Manchester United fans made their discontent loud and clear on Monday night, as Joshua Zirkzee became the focal point of their discontent during a insipid first half against Newcastle United.
The Red Devils were completely outplayed and found themselves 2-0 down at home, with Newcastle not only scoring twice, but also having another goal disallowed for offside, while hitting the woodwork in a decidedly one-sided first half. unique.
In response, coach Ruben Amorim opted for a tactical change, calling on Kobbie Mainoo to replace Zirkzee just 32 minutes after kick-off. The move was intended to strengthen a midfield that had been vastly outplayed.
As Zirkzee left the pitch, he was greeted by a chorus of applause which quickly turned into a cacophony of whistles, signaling the fans’ displeasure with the Dutch striker. Remarkably, instead of taking a seat on the bench, Zirkzee appeared to put on a coat and headed towards the tunnel, reappearing moments later.
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In his short time on the pitch, Zirkzee struggled to get noticed, registering just 14 touches, completing barely three passes and earning one foul, failing to create or convert a single shooting opportunity.
This match marked only his seventh Premier League start this season, with Rasmus Hojlund generally favored to fill the starting number 9 role. Despite Zirkzee’s previous tally of three goals in nearly 700 minutes of league play, his performance this evening left something to be desired.
Amorim’s decision to replace Zirkzee had little immediate effect, with Newcastle continuing to create the better chances, maintaining their 2-0 lead at half-time.
Commenting on the team’s performance, former player Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, lamented that this iteration of Manchester United was “the worst football team in the country in any category.” Meanwhile, pundit Jamie Carragher criticized Lisandro Martinez, who wore the captain’s armband in Bruno Fernandes’ absence, branding him “dreadful” in his half-time analysis.
