Joshua Zirkzee wanted the ground to swallow him up after being hooked off in the first half against Newcastle United.
Manchester United’s miserable December has finally come to an end with a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils were completely dominated by Newcastle with Alexander Isak and Joelinton scoring the goals for the visitors. It means United will finish 2024 in 14th position in the Premier League table.
Ruben Amorim could hardly believe what he was watching as United went a goal down within four minutes. He could only wait until the half-hour mark before making a change.
Joshua Zirkzee started in a No.10 position against Newcastle but endured a horrible start to the match and was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo. The £36m summer signing walked straight down the tunnel before re-emerging a few minutes later.
Joshua Zirkzee’s stats in Man United vs Newcastle
Ultimately, Amorim had no choice to make a change in the first half before the game ran away from his side.
It was Zirkzee who was sacrificed, and a glimpse at his match stats prove why Amorim made the right choice, even if it was a harsh decision to make.
| Minutes played | 33 |
| Touches | 14 |
| Passes completed | 33% (3/9) |
| Possession lost | 7 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Dribbles completed | 0 |
In his 33 minutes on the pitch, Zirkzee had lost possession seven times despite only making 14 touches.
Zirkzee has frustrated Amorim in previous matches, and one stat that will truly infuriate the United boss is that he only completed three of his nine passes attempted.
Losing possession sloppily is something Amorim has been eager to cut out at United but Zirkzee was the biggest culprit against Newcastle.
Gary Neville reacts to ‘brutal’ Joshua Zirkzee decision
Former United captain Gary Neville was commentating on United’s defeat and he admitted he felt sorry for Zirkzee after the substitution was made.
Via Sky Sports, Neville said: “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.”
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The reaction from the Old Trafford crowd was also picked up by journalist Anton Toloui, who said: “If I was Joshua Zirkzee I’d be furious with the crowd’s reaction to his name being held up by the fourth official.
“Cheers rang around Old Trafford when he was coming off and it wasn’t just because fans were happy to see homegrown talent Kobbie Mainoo.”
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