Joshua Zirkzee has yet to settle at Manchester United and reports linking him with a return to Italy never seem far away.
It doesn’t help when there is talk in the background around moves, especially when a player is trying to adapt to new surroundings.
Zirkzee’s challenge has been made a bit more difficult by the change of manager too. Erik ten Hag was the man who signed him, but now we’ll see whether Ruben Amorim is a fan or not.
First impressions are important in football and Zirkzee’s first substitute cameo under Amorim has far from impressive. He just looked passive and it was at a time when United needed a goal.
Reports claim the 23-year-old has instructed his representatives to seek a new club in January, just months after landing at Old Trafford from Bologna.
According to the Manchester Evening News, United chiefs share serious doubts about Zirkzee, despite making him the first summer signing in a £36.5 million deal.
That is an expensive deal to give up on after just four months.
Zirkzee scored a late winner in his Premier League debut against Fulham but has not managed to score in 17 games since then. It’s a worrying record that can only end by scoring goals.
With Marcus Rashford starting up front in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town, Zirkzee appears to find himself pushed further down to pecking order at United.
But all players will get a chance to impress the new head coach. Amorim will be keen to see if he can make use of Rasmus Hojlind and Joshua Zirkzee and we may even get to see them line-up together other than when we’re chasing a goal.
Joshua Zirkzee needs to find consistency in his game
Zirkzee came on against Ipswich and ballooned his one effort over the bar.
Former United winger Lee Sharpe has called upon Amorim to get the best out of Zirkzee, saying (via the Express): “I don’t think he’s out of the running in the team yet. He’s still new to the club. He’s not been there long at all.
“I think he’s still got to find his consistency and find his game – and to do that, he’s got to play regularly. I think there is a proper player in there. I think he reads the game really well.
“He gave the ball away a little bit sloppily last night [against Ipswich] at times, but [you can] probably put that down to maybe coming on a little bit cold in what was a pretty high-paced game at times.
“But he’s got an amazing touch. He reads the game really well. I think he’s really good at one touch, putting people in and creating chances for people.
“So I think there’s definitely a player in him. And yeah, I think it’s down to the manager to find his best position and get him the ball as often as you can to feed others.”
Exactly right, Lee: patience required – from all parties. Board, Manager, and Fans. United scouts must have been impressed by what they saw of Zirkzee to have recommended signing him, and those abilities won’t have disappeared. New Manager, new ideas, new system, it all takes time. Patience, patience, patience, as Mourinho didn’t say.