Ex-Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has claimed that Ruben Amorim will have lost the respect of Joshua Zirkzee after subbing him off after just 33 minutes against Newcastle United on Monday night.
United were torn to pieces in the first half an hour against the Magpies and whilst numerous players put in a terrible display, it was Zirkzee who was hooked for Kobbie Mainoo to provide more midfield stability.
To compound matters, the Dutchman was booed off the pitch by segments of the home support and he was visibly distraught by the whole situation.
The 23 year old was reportedly brought to tears by the event and former United defender Gary Neville claimed that he felt sorry for the player.
There have been mixed reports on the former Bayern Munich man’s future with some suggesting he is keen to depart Old Trafford for a return to Italy already, while others claim he is determined to stay and fight to save his United career.
Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live, Reo-Coker has claimed that the relationship between the player and the boss will never be the same again after the incident.
“As a player, when you go through a moment like that, you need to think about the human element,” he said.
“He will look at Ruben Amorim and never trust him again. He will be able to look at him and say, ‘good morning boss’ but he will not have any respect for him deep down.”
The former West Ham midfielder claimed that Zirkzee’s withdrawal on the match reflects more poorly on the boss than the player, as it was an admission he made an error in his team selection.
“He’s going to have to try to fix the relationship because he will probably have to go back to him at some point and get him back on side and wanting to play and compete.”
There have been reports that United would be prepared to ditch Zirkzee this month to secure an early deal for Viktor Gyokeres but with finances tight at the club, it is hard to know if this could realistically occur.
Therefore, it is likely that if United are to propel themselves into at least the top half of the table, Amorim will most probably need Zirkzee to contribute and return to something like the player he was last season in Bologna.
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Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
