WHAT IS ZIRKZEE POSITION AT MANCHESTER UNITED??? WILL HOJLUND BE BACKUP OR PAIRED UP WITH ZIRKZEE???
Joshua Zirkzee is Manchester United’s latest signing. The 23-year-old Netherlands international arrives from Bologna of Italy’s Serie A in a deal worth €42.5million and will form a key part of Erik ten Hag attacking plans for the upcoming season. The club views the Dutch forward as having a complementary and contrasting style to Rasmus Hojlund, the Denmark international striker signed last summer from another Italian side, Atalanta, but Zirkzee is more than a simple ‘plug and play’ option for his new employers. The most straightforward way for Ten Hag to use Zirkzee is as the center-forward, which would mean dropping Hojlund to the bench. The Dutchman’s appeal comes in his very rare skill set for a striker. Standing at 193cm, Zirkzee possesses all of the qualities for hold-up play you’d expect/hope of a man of that size, but he combines it with the technical and dribbling abilities of someone much shorter and with a lower center of gravity. His eye for a pass also means he can be something of a Swiss Army knife, offering multiple solutions to a manner of team-wide attacking issues at United. Zirkzee’s most outstanding talent comes through his dribbling. He is known for gliding past defenders after a feint (he enjoys faking a shot to commit a defender to a tackle before sauntering past them) or other skilful moves. Comfortable receiving the ball with his back to the goal, or when on the half-turn, and blessed with a high-quality first touch, if Andre Onana can find Zirkzee with direct goal kicks, he should work as a reference point for United’s other attackers to build around. His introduction to their starting XI should improve United’s ability to keep possession higher up the pitch and better guard against the chaotic counter-attack sessions that became commonplace in the second half of their 2023-24 season. Ten Hag will be particularly enthused about the varied runs his countryman makes as the central striker. Zirkzee, who has a fondness for playing with his socks low, meaning when in full flow he can resemble Jack Grealish in his Aston Villa days, can “do a bit of everything”, depending on what the team-mates around him need. Besides that, Zirkzee’s unique skill set has seen him deployed as a second striker or attacking midfielder for short periods of his career. Ten Hag may opt for this approach if he wishes to play very direct, having the newcomer hold the ball up while Rashford, Fernandes and Hojlund run beyond him. Think of this as an upgraded version of Wout Weghorst’s stint as the No 10 during certain parts of 2022-23, a handy Plan B for when Ten Hag wants to mix things up in a game rather than something to start them with.
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