Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has clarified his decision to substitute striker Joshua Zirkzee at half-time during his side's disappointing 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
The Surprising Half-Time Change
The Dutch forward, who had opened the scoring for United in the first half, was surprisingly replaced by his manager during the interval. The change raised eyebrows, especially as Zirkzee did not appear to be carrying an injury when he took his place on the bench for the second period.
Former United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville labelled the substitution "strange" if it was not injury-enforced. Amorim confirmed after the final whistle that the decision was purely tactical, not physical.
Amorim's Tactical Reasoning
Speaking to reporters, the Portuguese coach explained his thought process. "We were running around trying to get hold of the ball," Amorim stated. "We were struggling with their midfielders, and sometimes you can attack better with less strikers. We played with three strikers and sometimes that’s not the best thing to attack well."
Zirkzee's inclusion in the starting line-up was itself a point of discussion. With Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Amorim had limited options and reverted to his preferred 3-4-3 formation, fielding Zirkzee alongside Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.
The former Bologna man had given United the lead, albeit with a large slice of fortune. His neat turn in the box created space, but his shot took a significant deflection on its way into the net. Wolves equalised just before the break through Ladislav Krejčí.
A Dismal Result for United
The tactical alteration did not have the desired effect. United failed to improve after the break and were booed off the pitch after dropping crucial points against the Premier League's bottom side.
The result was particularly galling given Wolves' dreadful form heading into the match. Gary O'Neil's team had taken just two points from their previous 18 available before securing a draw at Old Trafford.
The performance and result will increase the scrutiny on Amorim and his squad, with the January transfer window now open and speculation around players like Zirkzee, who has been linked with a move to Roma, set to intensify.
