Joshua Zirkzee’s misplaced lay-off was met with a telling groan. It was hardly Manchester United’s first unforced error of Sunday lunchtime, but it drew the most audible displeasure from the stands.
Footballing judgments are near instantaneous and, often, irreversible. Little by way of mitigation is offered, and there is rarely anyone sensible enough to point out that the financial exchange taking an individual from Club A to Club B is entirely out of the player’s hands.
In Zirkzee’s case, even a last-minute winner from the bench on debut had bought him little by way of a grace period. Just a couple of months into his time at Old Trafford, whispers of an impending January exit had already begun. Some, if not many, had written him off as an(other) Erik ten Hag flop. £36.5 million quid into a black hole.
Zirkzee can be great
Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United poses after signing for the club at Carrington Training Ground on July 14, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Zirkzee poses after signing in July(Image credit: Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)
And yet, as is football’s way, the same set of supporters were cheering with delight as Zirkzee doubled United’s lead over Everton just before the break. They roared again when he doubled his own tally a short while later.
By the time Zirkzee had completed 90 minutes for United (for only the second time), the narrative had completely shifted. Under Ruben Amorim, they muttered while descending the steps of the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, the boy can be great.
Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of Manchester United, reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Everton FC at Old Trafford on December 01, 2024 in Manchester, England.
Despite the scoreline, Amorim appeared far from fully satisfied, spending much of the afternoon bobbing between a crouch and a standing position(Image credit: Getty Images)
Zirkzee’s presence in Amorim’s starting line-up had raised a few eyebrows, with Rasmus Hojlund, after his Thursday night double, widely expected to continue through the middle.
"He is a talented player,” Amorim told Sky Sports before the game when asked why Zirkzee had been preferred. “He is a Manchester United player, and I think he's ready [to play] that position. I think we need the characteristics of Josh in this game; they have two centre-backs who are strong in the air, and I want [someone] more technical who can reach the ball in different areas. It's just an idea, let's see the result."
As managerial decisions go, it turned out rather well.
What Hojlund and Zirkzee offer differs markedly. Whereas the former plays off the shoulder, the latter uses his not-inconsiderable shoulders - he would not look out of place peeling off the blindside of a rugby scrum – to his advantage. He loves to drop deep, involving himself in a goal’s foundations. Hojlund is more of a hang-the-front-door kind of guy.
When United attacked on Sunday, Zirkzee would close the gap between himself, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, playing as a pseudo-eight to their pair of sixes. Left foot, right foot, one touch, two. He looked as comfortable as he did casual – not always a good thing in supporters’ eyes.
Zirkzee’s technical excellence was bred on the 5-a-side street courts of Holland, and then honed at Bayern Munich’s academy. Thiago Motta, Zirkzee’s coach at Bologna last season, suggested the forward had shades of Ronaldinho at his Barcelona peak to him. Quite the comparison.
His first goal was more difficult finish than it initially looked. Yes, Amad Diallo had caught Jarrad Branthwaite in possession, and yes, Bruno Fernandes had drawn Jordan Pickford out before squaring a pass. But under pressure from Ashley Young and knowing the reaction that would have met a miscue, Zirkzee finished emphatically with his left foot. Immediately, he wore a huge grin, and the reaction of his teammates was telling. Fernandes held him close, whispering in his ears. Footballers know when one of their own is having a torrid time, and they were clearly delighted.
Within 60 seconds of the second half starting Marcus Rashford had put United 3-0 up. To begin the move, Zirkzee had taken a touch with his knee and sent Amad racing away with a no-look, round the corner through ball. It was both brilliantly simple and simply brilliant.
Confidence breeds confidence, and Zirkzee would later use his right foot to calmly stroke in the game’s final goal.
“Josh did a great job,” Amorim told reporters afterwards. “It's always important for the confidence but more important than that is the performance, he fought in every situation so that was a good day for him and our team.”
And so, a day that began with protests at United’s unilateral decision to set a minimum ticket price of £66 (without concessions) for the remainder of the season, ended with smiles in December sunshine.
Amorim, ranked at no.11 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, was far from fully satisfied, spending much of the afternoon bobbing between a crouch and a standing position, gesticulating wildly, talking his players through where he wanted them to be, what he wanted them to do.
With a fixture list like United’s, training sessions for the next month will be sparse. The learning therefore has to happen in real-time. They are, though, once more playing with a smile. That can only be a good thing.