Manchester United suffered a humiliating 2-0 defeat away to Wolves on Boxing Day and the problems are mounting for Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach made several changes to his side that suffered a shock 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth four days earlier.
The Red Devils experienced a day to forget, against Bournemouth. However, despite the disappointment, one incident was particularly notable— Amorim's clear anger directed at star striker Joshua Zirkzee. What caused Amorim to get so angry?
Ruben Amorim's Frustration with Zirkzee
Ruben Amorim's anger was apparent in the second half when Zirkzee avoided a challenge on Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez. This moment displayed the striker's lack of effort and dedication on the pitch. Amorim was observed screaming in frustration, indicating his dissatisfaction with Zirkzee's performance. The Red Devils' head coach's obvious anger highlighted the increasing tension between him and the player, who had already faced criticism for his poor effort.
From the very beginning, it was obvious that Zirkzee was not performing at his best. His absence of energy and poor decision-making irritated both the fans and Amorim, who was clearly dissatisfied at the sidelines.
Rumours over Zirkzee's future under Amorim is already common. Will he receive another opportunity to show his abilities, or will the present situation mark the beginning of the decline of his Red Devils career? Ultimately, time will tell, but, it is clear that Amorim expects more performance from his men.
As Manchester United gets ready for their next game against Wolves, Amorim has to make some tough choices about his starting group. There are calls for Zirkzee to be dropped in place of a better option since Rasmus Hojlund is still on the bench. United is in 13th place in the Premier League standings, putting more pressure on Amorim to find answers quickly.