In round 5 of the Premier League, Man United faced Crystal Palace. In this match, coach Ten Hag chose striker Joshua Zirkzee to start, instead of the duo Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.
Man United continued to have a poor day, when they were held to a 0-0 draw by their opponents. However, Zirkzee had a not-so-bad day. He was the one who created the best chance for Alejandro Garnacho, with an extremely delicate pass.
Zirkzee is also the glue that holds Man United together. According to statistics, the Red Devils successfully passed 91 out of 124 passes (73%) in the opponent's half when the Dutch rookie appeared on the field. After Zirkzee left the field, M.U only successfully passed 17 out of 28 passes (60%).
However, BBC football pundits have suggested that United's move for Zirkzee has been ineffective. Danny Murphy told Match of the Day: "I think they've made some decent defensive signings, but none that have addressed their lack of goals. They were the lowest scoring team in the top half of the table last season and they've gone for Zirkzee. He's too young and not a goalscorer."
Ashley Williams agrees. “Does Zirkzee get you 20 goals a season? He’s the only attacking addition. That’s what they were missing last season. Palace held them back and Man United had a few good balls. But they almost lost the game. It’s like last season, who’s going to score for them?”
