Joshua Zirkzee is Man United 's first contract this summer for a fee of 42.5 million Euros. He is considered a player with a contrasting playing style but will greatly complement Rasmus Hojlund in attack. It is no coincidence that Erik ten Hag and his colleagues targeted Zirkzee because the Dutch striker possesses many qualities that Man United seriously lacks in attack.
Zirkzee started and Hojlund was a substitute
One of the easiest ways to arrange is for the rookie from Bologna to play the role of "number 9" and Hojlund will become the trump card on the bench. The 23-year-old star is 1.93 m tall and has the ability to press and fight well in the air. Not only that, he is also very skillful in dribbling situations. Another highlight that Zirkzee showed in the Bologna shirt is his good passing skills, helping him be an important factor in the "Red Devils'" attacks and counterattacks.
Zirkzee can play with his back to the opponent's goal to receive the ball, thereby developing for his teammates or turning around to find a finishing angle. This is something that Man United strikers last season such as Antony, Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho or Rasmus Hojlund himself could not do. If he receives a direct kick from Andre Onana, Zirkzee can completely make a wall to release the ball back to his teammates.
If Zirkzee does well, controlling the ball in the opponent's half will become easier for Man United. This is what Ten Hag always wanted but last season his team could not do it. Even when choosing to play defensive counter-attack, Man United still lacks a connection point for the ball in the forward line. With a diverse set of skills, Zirkzee is expected to meet many of Ten Hag's strategies in the near future.
One of Zirkzee's weaknesses when playing "number 9" is his ability to choose sensitive positions in the penalty area. The Dutch striker had difficulty moving from outside the penalty area to choose a good position, thereby catching cross passes or short-range returns. To be able to score more goals, instead of doing well outside the penalty area, Zirkzee needs to improve in this area.
Zirkzee and Hojlund play as strikers
At the end of last season, there were many matches where Ten Hag used the 4-2-2-2 formation. With this way of playing, every time MU actively holds the ball to attack, if the ball is deployed on any wing, that wing striker will penetrate deeper into the opponent's penalty area, the other player will step back to support the 2nd line shot. necessary.
This is the system that has helped Man United fight counter-attacks better and Zirkzee can also do his best, which is to hold the ball to attract the opponent, thereby creating space for his teammates to move. If this system is operated, captain Bruno Fernandes will have to move to the wing more when the highest position in midfield at that time belongs to Zirkzee or Hojlund.
The weakness of this way of playing is that when the two wings cross the ball into the penalty area, Hojlund and Zirkzee can take a lot of time to choose their position because they have to run from outside the penalty area to inside. With the high speed of the Premier League, if the inside is just 1 second late, the passers on the wing will not be able to cross and will be forced to keep the ball. At that time, the attack can be eliminated immediately.
The position "number 10" can also be taken into account
Holding the ball well and kicking well outside the penalty area allows Zirkzee to operate in coverage. If placed in the highest position in midfield, Zirkzee can hold the ball and create pressure, thereby helping Rashford, Bruno and Garnacho to advance. Meanwhile, Hojlund will create chaos inside the opponent's penalty area.
During the time Wout Weghorst played for Man United, Zirkzee's fellow striker also often sat deep to hold the ball and act as a foundation for his teammates. If Zirkzee and Hojlund are blocked, this could be an option to give the rest a chance to shine.
Everything in theory suits Zirkzee but the Premier League is completely different from Serie A in terms of intensity and speed. Many players have emerged in tournaments other than England or are overwhelmed at England's highest level playground.
Man United is betting on Zirkzee's youth because they have no backup plan anymore after spending all their transfer budget on attack for the former Bologna star.
