With the arrival of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna FC this summer for a fee of £36.5m (€42.5m), it has posed the question; how will Ten Hag fit both him and Rasmus Højlund into the first team with each of them eager for the No.1 spot?
Different Profiles
Zirkzee and Højlund are as close to opposites as you can get in football when it comes to strikers, with Zirkzee labelling himself as “a false striker. Not a No 9, not a No 10. I am a 9.5! That’s my game.” and Højlund being, as much as I hate to say it, a ‘Haaland-like’ out-and-out pure striker. Zirkzee plays a slightly deeper role, provides link-up play, and technical brilliance, and creates space for his fellow attackers allowing them better chances and goal threat (you could compare him to a player like Firmino). Whereas, Højlund is the man you want to create the chances for, and in turn, he will give you goals and be a target man for the rest of the team.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United celebrates winning the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
In simple terms, Zirkzee and Højlund complement each other almost perfectly. What Zirkzee lacks, Højlund excels at, and vice-versa.
How do they Both fit in?
The announcement of Zirkzee to United this summer sparked a lot of discourse around who would take the key spot up-front for Manchester United. Many said the signing of Zirkzee was ‘unnecessary’, creating a benching headache for Ten Hag.
Although, in this context, I don’t believe it’s a matter of ‘who’, but a matter of ‘when’.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United looks on during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester United and Barnsley at Old Trafford on September 17, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
What I mean by this is that United may not have a classic ‘no.1’ this season, rather they have two options on how they can approach matches in an attacking sense.
Both strikers being so different means that they will each suit different types of opponents and styles of play. They can be played when they will best influence the game, for example, Zirkzee could be used to help break down a stubborn low block set up by a weaker side, whereas Højlund could offer a goal threat in behind in a game where United aren’t dominating possession.
It’s all about getting the right mix of the two players and using them to their strengths. If Ten Hag can successfully do this then it can provide United with an air of attacking unpredictability and versatility, which we’ve been so desperate for all these years.
Now there is the question of whether both of these players will be happy to be on the bench from time to time, as there has been a history of egos and attitudes getting in the way of dual strike partnerships at various clubs. However, I feel we won’t have this problem with these two players; both seem humble and hungry to do whatever is necessary and can be utilised depending on what is needed for the team each week.
The Answer to the Question
With Zirkzee impressing early on in the season for United, and Højlund close to a return from injury, we will soon see how Ten Hag manages both their minutes in the coming games, with fixtures coming thick and fast I believe the presence of these players at Manchester United provides us with great attacking depth rather than an ’embarrassment of riches’ or a ‘benching headache’.
