Erik ten Hag slams Man United transfer criticism with brilliant Joshua Zirkzee comment

Erik ten Hag has subtly slammed criticism of Manchester United’s transfer activity with a brilliant comment about Joshua Zirkzee after victory over Fulham.

The Reds signed Bayern Munich duo Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui earlier this week, with both players making their debut against The Cottagers.

Those signings come after Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, who both joined earlier this summer.

Three of those four signings have either played previously for Ten Hag or are of Dutch nationality. This follows a theme which many have picked up on since the manager took charge at Old Trafford.

Criticism has come Ten Hag’s way due to several of those players, including £85 million Antony, failing to live up to expectations at Old Trafford.

However, after Joshua Zirkzee had his dream start at the club, scoring the winning goal against Fulham in front of the Stretford End, the United boss used it as an opportunity to hit back at that prior criticism.

Speaking about the impact of his new no.9, the manager made sure to point out that his nationality has nothing to do with his ability.

“It doesn’t matter if he’s Dutch, English or Russian or South American, he is a Manchester United player,” Ten Hag told reporters.

“It is very good for a striker to come into Manchester United and to score the winning goal in his first game.

“We are very happy with him; it is very pleasing, and we are very happy with him. It is also encouraging, and it will give him courage and belief – and for the fans. It is a very good start.”

Of course, criticism over this transfer strategy will quieten as long as the new recruits impress. Zirkzee, Mazraoui and De Ligt all look like smart signings for good prices.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.