Joshua Zirkzee was substituted after just 33 minutes in Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Newcastle, with the Dutchman reduced to tears after being cheered and jeered by Red Devils fans
Joshua Zirkzee was visibly distraught after ruthless Ruben Amorim dragged him off just 33 minutes into Manchester United‘s humiliating loss to Newcastle.
The Dutch striker was subbed off as the Red Devils were trailing by two goals to the Magpies, with manager Amorim looking to counteract the dominance of the visitors at Old Trafford. Kobbie Mainoo came on for Zirkzee, to the apparent delight of the home supporters.
A roar from the crowd greeted Zirkzee’s departure from the pitch. The £36million summer acquisition seemed shocked by the early substitution, making a beeline for the tunnel before eventually settling on the bench.
According to beIN Sports and Sky Germany, Zirkzee was spotted in tears in the tunnel following jeers from the United fans. The scene drew some compassion from former United skipper Gary Neville.
As boos rang out when Zirkzee’s number went up, Neville remarked during 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 gaffer sought to justify his choice to start ex-Bologna man Zirkzee and his quick hook. The 39-year-old manager explained he needed more presence in the 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 Zirkzee’s initial decision to head down the tunnel, Amorim added: “He wants to be [there] and then he returns in the second half.
“It was a very difficult moment and he’s a human being, but then he felt the support of the fans in the end, so everything is okay.”