Is Zirkzee at Manchester United a flop? Joe Cole speaks out

Manchester, January 2, 2024 – When last July 14 Joshua Zirkzee he moved from Bologna al Manchester United he surely imagined a different story than the one he is experiencing now. The striker, in fact, has not yet managed to make a dent in the hearts of the Red Devils supporters, as demonstrated by the mere 1062 minutes played so far this season, spread over 27 appearances. Not even the change on the bench has made Zirkzee's season take off: both Ten Hague and Amorim, in fact, they have never completely relied on the Dutchman who, also due to the dualism with the former Atalanta hojlund, played just 41% of total minutes in Premier League, 40% in Europe League and 54% in Carabao Cup. It must be said, however, that in the early stages of the season the expectations were completely different. In his first appearance in the championship with the Red Devils, the former number 9 of the Bologna had found the winning goal against the Fulham, leaving us to expect something completely different from what has happened so far. In fact, the Dutchman quickly slipped further and further down the hierarchy, playing only bits of the game, sometimes as a starter and sometimes coming off the bench, practically never managing to express his real qualities. In the last match, in which the Manchester United lost at home against Newcastle, a breaking point has been reached, perhaps definitive, as regards Zirkzee's experience with the red devils' shirt. In fact, at 33', the striker was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo, without there being any physical problems, and during his exit from the field, the former Bologna number 9 was accompanied by whistles from the stadium. This is exactly what he intervened on Joe cole, former player, among other things, of Chelsea e Liverpool, who wanted to break a lance in favor of Zirkzee. "The fans express themselves at the weekend, after working hard all week. On the boos, I would say to Zirkzee that he has to accept it: I wouldn't do it and I wouldn't want my children to do it, but it's a question of the feelings of the fans", said Cole, who then wanted to give some advice to Manchester United fans: "Remember Of Maria? He was probably one of the best players of the last fifteen years, but when he arrived at Manchester United it looked like he had never played football. This happened because the atmosphere that the stadium creates can help a player, but it can also destroy him”.

Cole then highlighted how there have been a number of players who have failed at Manchester United over the years, partly because of their very vocal fans, and advised Zirkzee to work harder in training and make the most of the opportunities that come his way. However, the Dutchman's situation has not gone unnoticed by the rest of Europe, and there are plenty of clubs who would step in if Zirkzee's relationship with Manchester United were to deteriorate further.