Joshua Zirkzee was visibly upset after being ruthlessly substituted by Ruben Amorim just 33 minutes into Manchester United’s humiliating defeat to Newcastle.
Trailing by two goals, Amorim decided to take off the Dutch striker in an attempt to counter the Magpies’ dominance at Old Trafford. Kobbie Mainoo replaced Zirkzee, much to the home supporters’ approval. ..Continue Reading
As Zirkzee left the field, the crowd roared. The £36 million summer signing appeared stunned by the early substitution and headed straight for the tunnel before eventually sitting on the bench.
Reports from beIN Sports and Sky Germany indicate that Zirkzee was seen in tears in the tunnel after being jeered by United fans.
This scene elicited some sympathy from former United captain Gary Neville.
As boos rang out when Zirkzee’s number went up, Neville remarked in his commentary: “I have to feel sorry for him. He has basically been cheered off by his own fans and that is brutal. I’ve not seen that too many times at Old Trafford. It’s a brutal one for him. I don’t suspect he went back to get a Lucozade,” reports the Mirror.
Post-match, United’s manager sought to justify his choice to start ex-Bologna star Zirkzee and his quick hook. The 39-year-old manager explained he needed more presence in midfield.
Amorim said: “Joshua is our player and we wanted more power in front. We’re often conceding the first goal from set pieces so we had more guys for set pieces.
“We are trying to cope with every problem in the team, but sometimes we have a lot of problems. So you push on one side and you leave the other one open.”
Delving into the tactical switch, he said: “You have to think about the team, and sometimes about the player. The player is suffering and I was there myself a few years ago.
“I felt he and the team were suffering during the game and we needed another midfielder. It was tough on me to do that and I’ve talked with Josh about that because it’s important to relay the message.”
On the topic of Zirkzee’s reaction to being substituted and acknowledging the player’s initial decision to head down the tunnel, Amorim added: “He wants to be [there] and then he returns in the second half.
