Just who have Manchester United signed in Zirkzee?
It's been an interesting time in Manchester, especially if you're from the red side of the city. In recent years, they have had to watch the noisy neighbours go from down-and-outs to cock of the walk, all draped in illustrious light blue.
Yes, Manchester has been afflicted with a forever present, forever goading Blue Moon, and for the red half attuned to the realms of domination, a bitter pill doesn't even come close to cutting it.
But what of 2024 and what of their current spirited manager Erik Ten Hag?
A bizarre tenure has seen him backed, backed again, seemingly dumped, and then returned to the throne after a somewhat surprising FA Cup victory, the silverware literally decorating a fallen king in the coats of arms for another season. It was a quite unique turnaround for a football club that has become accustomed to the chopping block over the past decade, at least since (dare we mention his name) Sir Alex Ferguson left.
But with new ownership since the departure of (whisper) the Glazers and a somewhat feel-good spirit back at Old Trafford (in the squad at least), things on paper seemingly appear to be heading in the right direction again.
Recruitment.
United's recruitment has had an extremely refreshing vibe to it this season with the likes of Mazraoui & De Ligt joining from Bayern Munich and the promising Leny Yoro signing from Lille, not to mention the talented Manuel Ugarte from PSG. For me it has a feel of a club moving towards a new future, a new direction and perhaps a chance to finally cut the nurturing cord of Alex Ferguson away once and for all.
To move forward, we sometimes have to lose a few connections from the past. The pressure of an old hat still looming largely over a dilapidated Old Trafford is about as real a metaphor as you need for a club still so largely buried in the trenches of Sir Alex. Even gatekeepers of the Stratford End in Gary Neville need to drop the old formalities of laying the red carpet out for a bygone era.
Manchester United need to move on, ditch the past and put some trust in this new squad.
One man I haven't mentioned, and for the simple reason that he embodies this new era of Manchester United, is a certain Joshua Zirkzee.
If you haven't seen him play football, please do. Comparisons to Mo Salah wouldn't be inappropriate regarding his footwork and ability to find space in the box; he also knows how to create space for others with a good mix of assists in his stat tally. We're not witnessing a goal-scoring machine like Haaland, but we are looking at a very gifted footballer who could potentially top the list in terms of skill.
As with most Dutch forwards, the game appears to come naturally to them, especially when it comes to entertainment and the ability to get bums off seats. When Zirkzee gets the ball, you instantly believe something will happen. He's sharp, he's direct, and he has that wow factor. We've seen Manchester United prospects signed and come and go over the years, a great example would be Anthony Martial who you couldn't fault and say was useless, he just seemed to get swamped in the same mire that has surrounded this club for the past decade, and they need to clear its waters if they want to see this new crop flourish.
But in Zirkzee, I feel they have a different animal altogether. He seems to have that raw determination to succeed at any club he walks into, be it Anderlecht, Bologna, or now Manchester United. Furthermore, announcing himself on the international scene last night with his first goal in a Holland shirt can do no harm whatsoever in what promises to be a glitzy and star-studded career.
Let's sit back, enjoy, and see if the Manchester United hierarchy can do the right thing and allow this new era to finally cut the ties, play football, and find that path they all crave so much on the red side of Manchester, long-term success.
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