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Manchester United suffered a demoralising 0-3 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday, which meant they dropped down to 12th in the league table.
Back-to-back home league losses with a similar margin have heaped pressure on Erik ten Hag who does not seem to have the answers to the problems plaguing the side.
They were slow right from the word go, and were lacking any clear gameplan and as a result, they got outfought from the first minute against Spurs, something the Old Trafford faithful found difficult to accept.
Scoring goals has once again proven to be a problem, a theme that has continued from last season. Rasmus Hojlund’s initial difficulties made it evident that the club needed to bring in someone more experienced to take the pressure off his young shoulders.
Lack of goals
Instead, the Red Devils turned to former Bologna ace Joshua Zirkzee, another young star, and with the Dane’s pre-season injury, Ten Hag was forced to rely on the 23-year-old for the start of the campaign.
While he excels in linking up play, the former Bayern Munich star is not an out-and-out No 9 and apart from a goal on debut, has spurned numerous chances every game and has failed to find the back of the net since.
And the home crowd were seen groaning when the Netherlands international passed the ball back instead of trying to take on his man and shoot on goal.
The 20-time English league champions need a proven finisher as early as January and it seems the new summer recruit could make way with Juventus interested in his services.
This update comes courtesy Calciomercato (via Tutto Juve) who have claimed that current Juventus boss Thiago Motta, formerly of Bologna, is open to bringing in his former protege.
“Joshua Zirkzee, a 2001-born striker for the Dutch national team, is disappointing at Manchester United, the club that bought him from Bologna last summer.
“The player, after an excellent start, is paying for the poor overall performance of the English team, providing performances below expectations”
Zirkzee back to Serie A?
“As reported by “Calciomercato.com”, a return of Zirkzee to Serie A in January, or at the latest in June, cannot be ruled out, with Juve observing the situation with interest. Thiago Motta, who has already had the Dutchman in Bologna, certainly knows how to make the most of him.”
Zirkzee certainly shone under Motta at Bologna but after spending £36.5 million on the Dutch striker, it does not seem likely that United will give up so soon.
He needs another striker beside him to flourish or he could be used behind the No 9 in a tactical shift and that could get the best out of him.
But Ten Hag might not be ready to make such a change and his future currently looks uncertain and with Porto in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the league coming up, INEOS could be forced to take a huge call heading into the international break if the slump in form continues.
Feature image Harriet Lander via Getty Images
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