Ruben Amorim will have to make some tough squad decisions in 2025/26, especially if the transfer window continues to not go according to plan.
That would mean going into the next season with pretty much the same squad that finished 15th in the league and missed out on three trophy opportunities.
However, that doesn’t mean it was the true ability of the squad, so some internal improvement should definitely be expected, if only because it’s hard to get any worse.
Amidst that discussion, Ruben Amorim has been told that a problem position with two contenders should have a clear winner.
Harry Maguire of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's second goal with team mates Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim’s striker conundrum solved by Giuseppe Rossi
In an ideal world, Amorim wouldn’t have a striker conundrum by July 19, when United play their first pre-season game, against Leeds United in Sweden.
However, after striking out on Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres now close to Arsenal, United’s striker search is more hope than expectation.
It means that he might have to rely on Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund again, with the hope that the team’s holistic attack clicks, while Matheus Cunha and (potentially) Bryan Mbeumo add the goals.
If it’s a shootout between Zirkzee and Hojlund for the No. 9 spot, Amorim preferred Hojlund last season to the extent that Zirkzee was shifted to No. 10.
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However, Giuseppe Rossi, speaking to Flashscore, has stressed that Zirkzee’s best position is as a No. 9, and he’s a player with an even higher potential than Hojlund.
Rossi said: “I always root for Zirkzee, a player capable of playing on his own, but also capable of playing for the team. He is a nine, and that’s why I would like to see him a bit closer to the goal, where he can be in dangerous situations more often. I think that’s the most important thing.
“I hope the fans will be patient with Zirkzee. He is someone who can really make a difference. (Rasmus) Hojlund is young, good, but I don’t see him at the potential that Zirkzee can reach.”
Joshua Zirkzee vs Rasmus Hojlund is a tactical call
While Rossi is correct in saying that Zirkzee has shown glimpses of being a difference-maker, the call between choosing one over the other isn’t black and white.
That is because they are two completely different types of strikers, which makes it a tactical call instead of a judgment on their ability.
Hojlund would work better in a counter-attacking side where he can run the channels, stretch the defence, and create space for the wider players.
Zirkzee, on the other hand, is a master of close control and handling the ball against a deep block to unlock it with a moment of inspiration.
In an ideal world, the perfect United striker would be an amalgamation of the two, but since that’s not possible, Amorim will need to make this selection on a game-by-game basis.
That doesn’t mean one can’t push the other, which would benefit everyone involved. Amorim has been dealt a bad hand with United not signing a striker, but they need to make the best of it.