Ruben Amorim was far from impressed by one Manchester United star during the 1-0 win against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Manchester United edged past Newcastle with a 1–0 win in the Premier League, thanks to a brilliant volley from Patrick Dorgu.
Ruben Amorim raised eyebrows by lining United up in a 4-2-3-1 system, with Dorgu starting on the right flank. Eddie Howe reacted by having Aaron Ramsdale go down with an apparent injury, giving him the opportunity to relay tactical instructions to his team.
Newcastle began to grow into the contest after the stoppage, but they were caught out when Dorgu lashed home a volley from a long United throw-in, leaving Ramsdale with no chance. The goal gave United confidence, and they pushed on, creating further opportunities as both Dorgu and Matheus Cunha tested the Newcastle goalkeeper.
While Newcastle controlled much of the second half, United defended with intensity and commitment. Despite some questionable substitutions, they remained solid at the back and held firm to secure a hard-fought victory.
Amorim went ‘berserk’ at one United star vs Newcastle
United’s struggles in the second half were partly due to their failure to hold the ball, slow down the play and build their own attacks. Every time the ball went forward, they couldn’t hold onto it.
Amorim attempted to fix this issue by replacing Benjamin Šeško with Joshua Zirkzee early in the second half but it only got worse with the Dutchman leading the line.
Zirkzee only won one of his seven attempted duels and found it extremely difficult to keep possession when United played it into him and then he was not pressing enough either. That piled the pressure onto the backline.
According to Samuel Luckhurst, Amorim was ‘often going berserk’ at Zirkzee for his lack of pressing when Newcastle were attacking the Reds in the latter stages of the game.
Fans were also unimpressed by the 24-year-old’s cameo and he will be thankful that his teammates managed to get over the line with the 1-0 result. UtdDistrict provided Zirkzee with a 3/10 rating for his cameo.
Zirkzee needs to improve
Zirkzee has all of the attributes to be the perfect kind of striker to hold onto the ball and bring others into play, pushing his team up the pitch. He has the frame and technical ability but it just doesn’t seem to click for him.
The Dutchman struggles when the ball is played in the air and also sometimes tries to overplay rather than simply use his body to protect the ball.
Read More: Why Mason Mount came off vs Newcastle as Rúben Amorim confirms “felt something” problem
Zirkzee has struggled in games against Newcastle too. He was subbed in the first half at Old Trafford last season and suffered an injury in the away fixture.
He has shown how he can benefit the team in certain situations, but the forward must improve in his hold-up play against difficult defences if he wants a long-term future at United and in the Premier League.
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