Ruben Amorim singled out an individual who was key to the side’s second-half comeback after Manchester United’s 2-1 triumph over Crystal Palace.
Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace was a tale of two halves, a lacklustre first and a high-intensity second. Going in 1-0 down at the break, thanks to a retaken Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty, it was looking like it could be another disappointing result for Ruben Amorim’s side against a strong Palace side.
The Eagles were dominant in every area of the pitch during the first half. Adam Wharton completely outran both Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes in the centre of the park, and no doubt impressed United fans once again, who will be pushing for the signing of the 21-year-old.
However, despite making no changes at the break, United came out for the second half looking more dangerous and playing at a much higher intensity. Whether this is due to Palace playing in Europe on Thursday and tiring, or an inspired Ruben Amorim team-talk is unknown, but their intent was rewarded with two goals in the space of 10 minutes.
Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount both scored clever goals through set-pieces, which stunned fans around Selhurst Park for both sides due to Palace being so dominant in the first half. The Red Devils held onto the lead, securing three vital points and producing a needed second-half response off the back of Monday night’s defeat to Everton.
Ruben Amorim has praised the resilience of all his players, but singled out one individual who he felt displayed that extra bit of quality that United have desperately needed of late.
Amorim praises Zirkzee’s response in the second half
Zirkzee’s goal in the 54th minute was a moment of pure quality and a deserved reward for United’s bright start to the second half. Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick found Zirkzee, who skillfully brought the ball down and fired it past Dean Henderson on the volley from an extremely tight angle.
When Amorim was asked how United made such an improvement in the second period, the Portuguese coach said: “I think we have more intensity in the second half, we play better in the second half, and the opponent in the second half was more tired, so is everything connected.
But again, the small things, the way that Josh controls the ball in the second half was different, the way we defend second balls was different, so these small details make the difference, and then the talent in front, we scored two.”
Although he has not been at the forefront of Amorim’s plans, the United boss was full of praise for Joshua Zirkzee: “It’s so important for a striker to score goals, he’s not playing many minutes, but the way he responds in the second half is really important. It’s more important than just the goal.
Again, the small details, to win one first ball, for us to win the second ball, the connection, that is so important for our game and the goal is really important for the team and for him.”
The Dutchman has struggled for minutes under Amorim and has shown obvious signs that he is lacking match sharpness recently. Still, his goal and second-half performance today will fill him with confidence, which will be vital as it looks like Zirkzee will play an important role in the squad whilst Benjamin Sesko is out injured.
How important is Zirkzee to United with AFCON approaching
Injuries very rarely, if ever, result in any positives for the player or club in general, but a case could be made that Benjamin Sesko’s injury has provided an opening in the team for Zirkzee to gain valuable minutes and build confidence leading up to this year’s AFCON.
The absence of Bryan Mbuembo and Amad will reduce United’s already-thin attacking options, which is why the players available to Amorim must be match-ready and seamlessly fit into the side.
Zirkzee is a player who has been pushed aside by both management and fans, with a move away from Old Trafford looking the most likely option and a possible return to Serie A. However, since Sesko’s injury, Zirkzee has started back-to-back games and although unimpressive against Everton, his second-half performance against Palace shouldn’t go unnoticed.
The number 11 must keep working to build his match sharpness, and if he continues to pick up goals for the side, the Dutch striker could see his temporary spot in the team transition into a more permanent role. Especially with AFCON quickly approaching, I would not be surprised if we see Joshua Zirkzee become a key player for Amorim over the winter period.
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