What Ruben Amorim told Joshua Zirkzee about how he has to improve, his critical moment is almost here

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Joshua Zirkzee will be hoping to kickstart his season over the next month for Manchester United.

While a contributory factor, a lack of European football is not the only reason for a lack of starts for Joshua Zirkzee in Manchester United’s attack.

Zirkzee missed pre-season, and the arrival of three new attacking signings has forced him down the pecking order.

Now with Benjamin Sesko injured for up to a month, Zirkzee has a window of opportunity to stake his claim.

Ruben Amorim wanted improvement from Joshua Zirkzee

Joshua Zirkzee’s best run in the Manchester United team came late in 2024/25 after an injury to Amad. He was particularly useful in the Europa League.

But even then, head coach Ruben Amorim felt there was a big improvement that Zirkzee needed to make.

Speaking on April 10, Amorim said: “I think he needs to be more selfish, and that is a thing when you play as a striker.

“He’s not a typical striker, but he has to be more selfish.”

Amorim praised Zirkzee for being ‘more aggressive’, but clearly felt that Zirkzee needed to change his mindset if he is to effectively lead the line.

Zirkzee suffered an injury in the next game after Amorim’s comments, in the loss to Newcastle.

He has not started a game since, rushing back for a substitute role in the Europa League Final, then missing pre-season and sitting on the bench for the entirety of 2025/26 until now.

Joshua Zirkzee has not been ruthless

One of the reasons Ruben Amorim wants Joshua Zirkzee to be more selfish, is because he is not ruthless enough in front of goal as it is.

Zirkzee has only three Premier League goals to his name since joining the club. One came on his debut against Fulham.

Last season Zirkzee only managed 11 shots on target in the Premier League. This season in very limited game time, he has one from eight attempts.

Due to lack of opportunities since Ruben Amorim’s comments, Joshua Zirkzee has not been able to really show off the selfish traits the coach wants him to.

With Sesko out for a few weeks, Zirkzee’s critical moment is almost here. It will define whether United feel he can be relied on in the second half of the season, or not.