Manchester United’s “private” thoughts on Joshua Zirkzee revealed following 33rd-minute substitution

Manchester United’s “private” thoughts on Joshua Zirkzee have been revealed following his 33rd-minute substitution against Newcastle United on Monday evening.

Manchester United’s woes continued as Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United cruised to a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford on Monday evening, piling further pressure on Rúben Amorim’s struggling side.

With Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte serving suspensions, Joshua Zirkzee stepped into the midfield, but United’s plans unraveled almost immediately. Alexander Isak opened the scoring for Newcastle with a well-taken header just four minutes into the game.

Joelinton added to United’s misery with another header in the 20th minute, leaving the hosts with a mountain to climb. In a desperate attempt to turn things around, Amorim made an early change, replacing Zirkzee with Kobbie Mainoo after just 33 minutes.

The second half saw a more determined United, with Harry Maguire nearly pulling one back when his header cannoned off the post. Despite their efforts, the home side failed to find a breakthrough, as Newcastle’s defence stood firm.

Howe’s men celebrated a well-earned victory, while Rúben Amorim and Manchester United were left to reflect on yet another sobering defeat in what has been a difficult season.

United’s “private” thoughts on Zirkzee revealed

There is a lot to dissect regarding United’s poor performance against Newcastle, with Amorim facing a barrage of questions and pressure from the media on Monday evening.

However, a lot of coverage has also highlighted Zirkzee’s substitution, with the player visibly upset after he was withdrawn before half-time, which is always a hard moment for a player to go through.

However, despite this moment, the Manchester Evening News have reported privately that United have supported Zirkzee before his substitution. It’s unlikely that one fixture will change this view.

The 23-year-old has scored four goals and provided just two assists in his opening 27 games for the club, failing to properly settle in and find a spot in Amorim’s new 3-4-3 system.

Beyond this, the report also states that United continue to be hopeful that alongside Zirkzee, the summer recruits Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte will be able to fulfil their potential at the club.

What Amorim said about Zirkzee’s substitution

After the full-time whistle, Amorim was asked why he chose to remove Zirkzee from the equation so quickly after the first half started, to which the head coach replied by emphasising that it was not a reflection on the player.

“I talked with Josh about that, because it’s important to express the message, but I’m always thinking about the team, and, in that moment, it was important for the team [for] Josh [to] go out.

“You have to think about the team and also, sometimes about the player, because the player is suffering. I was there a few years ago and I know that he wants [it], because I saw it during the week, and that’s the most important thing.”

Expanding on the tactical reasons for his decision, Amorim said: “I felt that the team was suffering another midfielder to have more ball, and then we start to have more ball with Kobbie Mainoo.

“It was really, really, really tough on me to do that [substitution].”

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