Joshua Zirkzee | signed for Manchester United
- Thread starter Hansi Fick
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) are here to talk about United's dreadful home defeat at the hands of Big Ange's Tottenham Hotspur. Should this have been the end of Ten Hag? How long does he actually have left? And does Nik finally want ETH out?!
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The point is they make mistakes too. They did the same with Hummels then were forced to buy him back expensively down the line. And he hadn't left much of a dent like Zirkee beyond being full of outstanding potential on them
His loan spell at Swansea was incredibly underwhelming and that’s stuck in peoples minds.
That’s true. He made 12 appearances for Swansea back in 2017 when he had just turned 20. Injuries cut his loan spell to about 4 months. He’s turning 25 soon and seems to have matured very well. People should learn to move on or maybe at least reassess after 5 years.
Meh.
Be better off signing Che Adams.
Be better off signing Che Adams.
Hindsight is 20/20. It was the correct decision to let Hummels go to Dortmund at that time.
True. Point is just because it suits a Bayern to let you go. Don't mean you finished. I believe if Zirkee does fulfill his tremendous potential he ends up a proper elite player. A lower club will give him a better chance of getting there than Bayern with Mane and Mathys in tow
I'm sure I saw us linked to him somewhere? Apparently impressing in Italy?
He is, but I have my doubts it’s because of the system Thiago Motta uses at Bologna.
Don't think we should be signing god-kings, too much baggage.
In what way? I'd know nothing about Bologna
Here’s a good article about their style of play.
https://theanalyst.com/eu/2024/01/thiago-motta-bologna-transformation/
My worries about Zirkzee is that I’m not sure if this is just a purple patch, he only scored 2 goals last season for Bologna and has 9 in total in Serie A.
sounds like a pokemon, do not want.
He doesn’t look like a goalscorer based on this clip vs Juventus. More like a false 9 type of striker who comes deep providing link.
You're alright thanks.
I'd prefer him to Malen
Wonder kid who fell away and now looks to be going some way to fulfilling his potential. Almost doing the route Todibo took as they take a step down to get consistent playing time. The talent is there and it could be a good option for us as a striker to rotate with Hojlund. He'll bring different characteristics as his hold up play is better, great at coming deep and contribuing to play and good feet in small places within the box. I like the idea of him or Dominic Solanke in the summer to replace Martial. First prize would be Victor Boniface but Zirkzee is definitely a good shout.
Two pretty awful options. But, I suppose that's the level of player we'll be looking at in January.
What are you basing this on? Everything I’ve read lately about Zirkzee suggests he’s doing very well and made some real progress especially in the last few months.
Sadly, but I think Zirkzee has a much more unknown ceiling and a profile we're missing in the CF position. Malen may be more effective, but seems like the kind of player we'll just be tearing our hair out with most of the time.
Well I've seen him play a-few times and have been extremely underwhelmed by him. He had a lot of hype in his younger years but doesn't appear to have become anything special.
But from a broader perspective regarding what Manchester United need right now? Yeah, signing a 22 year old striker that doesn't appear to be an out-and-out goalscorer certainly isn't what we need in this window. He looks the type that can bring others into the game etc. but unfortunately we don't have the quality out wide for that kind of player to be a priority. Right now we need a clinical CF, and there's nothing to suggest that he's one.
If it's a choice between the two then yeah, it's Zirkzee. But I don't feel he's the profile of player that we need right now.
Oh for sure I'd much prefer a more clinical player, but from a squad building and options perspective, he seems like he brings more link up play to our game. What we kind of expected Martial to do if he could ever stay fit. Also has potential to be worth more far more than rumoured fee, so unless we take a much bigger gamble from a weaker league, the seems relatively good value.
I don’t think you need high profile players. I think you just need good players that fit a coherent style. Wether Zirkzee can be that player is beyond my judgement. But I really believe this hunting United does for elite talent is doomed to fail, as long as it is t part of a broader strategy.
Gotta catch’em all!! (Eredivisie/dutch players that is)
Malen and Zirkzee.
How depressing. It's the £1 bin at the Blockbuster Video store isn't it?
How depressing. It's the £1 bin at the Blockbuster Video store isn't it?
It's nothing to do with being high profile. We are terrible in front of goal and need to go for someone who has more clinical attributes.
He's been discussed in the Dutch press a bit lately because he's doing so well for Bologna this season - who are even competing for CL places right now. But my impression is also that he's more of all-rounder than an out-and-out goal scorer. I don't see how that would help United. I mean, it'd be a decent replacement for Martial if he left, but I wouldn't think United need another young striker that doesn't score loads of goals.
Anyway, United have been linked with every half-decent Dutch player ever since Ten Hag joined. Most of that is likely nonsense (rumours spread by agents to raise their players' profiles or simply made up), so who knows who United are actually interested in.
Would rather have Mathys Tel.
How about it, Bavarians?
How about it, Bavarians?
He's always been a good all-round player, as a youth prospect. He also scored a decent amount of goals at that level. He's now adding more goals to his game at senior level, which I think he will continue to do. He may never be prolific, which isn't a huge train smash if Hojlund becomes the more prolific player. With Rashford expected to be our no 2 scorer, an all-round player like Zirkzee as a no 2 striker option is a good option. He won't command huge wages or transfer fee and given that they are not any prolific older strikers about, we are going to have to gamble somewhat on a striker to replace Martial. Like I said, Boniface would be my favourite option followed by Solanke. Bournemouth may as for 50m which could rule Solanke out, so Zirkzee probably comes into play more for us.
During his tenure at Ajax, ETH played both false 9 with Dušan Tadić and prolific goalscorer with Sebastien Haller, so it wouldn’t be bad to have Zirkzee as direct replacement for Martial, along with a more prolific striker in Hojlund as our two options.
How about some gently used Sarr?Would rather have Mathys Tel.
How about it, Bavarians?
No.
He will be a beast for someone in the near future
Whilst I fondly remember the days of 4 top strikers, not sure that signing another striker especially another young one is any sort of a solution, ETH is only going to play one striker so would just be a like for like swap, not like Rasmus is not capable or trying he isn't getting service, anyone else coming in will likewise lack service, better to address the inadequacies of the system and tactics, although would love to see us return to playing with 2 strikers but first we need somebody who can actually produce a decent cross
My limited understanding of Zirkzee is that he’s a pretty versatile forward and offers something quite different to Højlund. He
seems more technically gifted, likes to drop deep, links play really well, carries the ball really well, as well having the same physical attributes to Hojlund. Reminds me a bit of a Kolo Muani type forward in that sense. He can also play as a second striker so potentially could play alongside a Hojlund too.
At the rumoured £35m release clause, I really like him. My number 1 choice in that sort of price range would Gimenez at Feyenoord still who would be more of a like for like rotation with Hojlund, but if Gimenez wants to go somewhere as the undisputed/guaranteed no.9 (ie. Not us) then I think Zirkzee would be my next choice at that price level.
A Zirkee makes loads of sense as competion and cover for Rasmus. They'd push each other to greatness
A chance it could be us in the summer IF we actually have interest of course
Signing two low scoring young strikers just doesn’t seem particularly sound.
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