Former England manager Fabio Capello has explained why he thinks one Manchester United star has had a tough start to life at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United will return to action on Saturday when they travel to the St Mary’s for their Premier League clash against Southampton.
The Red Devils have had a mixed start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign, with United only collecting three points from a possible nine so far.
United kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford in August before Brighton clinched a late 2-1 victory at the Amex last month.
However, Erik ten Hag’s men suffered back-to-back defeats ahead of the September international break after losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Old Trafford this month.
United are 14th in the Premier League table after their opening three league matches, despite significantly reinforcing Ten Hag’s first-team squad this summer.
Capello on Man Utd star’s struggle
Former AC Milan and Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello has now opened up on the “struggling” Joshua Zirkzee after his move to Manchester United in the summer.
United agreed a deal worth £36.54m to bring Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkzee to Old Trafford from Serie A side Bologna in July.
The 23-year-old Dutch forward had an immediate impact on his debut after he climbed off the bench and scored a late winner against Fulham.
However, Zirkzee came off the bench in the defeat to Brighton and failed to make an impact before he was handed his first start against Liverpool.
The former Bologna man failed to capitalise on two clear-cut chances provided to him by Marcus Rashford in the defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Capello brought up Zirkzee’s struggles at United while discussing Italy star Federico Chiesa, who left Juventus in the summer and signed for Liverpool.
The 78-year-old Italian claimed that the Netherlands international has failed to make a bigger mark at Old Trafford so far due to Zirkzee playing with the “Italian intensity.”
Speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (via Football Italia), Capello said: “I think he [Federico Chiesa] has the right pace to play in the Premier League, while I’ve noticed that Zirkzee is struggling because he thinks he can still play with Italian intensity.”
Paul Scholes on Zirkzee’s arrival
Paul Scholes welcomed the addition of Joshua Zirkzee to the United squad, but he felt the club missed out on signing an “experienced centre-forward.”
“When I think about Manchester United, I think about brilliant centre-forwards,” he said on Sky Sports in July.
“I think they’ve had one young one last year in Rasmus Hojlund who they have had to rely on and it was a little bit unfair. He’s a young player, still learning the game.
“They’ve bought another young one [Zirkzee]… I would like to see an experienced centre-forward come and help with that and virtually guarantee goals.
“Whether that man is out there, I don’t know. But I think they need somebody who is proven and somebody who is proven and go on and be successful next year.”
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