Paul Scholes has once again voiced his concerns over Joshua Zirkzee’s impact at Manchester United following his underwhelming display in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal. United, under Ruben Amorim, produced another strong performance against a top Premier League side.
They absorbed pressure for much of the first half before Bruno Fernandes’ powerful free-kick put them ahead just before the break. However, Declan Rice’s late equalizer denied them a crucial three points, despite creating several opportunities late in the game.
Despite an improved overall performance, United’s struggles in attack continued. Rasmus Hojlund was benched amid a 20-game goal drought, while Zirkzee failed to make an impact, managing just one shot before being substituted in the 76th minute. Scholes, speaking on Premier League Productions, admitted he remains unsure of the Dutch forward’s role in Amorim’s system.
“Both teams desperately need a striker,” Scholes said. “Zirkzee was a little disappointing today. I’m not sure if he’s a number nine or a number ten. I don’t really know what he brings to the team. Hojlund is still struggling, but both sides are crying out for attacking players.”
United manager Amorim, meanwhile, called on his squad to emulate Fernandes, who now has two goals and an assist in his last three matches.
“The Europa League is their season now,” Scholes added. “The league campaign has been disappointing, but they’ve found performances against bigger teams. They looked comfortable in the first leg, and I expect them to go through.”
“What I can say is that we need more Brunos,” Amorim said. “Not just for his quality, but for his character, work rate, and impact on and off the ball.” United will now shift focus to their Europa League last-16 second leg against Real Sociedad on Thursday. After a hard-fought draw in Spain last week, Scholes believes they have a strong chance of advancing.