There were some winners from Ruben Amorim‘s first Manchester United team selection despite their 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town on the Portuguese boss’ debut in the Premier League – but there were almost certainly some losers, with Joshua Zirkzee set to suffer under the Dutchman after only being selected on the bench and performing dismally when he came on.
Against the odds, Amorim opted for Marcus Rashford up front despite Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund – the only natural striker available for selection – being selected on the bench. With Hojlund out of the side and Amorim’s preference for a focal point up front, it essentially leaves Zirkzee as their third-choice striker in a one-striker system and, essentially, he will be surplus to requirements. And with that in mind, it could well already be the end of his United career just four months after signing for the Red Devils.
Zirkzee’s Man Utd Performance vs Ipswich Lacking
The striker has been in poor form and today was no different
With Rashford starting against the Tractor Boys, it was only in the 68th minute when Zirkzee was introduced to the fore; yet at the same time, Hojlund was brought on for the born and bred Mancunian, with Zirkzee replacing Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes dropping in alongside Manuel Ugarte into the centre of midfield.
However, a late 20-minute cameo wasn’t enough for Zirkzee to strut his stuff and prove to Amorim that he is worthy of a place in the starting XI. Just one shot taken ended up in Row Z, much to the bemusement of Ipswich fans, and 14 touches of the ball in that time yielded just seven accurate passes – with the Dutchman losing possession five times and failing with a cross.
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