“Illogical signing” – Man United urged to replace a player who struggled against Sunderland | OneFootball

Manchester United have been told to part ways with Joshua Zirkzee, who wasted an opportunity to prove his worth against Sunderland.

The Red Devils have already qualified for the next edition of the Champions League and are practically guaranteed a Top 3 finish. However, the club’s supporters were still hoping to witness quality football on Saturday afternoon.

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But sadly for the Reds who tuned in, Man Utd produced what some considered the club’s worst display under Michael Carrick. The Black Cats had the upper hand for the bulk of the game, with MUFC constantly relying on Senne Lammens.

The Belgian’s saves were worth a point, with the game ending in a disappointing stalemate.

Joshua Zirkzee squanders a rare starting chance

The Man Utd head coach took the opportunity to deploy some of the players who featured less in recent months, namely Mason Mount, Noussair Mazraoui, and Zirkzee.

The Dutch striker may have warranted his chance after an impressive late cameo against Liverpool last Sunday. However, the 24-year-old looked out of sorts on Saturday.

Zirkzee even frustrated Bruno Fernandes on a couple of occasions in the first half, as the captain was spotted moaning at him.

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The former Bologna star was the first United player to be hooked in the second half, making way for Patrick Dorgu in the 65th minute, with Matheus Cunha transitioning to the striker role.

As Statman Dave points out on his popular X account (formerly X), Zirkzee only won one of his three ground duels on Saturday and three of his aerial duels.

The analyst argues that it is past time for Man Utd to offload the Netherlands international and bring in another centre-forward.

The Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst echoes this sentiment, as he describes Zirkzee as an ‘illogical signing’.

“Zirkzee off for Dorgu. Zirkzee an illogical starter and an illogical signing,” he posted on X.

Has Zirkzee run out of time at Man Utd?

Zirkzee might be a fan favourite at Old Trafford, but his exploits have been too few and far between over the past campaigns.

The versatile attacker’s lack of time this season certainly didn’t help his case, but his inability to convince his managers (first Ruben Amorim and then Carrick) to field him more often is telling enough.

Luckily for the Bayern Munich youth product, he still has several suitors among Italy’s biggest clubs. In an exclusive interview with Stretty News, former Man Utd assistant coach, Rene Meulensteen, advised him to find himself a new club that guarantees him more playing time.

United spent £36.5 million to acquire the Dutchman’s services from Bologna in the summer of 2024. He has thus far made 73 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals and providing four assists.