-Credit:The Mirror
The environment at Manchester United has contributed to Joshua Zirkzee’s slow start at the club since his £36million move from Bologna.
That is the view of Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, who also believes Rasmus Hojlund has not been given the protection he was afforded as a youngster at Southampton to fulfil his potential.
Zirkzee was replaced to a smattering of cheering and booing in the first half of United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle last month.
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The Dutch international has managed just four goals in 28 appearances this season but former England Newcastle captain Shearer feels the instability at United over the last few years has contributed to his struggles at Old Trafford.
“It’s tough moving clubs regardless of the context, because it’s such an upheaval, but it’s even tougher for those boys with the situation that Man Utd are in,” Shearer told Betfair.
“You want to go to a football club that is finely tuned and ready to challenge for titles. They’ve come into a club which is really struggling and an environment where everyone is being criticised. The number of managers that they’ve been through in recent years tells you that.
“With all the off-field problems taken into account as well, that makes it even more difficult for anyone going into that football club, let alone for the youngsters. What happened for Zirkzee, when he was brought off against Newcastle, won’t help his confidence either; so there’s lots of talk about him going out on loan or being sold to another club – we’ll have to wait and see.”
Meanwhile, Shearer feels Hojlund has the potential to become a world class forward. The Danish international has seven goals this season, but just two of those have come in the Premier League.
Hojlund did manage 16 goals last season for United, though, following his £72million move from Atalanta and Shearer feels he would thrive with a similar level of protection he was given when he was starting out at Southampton, before his incredible goalscoring exploits at both Blackburn and Newcastle.
“On Hojlund, there’s definitely a player in there, but people are going to have to be patient with him,” Shearer added.
“There’s no doubt that Man Utd need another centre-forward, so he can be drip-fed in and out while learning how it should be done. In the main, he’s done as well as he possibly could in really trying and testing circumstances.
“When you’re early into your football career it is all about having the belief and the confidence – that’s it. You need the opportunities, also being protected and looked after at the right times as well. I’m not sure that has been the case with Hojlund because he’s been asked to do so much, being put on the front line too much. They haven’t had any other options though and he’s had to face that as well, having no competition, which is hard.
“For me, when I started out in the first team, I scored a hat-trick and then didn’t score again for seven or eight games and then got left out. Being in and out, although you want to play every game, you realise that you need to get in, have a look and gain that experience – it’s exactly what you need, but he’s not been able to do that.”