Gary Neville pointed out that one Manchester United star seemed to have been upset by Ruben Amorim during his side’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday
Ruben Amorim has already provided some clarification after seemingly upsetting Joshua Zirkzee during Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. The Dutch forward was brought on as a substitute in the loss, but may have anticipated being called into action earlier, as pointed out by Gary Neville.
United found themselves behind just before half-time during their visit to Villa Park, courtesy of a curling shot from Morgan Rogers. Matheus Cunha equalised before the interval, but Rogers netted a second shortly before the hour mark, securing a victory for Unai Emery’s team.
The match also saw captain Bruno Fernandes sustain what looked like a hamstring injury in the first half, although he continued to play. Zirkzee was a leading candidate to replace him at half-time, but United legend Neville expressed surprise when Lisandro Martinez was brought on instead.
Neville noted that Zirkzee seemed disappointed not to be substituted at half-time, despite coming on after 73 minutes. However, Amorim had a relevant explanation for a similar decision last season.
Commentating for Sky Sports, Neville expressed his surprise at Martinez being chosen over Zirkzee, who has struggled for game time under Amorim.
“I’m surprised as I thought Zirkzee would come on as he is closer to Fernandes’ position,” Neville commented, adding: “He [Zirkzee] doesn’t look like he’s too happy.”
However, a remarkably similar scenario unfolded last campaign. Zirkzee was given a starting role in the fixture against Newcastle in December 2024, but with United 2-0 down after just 32 minutes, he was withdrawn from the field and appeared visibly upset.
Amorim clarified following the match: “You have to think about the team. The player is suffering during the game. We needed another midfielder. It was tough on me to do that. I talked with Joshua about that.
“I’m always thinking about the team. At that moment it was important for him to come out. I know that Josh is a really good guy. When he went to the tunnel, I can understand that some guys can be in a bad way but he is a really good lad.”
He continued: “It is life, and we will support Josh and continue. Newcastle were better than Manchester United. They weren’t better than Josh.”
Neville also weighed in during this contentious substitution, just as he had when Zirkzee wasn’t brought on against Villa. He remarked: “I know that he’s earning a lot of money but there’s a human being in there that’s basically being cheered off by his home fans and that is brutal.”
Despite Amorim making choices regarding Zirkzee for the benefit of the squad, the Dutchman remains linked with a departure from the club.
Zirkzee was only brought in during July 2024 from Bologna for £36.5million, yet reports indicate he could make a quick return to Italy. Corriere dello Sport suggest Roma hold an interest in Zirkzee, with the sole obstacle to a transfer being disagreement over the fee.
