Joshua Zirkzee as a false nine makes sense for Man Utd – opinion

Stretty News

·25 de abril de 2025

Joshua Zirkzee as a false nine makes sense for Man Utd – opinion

A lot is made of all of the aspects that have gone wrong at Manchester United this season.

André Onana has given up a number of howlers, and the team seemingly can’t find a way to put the ball in the back of the net. A lot of what has plagued the club is a poor transfer history.

Vídeos OneFootball

Joshua Zirkzee needed to be a bright spot for the club. Instead, he has struggled throughout most of 2024-2025. With Bologna, the Dutch striker scored 12 goals and had six assists. During all competitions with United, he has seven goals and two assists.

Overall struggle within the grounds

In general, the team isn’t playing well. Being a good forward requires good service. Despite the limited opportunities and often shocking lack of possession, he is fortunate enough to play with Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder does an excellent job of creating goal-scoring opportunities for himself and others.

Yet somehow, the chances didn’t fall. And the lack of conversions left many frustrated. With that being said, Zirkzee was starting to look more comfortable in Amorim Ruben’s 3-4-3. He appeared to have turned something of a corner. Unfortunately for him, a hamstring injury against Lyon ended his season early.

There were signs of encouragement before that, though. Even despite the lack of overall production from the Man Utd attack, the play itself was starting to look better. More importantly, players seemed more confident in the new system. Those on the pitch started to feel more comfortable in their roles.

Insightful remarks from former Dutch international

Part of the explanation as to why Zirkzee began to pick up steam as the campaign came to an end could potentially be found in the past. While speaking with BesteOnlineCasinoNederland, former Dutch international Roy Makaay spoke on what he witnessed from the centre forward firsthand:

I have known Joshua for a while, as he played in the youth team at Feyenoord when I worked at the academy there. While he always played as a striker at the time, he was transformed into a false nine during his time at Bologna.

No longer quite the out-and-out striker, Zirkzee is more of a false No. nine. As the matches went on, it was clear that playing deeper suited him better. He was still sometimes asked to be the lone striker. His play, however, looked better with the likes of Rasmus Højlund or Chido Obi up top.

What Man Utd can build on when Zirkzee returns

Zirkzee understands when to drop into space and make himself available for good link-up play. Then, when he receives the ball to feet, a nutmeg is always on the menu for the opposing defender. His craftiness and technical ability lend themselves to someone who needs to be given something of a free license. A manager shouldn’t expect him to be a target forward.

He can be someone who stands between the posts and poaches. The team can’t take advantage of his skill set as a traditional striker. Although the words from Makaay suggest that Zirkzee can and will be able to serve in either function and score at the required level, it appears his more natural fit is part of the current career track that the Dutch international is on.