Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United’s draw with Fulham highlighted some of the deficiencies in the squad.
With Benjamin Sesko out injured, Manchester United entered the game against Fulham without the only recognised striker in the squad.
Joshua Zirkzee is in his third season and has been unable to really show what kind of player he actually is. He’s not a player who can lead the line, nor is he a true creator.
It was no surprise that Zirkzee was left on the bench, but it was a little alarming to see Zirkzee brought on as United’s first substitute against Fulham.
Zirkzee has not scored a Premier League goal in 2026, and nobody has any faith that he will change that any time soon.
United brought him on with the team trailing 1-0. It came just days after a very poor substitute showing against Brighton in the Carabao Cup.
This was a game where it felt like United lacked options from the bench to really change things up and grab a goal. The fact that Zirkzee was the first option said a lot.
It highlighted the poor squad building under Ineos this past summer. It was obvious that Zirkzee should have been sold and replaced with a striker who was actually capable of scoring goals.
Benjamin Sesko entered pre-season with an injury problem, and it was always likely that he would not be able to stay fit during the campaign. United knew this and did not address it, and are now paying the price.
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How Joshua Zirkzee fared
Joshua Zirkzee played the final 13 minutes of Manchester United’s draw with Fulham. He managed only six touches.
He did play one immediate nice pass upfield with his first touch, but it did not come to anything.
His only impact was to allow Matheus Cunha a little more freedom as United reshuffled the attack, with Marcus Rashford also coming off.
But once again this was a listless attacking effort from the Dutchman, who was not a threat in open play or at set pieces.
Shea Lacey was the unused option
The real game changer who United left on the bench was Shea Lacey.
The teenager scored his first United goal in midweek, and would have been full of confidence. He is the type of exciting player who can conjure up a moment out of nothing.
Many felt that Lacey should even have been starting against Fulham. To not get any minutes at all is a major disappointment.