You have to wonder who sactioned this signing when what we really needed was a striker, we may only have paid 34m but thats still more than we would probably get back if we sold him next summer.
11
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 48
- Goals
- 7
- Assists
- 2
- Yellow cards
- 2
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
You have to wonder who sactioned this signing when what we really needed was a striker, we may only have paid 34m but thats still more than we would probably get back if we sold him next summer.
In that case, Villa did a great job.
A loan swap with our misfit Douglas Luiz and we have a deal
I mean, Luiz here cannot get minutes because Serie A has too many CMs with his skills and almost all smarter than him. And he was the best CM in PL last year, really??
Yeah maybe he was the best CM in the PL in the pool that Juve are shopping at. Definitely was not top CM in the league, there are a few better than him.
Rodri, Rice, Maccalister, Bissouma, Caceido.. but like I said those are all players Juve wouldn't get near so in the range where Juve were looking for, he was the best.
I think the timing of his movement is pretty good and he has a good idea of where to be in the box. He's been getting chances and half chances whenever he plays, more than Hojlund funnily enough- even though the common narrative is that the Dane doesn't get enough service. Zirkzee just isn't anywhere near as decisive in front of goal
Seems like he's simply trying to get his attempts on target and isn't particularly worried about power & placement- which to me is a sign of low confidence. Will need time to adjust mentally & physically.
Seems like he's simply trying to get his attempts on target and isn't particularly worried about power & placement- which to me is a sign of low confidence. Will need time to adjust mentally & physically.
Would like to see him in a 4-4-2. In our 4-3-3 we do not have enough players in the box (our weakness). Bruno or one of our wingers should support im in the box and create more movement. Our static 4-3-3 is poison for every striker.
Is it not his job to get in the box?
All the hate he's been getting had been pretty wild! He's has a couple of good games and a couple of bad ones give him a chance and he will settle.
Yes, but it hard to get the ball, if you are marked by 2 or 3 defenders. Another body in the box would cause more trouble.
I think we make too many excuses for our strikers.
I think INEOS went for him because he was arguably the highest rated young False 9 in the world.
We now have two strikers of two moulds that we can utilise depending how we want play in a particular match.
As others have said about Hojlund who is a more traditional number 9 - playing him with inverted forwards doesn't make tactical sense because he needs creativity to become a poacher type striker.
On the other hand Zirkzee is going to be better with Inverted forwards because he can interlink the play and make passes from deep as a False 9.
The biggest mistake Ten Hag is making in my opinion is that he is making Zirkzee press as a traditional striker (the way Hojlund does).
Making a False 9 press high especially next to another 10 in 442 shape alongside Bruno is quite questionable.
I also think Van Nistelrooy was bought more to improve Zirkzee than Hojlund especially when you consider how predatory RVN was.
We now have two strikers of two moulds that we can utilise depending how we want play in a particular match.
As others have said about Hojlund who is a more traditional number 9 - playing him with inverted forwards doesn't make tactical sense because he needs creativity to become a poacher type striker.
On the other hand Zirkzee is going to be better with Inverted forwards because he can interlink the play and make passes from deep as a False 9.
The biggest mistake Ten Hag is making in my opinion is that he is making Zirkzee press as a traditional striker (the way Hojlund does).
Making a False 9 press high especially next to another 10 in 442 shape alongside Bruno is quite questionable.
I also think Van Nistelrooy was bought more to improve Zirkzee than Hojlund especially when you consider how predatory RVN was.
That fact that he was second in Seria A last season for possessions won in the final third is bonkers. I just don’t see any urgency or bite in him.
None of them will agree to obligation to buy.
Because the average fan believes they are making accurate assessments, but it's usually not the case.
Do you think it takes an expert to determine if a player like Antony for example isn't good enough, or cut out for this league? Obviously you're right in most cases, but sometimes a player can be so badly out of their depth that the average fan can identify it.
I read the feedback from our scouts was he was a £25 million player. It was the manager who convinced Murtough to go balls deep for him
The scouting department assessed Antony as a £25m player and I'm sure his weaknesses were correctly highlighted by them as well.
However, that signing was famously the one (along with Casemiro if I'm not mistaken) where common sense was ignored after the Glazers personally got involved in our recruitment out of panic after the opening two defeats vs Brighton and Brentford in August 2022. This is all according to The Athletic, so I think we can consider them facts.
Totti just this weekend claimed the current standard of Seria A he could still play.
Obviously tongue in cheek but it tells you all you need to know if an Italian legend is saying it.
Fenerbahce 1:1 Man Utd
Grab the popcorn.
Bebe levels of quality.
Bebe levels of quality.
Ooof, he was bad today.
Please, please sell him. He's not good enough for us and he never will be. Besides, he's not the type of striker I want to see starting at United. Beyond awful.
Ah man..
How much did he cost again..?
Epitome of a nothing player.
Atalanta really did amazing business. How such a shite player cost us so much is actually a mystery
What a start he had versus Fulham, since then all been a bit Meh
Ten Hag has no idea how to use seemingly any type of striker. Just throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks whether Zirkzee or Hojlund. Neither one capable of being the lion we need and he risks ruining both of them by putting them into this "system".
Why can I see what our scouts/manager can't. Why did we sign this guy?
Yeah, he's shit ain't he?
Antony levels.
Antony levels.
Made one 5 yard pass... Other then that, Jesus Christ.
Calm down. Lots of players throughout football history have struggled in their first 3 months in a dysfunctional team and eventually came good.
By your logic we would've sold Vidic and Evra by March of 2006.
Would like to see him play in a 4-4-2…….. for another club.
Redcafe
A bunch of Netherlands fans I met on holiday all agreed he wasn't good enough for us when I asked them.
They all really liked MdL.
Time wont make him a really good player.
Because there are business dealings behind doors we aren't aware of. Ain't no way the decision to spend so much on him was based solely on football
The ultimate luxury player, will look great against weak opposition but when you need fight and desire like Fenerbache away he's just not going to give you much.
Really poor, looked totally lost out there tonight. What the hell are our scouts doing.
I'm all for giving time but I'm not sure why we signed a player whose profile doesn't fit what the team want to play like?
This got me thinking, other than those two did we ever sign anyone who was shit for a while at the start and actually came good? Nani maybe.