Man Utd star 'at rock bottom' as Ruben Amorim tasked with saving player
The season is three months old and there are too many underperforming Manchester United players to count.
But of the stars who have seen regular minutes this season, perhaps none of them have found it tougher than Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman was signed for £36.5million from Bologna during the summer after a blistering campaign in Serie A.
And the early signs were promising when he netted a late winner against Fulham on his Premier League debut. Zirkzee found the net again - this time for his country - three weeks later, but he has now gone a staggering 16 consecutive games without a goal.
Related articles Man Utd release Ruben Amorim statement as five moves announced after taking over Man Utd's new coach has awkward history Amorim may want to keep on the down-lowAccording to The Mirror, Zirkzee is 'at rock bottom' and his confidence is 'shattered'. Picking him up and dusting him down will therefore be high on Ruben Amorim's priority list when he welcomes his full squad of United players back from international duty.
Former Sporting boss Amorim faces an awkward wait in the meantime, with many of his players jetting overseas and work permit issues preventing him from getting out onto the training pitch.
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Joshua Zirkzee was left out of the Netherlands' matchday squad on Saturday (Image: Getty) Stay up-to-date with the latest Man Utd news Join us on WhatsAppOur community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
And unlocking Zirkzee, who hit double figures last campaign, would be a big help. Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman called the confidence-sapped striker up to his latest squad before ruthlessly leaving him out entirely for Saturday's thumping win over Hungary.
After forcing Zirkzee to watch from the stands, Koeman said of the 23-year-old's lack of confidence: "I know the reason and I have my opinion about it - but I don't want to share this at the moment."
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Related articles Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim's 'most important' priority will delight Roy Keane Erik ten Hag left new Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim two welcome presentsZirkzee is in direct competition with Rasmus Hojlund for the lone starting role up top for United, and that is set to continue if Amorim implements his preferred 3-4-3 formation. It could get even more competitive if the new manager pushes to bring in Viktor Gyokeres, who couldn't stop scoring under him at Sporting.
Former Netherlands striker Wim Kieft is not overly positive about Zirkzee's prospects of finding success at Old Trafford. "I fear for his future at Manchester United," he said. "He was brought in by Erik ten Hag, but has hardly scored and lacks quality for the top level. Now a new manager comes in and if Ruben Amorim judges that he is too light and ineffective for United, things will get really difficult for Zirkzee."
Man Utd star 'at rock bottom' as Ruben Amorim tasked with saving player
Man Utd star 'at rock bottom' as Ruben Amorim tasked with saving player
Man Utd star 'at rock bottom' as Ruben Amorim tasked with saving player
Man Utd star 'at rock bottom' as Ruben Amorim tasked with saving player
Man Utd star 'at rock bottom' as Ruben Amorim tasked with saving player
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