Former midfielder turned pundit Jamie Redknapp has slammed Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee following his poor performance against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup third-round fixture in midweek.
After being impressed by the 25-year-old’s performances for Bologna, the Red Devils decided to purchase him a couple of years ago. However, he has struggled to find his feet in the Premier League.
Following Michael Carrick’s arrival, the Dutchman found himself on the periphery last term. He even came very close to leaving on deadline day, but United refused to let him leave.
This season, he has featured as a rotational option. Zirkzee displayed promising performances vs Sabah in the Champions League last week but struggled against Brighton in the Carabao Cup after being introduced as a second-half substitute.
Ultimately, Man Utd lost the tie vs the Seagulls 3-2 despite leading 2-0 very early in the game. Now, speaking on Sky Sports after the game, Redknapp said (via Metro) that Brighton looked a better team than United, although they rotated the squad.
Carrick introduced Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo in the second half to salvage the game, but United became even worse. Zirkzee even displayed a horrible performance as he couldn’t pass the ball to his teammates.
Redknapp said:
“They [Brighton] looked better coached, they had patterns of play even though they made changes today they looked like a thoroughly good side. United threw on their insurance policy in Bruno and Mainoo.
“Everyone thought they might be able to make an impact and in fact it made them worse. Zirkzee came on and couldn’t pass the ball to his own teammate. Incredible for Brighton, they deserved it.”
Pundit slams Zirkzee
After finishing third in the Premier League last campaign, it was thought that United would be able to take the next step in their rebuild under Carrick this season.
They even revamped the engine room by purchasing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba this summer. However, Man Utd have endured a dire start, losing three out of six matches across all competitions.
After losing to Brighton, United have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup. On the other hand, they are currently languishing 13th in the Premier League table with four points from as many games.
Now, they are set to face Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League this weekend before a long international break.
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