A forwards have moved to England apart from Zirkzee, Chiesa, Salah, Kulusevski and indirectly Ibrahimovic and Sanchez. And they have mostly done very well. I am not counting Lukaku, who broke through in England. Maybe I am forgetting someone.

Most forward signings were midtable teams buying midtable forwards in the price range 15 m - 25 m, usually players whose career rapidly went downhill after their moves back to Serie A. Many nutcases or injury prone players. Players like Osvaldo, who retired young to became an actor. Or Balotelli. Or permanently injured Jovetic. Scamacca could have done better, but he was never a prolific scorer in Italy and his performance for Atalanta last year against Liverpool was superb.

It's not the Osimhens or Lautaro Martinez's that have been signed.

Pogba springs to mind.

 

[Cassidy]

Pogba springs to mind.

Pogba is a midfielder

 

[Golden Nugget]

If we have to go back twenty years to find examples, we may as well add Zola, Vialli, Bergkamp, Ravanelli and Henry to the list.

Great response. When was the last time a top striker from Serie A joined the Premier League then?

 

[Nedved]

Great response. When was the last time a top striker from Serie A joined the Premier League then?

That's my point. In recent history, the best Serie A forwards haven't joined the Premier League. Two of the best forwards in the league around 2010, Ibrahimovic and Sanchez, did join the Premier League in the end but only after a "stopover", so I am not sure they count.

A few mediocre to good forwards have joined and either flopped, done ok/well or completely exploded (i.e. Salah). Therefore, it is strange to claim that forwards from Serie A tend to flop in England. If we need to bring up examples from 2006 to make a point, we may as well go back to 1999.

 

[El Jefe]

To be honest, no high profile or 30m+ Serie A forwards have moved to England apart from Zirkzee, Chiesa, Salah, Kulusevski and indirectly Ibrahimovic and Sanchez. And they have mostly done very well. I am not counting Lukaku, who broke through in England. Maybe I am forgetting someone.

Most forward signings were midtable teams buying midtable forwards in the price range 15 m - 25 m, usually players whose career rapidly went downhill after their moves back to Serie A. Many nutcases or injury prone players. Players like Osvaldo, who retired young to became an actor. Or Balotelli. Or permanently injured Jovetic. Scamacca could have done better, but he was never a prolific scorer in Italy and his performance for Atalanta last year against Liverpool was superb.

It's not the Osimhens or Lautaro Martinez's that have been signed.

I agree to an extent. Lukaku certainly counts as a Serie A player now because he's been a lot better at top clubs there than he has in the PL.

The two examples you've shown of top end Serie A talent are exactly the type of players that will seriously underwhelm in the PL and for two different reasons. Osimhen's first touch and erratic style of play would expose him a bit at the top clubs and Lautaro Martinez won't find a team to play him as part of a 2 striker system and would also be shown up physically in the PL. Osimhen wouldn't be shite but he would be nowhere close to his Serie A level.

The impact pre injury Tammy and Lukaku had and throw in Lookman have had in Serie A proves that their athleticism is a big advantage there. The PL has the best athletes in world football, you are coming up against defenders with top end physicality and speed so some of those physical advantages do not translate here unless you are an exceptional athlete.

A player like Marcus Thuram couldn't start for a top side in the PL.

I want to be clear, I am not shitting on Serie A I actually enjoy the competition, I just think different leagues have their strengths and weaknesses and some suit certain teams more than others.

 

[Lee565]

Am I the only one that is scratching their head at the thought that ten hag is happy to play zirkzee as a striker even though he is less of one than rashford is and he doesn't even try to press either but ten hag never bothered trying to do the same with mctominay in the last few seasons when we were goal shy up front?

Surely giving mctominay a shot up front would have made just as much sense if not more so?

 

[Andycoleno9]

Am I the only one that is scratching their head at the thought that ten hag is happy to play zirkzee as a striker even though he is less of one than rashford is and he doesn't even try to press either but ten hag never bothered trying to do the same with mctominay in the last few seasons when we were goal shy up front?

Surely giving mctominay a shot up front would have made just as much sense if not more so?

You saw Zirkzee's technique and McT's technique, right? Rashford's hold up play and Zirkzee's hold up play?

 

[Solius]

Watching Hojlund have such a good game to then see Zirkzee come on... he won a couple headers but everything to his feet he totally fluffed. Dud.

Which is weird because his weakness is his heading. Leaps like he’s got no hamstrings.

 

[FrankWhite]

Watching Hojlund have such a good game to then see Zirkzee come on... he won a couple headers but everything to his feet he totally fluffed. Dud.

Calm the F down. He's coming from the Italian to the English league. Clearly needs time settle. For the season he'll do a job. Even if it's helping us not burnout Rasmus.

 

[PoTMS]

Which blind fecker was it that said he reminds them of Ronaldinho?

 

[astracrazy]

Absolutely tragic. Worse signing than Antony.

Whats that five or six, six yard box chances all missed?

And his off the ball play. Christ. Looks lost. No idea why we signed this guy.

 

[Red Royal]

The lad needs to somehow get a bit quicker.... somehow

 

[Sandikan]

You saw Zirkzee's technique and McT's technique, right? Rashford's hold up play and Zirkzee's hold up play?

Are you still trying to argue Zirkzee has some sort of incredible technique?
Even when struggling to control a ball 2cm ahead of him?

 

[Tony247]

A game to forget for him.

 

[astracrazy]

A game to forget for him.

Compared to the others?

 

[FrankDrebin]

Which blind fecker was it that said he reminds them of Ronaldinho?

 

[Roux]

It's like he comes on to the pitch from a long night's sleep. How is this acceptable? Absolute liability.

 

[Red00012]

Which blind fecker was it that said he reminds them of Ronaldinho?

I said he’s our new Fellaini and I stans by it. Not really sure where he fits in this starting 11. Similar to Mount

 

[Stadjer]

Absolutely tragic. Worse signing than Antony.

Whats that five or six, six yard box chances all missed?

And his off the ball play. Christ. Looks lost. No idea why we signed this guy.

Surely his off the ball play cant be that bad if he does get five or six, six yard box chances?

 

[Ekeke]

Started terribly, improved to be okay

 

[BarryWinks]

Which blind fecker was it that said he reminds them of Ronaldinho?

Someone said that??? The only person he reminds me off is a slower, less interested Martial, with an out of proportion upper body, which makes him appear even more disinterested.

 

[astracrazy]

I said he’s our new Fellaini and I stans by it. Not really sure where he fits in this starting 11. Similar to Mount

Why? Because of his hair? Thats about where the comparison stops....and thats saying something.

 

[Leftback99]

Gets worse by the game. Plays at walking pace without a fraction of the ability to justify it.