INEOS are being proven right by Man Utd star. (Image: Getty)
Track back to the evening of December 30. Furious fans needed any chance they could get to direct their frustrations after cruised into a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford. decision to haul Joshua Zirkzee off the pitch to add an extra midfielder offered them one.
As the Dutchman collected his coat from the dugout and headed for the tunnel with his head down, there was genuine concern that an imminent exit in the winter transfer window was on the cards.
It was an uncomfortable scene, one that could’ve swallowed many a player up and spat them out, especially a 23-year-old finding his feet in a new country.
Some reports piled onto Zirkzee’s misery just months after he became INEOS’ first recruit in a £36.million deal from Bologna.
United’s new-look hierarchy, which included sporting director Dan Ashworth at the time, believed the towering frontman represented good value for money.
However, in November, The Sun that didn’t even want to sign him and had preferred alternative striker targets to compete with .
Zirkzee was also said to have arrived at Old Trafford a stone overweight and took a while to shift the extra timber.
Joshua Zirkzee is coming good at Man Utd. (Image: Getty)
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The United No. 11 displayed early signs of his first touch and link-up play that made him an attractive option, but he was visibly struggling with the pace of Premier League football.
It quickly became apparent that he wasn’t suited to leading the line, enduring a 19-game goal drought after netting the winner off the bench on his debut against Fulham.
Yet, in the two months that followed that nadir in Zirkzee’s troublesome start to life in Manchester, he has shown the character of a player who can be successful at United.
Amorim has publicly made it clear that he doesn’t view Zirkzee as a striker but rather as one of the attacking midfielders in his 3-4-3 system.
And the Netherlands international has shown vast improvement since switching, wowing supporters with his contributions in the build-up and his work rate off the ball.
Zirkzee has never boasted the reputation of a prolific goalscorer. Before landing at United, he had recorded 36 goals in 126 games for Bayern Munich, Parma, Anderlecht and Bologna.
But a fit, confident Zirkzee undoubtedly has a part to play, and he should improve further once Amorim deploys an established goalscorer ahead of him.
The standing ovation he received from the Old Trafford faithful in response to Wednesday’s monster effort against Ipswich Town felt like his turbulent first chapter coming full circle.