It was a messy night at Old Trafford, but it was young striker Zirkzee who faced the ire of Manchester United fans in ugly early scenes.
Defeats happen, and bad runs of form can happen to any side. At Old Trafford late in the first half, however, it was the home fans that turned on one of their own. Zirkzee, who was certainly struggling in the game, was subbed off by manager Rubin Amorin and was met with a strange reaction from the fans. A mix of boos and ironic cheers, as the striker went off for midfielder Mainoo.
While the change certainly helped Man U settle into the game, it does paint a worrying picture about how fans treat players.
23 year old Joshua Zirkzee booed and cheered off by his own fans and that club wonder why no young talent wants to come near them.
It’s as toxic and you can get. Them young players haven’t failed you. It’s the higher ups who have. Rotten to the core. pic.twitter.com/FVut4KDGmL
— Adam (@FulwelI) December 30, 2024
Old Trafford turns on Zirkzee
Zirkzee had minimal impact, with only 14 touches and three completed passes during his brief spell on the pitch. That's the facts, but it wasn't his fault he was played in a position that he was clearly not prepared to do.
That moment aside, it did nothing to improve the result, as Manchester United went on to lose 2-0 at home to Newcastle United anyway. Given current form and what's to come in the next few weeks for Manchester United, now is the time to support the team, not oppose it.
FGG says: The wrong target for fan backlash
I'm a Newcastle fan; I'm happy to say that last night's game brought me immense joy. That said, I've watched footballing dark days; I suffered through years of Mike Ashley football at my club. There are players at Newcastle right now that I think are not good enough, but booing or ironically cheering when they go off? I'm not sure it is the play. It is made even worse by the fact that Zirkzee is a young player in his first season at a club that is notorious for demanding a lot from a player.
To get into the tactics of the game for a moment, Zirkee was the sacrificial lamb when he went off, and his replacement calmed Man U down. The team sheet made it clear that Man U was being set up to fail against the Newcastle midfield, and they did. Man United now face Liverpool and Arsenal away from home, so maybe away from the toxic atmosphere of Old Trafford, they can forge some kind of comeback.