Man Utd Need to Sell Joshua Zirkzee After Abysmal Display v Burnley

Darren Fletcher’s first game in charge of Manchester United ended in a disappointing 2-2 draw against Burnley. And supporters have strongly criticised one player for his lacklustre display at Turf Moor.

The Red Devils were playing their first match since sacking Ruben Amorim, but things got off to a poor start when Bashir Humphreys’ cross deflected off of Ayden Heaven and over the head of a stricken Senne Lammens.

United improved in the second half, with Benjamin Sesko scoring twice in the space of 10 minutes to put the 13-time Premier League champions in front on the night. But the hosts rallied once again, as Jaidon Anthony bent home an equaliser to tie proceedings.

Man Utd Star Put in Woeful Performance vs Burnley

Even after Anthony’s goal, Fletcher did not stop trying to push his side on in search of a late winner. He made several late changes after Burnley scored their second of the tie, bringing on Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee and Shea Lacey.

The two Carrington graduates put in decent performances, particularly Lacey, who came close to scoring when his effort hit the woodwork. But the £36.54m signing from Bologna really struggled to make much of an impact at all.

Zirkzee, who earns £105,000-per-week, was allowed to play alongside Sesko, which theoretically should have given him licence to drop off, find pockets of space, and even openings considering how tightly his partner was being marked by defenders. And while he did manage to get on the ball 12 times in 16 minutes, he was guilty of giving it away frequently, losing possession on four occasions.

On top of that, the Netherlands international failed to do what he was primarily brought on to for — to score. Had he at least managed to test Martin Dubravka in the Burnley net, then that wouldn’t be so bad. But neither of Zirkzee’s efforts were on target.

Check Out Zirkzee’s Statistics From the Game Below:

Having been linked with a move away from the club, the 24-year-old’s performance on Wednesday night was hardly one that showed a desire to stay at Old Trafford, nor was it a display which would have convinced the club hierarchy that the striker is the man to lead them forward. Upgrading on Zirkzee is a crucial next step for United, while a change of scenery could also benefit the striker.

United Supporters Rage Over Zirkzee’s Display vs Burnley

However, some supporters are not even willing to give him a chance to make amends. Many have voiced their thoughts on social media following Wednesday night’s result, with some stating that they want him to leave the club.

One wrote: “I thought Zirkzee was diabolical when he came on. Gave the ball away numerous times.” And that was echoed by another fan, who called for youngster Lacey to get more playing time instead. They said: “Instant thoughts are Zirkzee shouldn’t play for United again. Lacey should get more minutes, Heaven should start as a number 6, Bruno and Mount should be on the pitch together. We need wingers like Lacey on both sides of the pitch. Amad can play on the right, Lacey on the left.”

Another said: “As soon as Zirkzee came on, Utd went absolutely atrocious and barely threatened Burnley.” And one more added: “I don’t want to see Zirkzee play for this club again, respectfully.”

A final supporter stated: “That 20-minute cameo from Zirkzee was enough for me to never wanna see him in a United shirt again, absolutely poison.” And when another fan mentioned his poor performances in recent weeks, the same user followed up by saying: “Tonight was the icing on the cake for me. Disgraceful.”