Joshua Zirkzee broke his year-long scoring duck in the league to set Man Utd on their way to break the Selhurst Park hoodoo.
The 2-1 win against Crystal Palace was the first time Man Utd have won at Palace’s ground since 2020, and they needed Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount to find their scoring boots for it.
Ruben Amorim cut a happy figure after the game, especially as the team showed intensity and aggression to overturn a deficit at a tough hunting ground for them.
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The Man Utd manager’s one comment about Zirkzee, however, was extremely interesting, as it gave an insight on who he thinks is the team’s most important player.
Ruben Amorim smiles
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Amorim praised Zirkzee after the game, and deservedly so, because he shrugged off a poor game against Everton, and a bad display against Palace till his goal, to make the difference.
Amorim said that he had asked the players to be more alive, noting Zirkzee’s aggressiveness is going for the duels and winning them.
What was most interesting was a throwaway comment that gave an insight into how he sees this team.
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When asked about the reason behind the improvement in the second half, he simply said, “When [Joshua] Zirkzee plays better, we play better.”
That is, in a vacuum, an endorsement of Zirkzee’s importance to the team, but considering the Dutch striker wasn’t even a starter until recently, it’s an insight into Amorim’s tactical model.
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This comment, combined with how United went about their transfer business in the summer, makes it clear that the ceiling of an Amorim team rests on one player – their striker.
Benjamin Sesko will decide Man Utd’s ceiling
Despite United having a glaring hole in defensive midfield, Amorim decided that a new striker was more important for him.
Amorim’s system is extremely reliant on the striker stitching the play together, either by bringing long balls down to get his teammates involved or finishing his chances clinically.
The striker in his system can’t simply be a poacher, as evidenced by his statement about Zirkzee.
Enter Benjamin Sesko, who Amorim has said will be United’s striker for “many, many years”.
Sesko has shown great fundamentals at Old Trafford so far, even if the goals haven’t started flowing, but the backing from Amorim, his signing in the summer, and the statement about Zirkzee all confirm that he’ll be the one to bring it all together.
If Sesko pans out ideally, Amorim’s system will click, and the team will go on a run. He will decide the ceiling of this team, whether it’s European qualification pretenders or Premier League contenders.
“When Zirkzee plays better, we play better” is not just a statement; it’s an insight into Amorim’s tactical model, of which Sesko will be a crucial part.