Ruben Amorim should take a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson's book by sacking Joshua Zirkzee in the January transfer window, according to Ben Foster.
Zirkzee was brutally substituted after just 33 minutes in Manchester United's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle, as Amorim tried to regain some control in midfield by bringing on Kobbie Mainoo. The £36million summer signing did not react well to the decision and initially disappeared straight down the tunnel before emerging again to watch the rest of the match.
Amorim expressed his condolences for Zirkzee after the match, but said he “had” to eliminate him. However, Foster spent five years under Ferguson at United and believes the legendary Scotland boss would not have accepted Zirkzee's behaviour.
“When he walked away through the tunnel… If Alex Ferguson would have been manager, that player would have been ready,” the ex-goalkeeper said on his YouTube channel.
“Whoever that is, if you leave the field after half an hour, put on a jacket and walk straight into the dressing room. You're done. I promise you, you're done. It just doesn't work that way.
“And I guarantee you, if he came back into the locker room, someone would have said to him, 'You need to get back out there. This doesn't look good… The camera just saw you walking all the way down the line, fans booing.”
“It's a terrible situation. I really feel for him. At that moment the atmosphere at Old Trafford was terrible. United got excited. They were in the background and it almost seemed like he was the scapegoat. He was just one of 11 problems on that field.”
The incident further highlighted the 23-year-old's slow start at Old Trafford since his arrival in the summer, with just four goals in 27 appearances so far. Zirkzee has been linked with a move away from United just months after arriving from Bologna, with Italian teams Juventus and Napoli said to be interested in his signature.
A reunion with his former Bologna coach Thiago Motta at Juve has been mooted and sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli did not completely rule out that possibility, saying: “Zirkzee? It is not appropriate to name names, but we are keeping an eye on interesting opportunities .” , and we will take action to strengthen defenses.”
However, United are highly unlikely to sanction such a quick departure for Zirkzee as Marcus Rashford is the striker set to leave this month. “Josh is a very good boy,” Amorim said after the defeat to Newcastle. “We will support him and continue.”
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