Erik ten Hag praised Manchester United’s new signing, Joshua Zirkzee, after the Dutch striker scored a late winner in his debut to secure a 1-0 victory against Fulham in their Premier League opener.
Zirkzee joined United from Bologna this summer for £35.8 million and has made an immediate impact with a clever flicked goal in the 87th minute.
Ten Hag expressed his delight with Zirkzee’s start, emphasizing the importance of a striker scoring the winning goal in his first game, which he believes is encouraging for both the player and the fans.
Speaking about Zirkzee’s debut, Ten Hag said, “It’s very good for a striker coming into Manchester United to score the winning goal in his first game. For him, it’s very pleasing. Very happy for him. Very encouraging for him, for the fans, for everyone. It’s a very good start.”
When asked why United had signed Zirkzee, his fellow Dutchman replied, “He has some attributes we didn’t have. Straight away, he showed it. He’s very good with linking up and combinations. He has to arrive in the box to score goals. He did. And if it’s the winner then it’s very pleasing for everyone.”
Jadon Sancho was surprisingly left out of the squad to face Fulham.
Ten Hag was quizzed on this decision and explained, “We need squad depth; it will be survival of the fittest. There can only be 20 players in the squad. We have to make choices. Jadon, in the week, had an ear infection. He was not 100 percent fit for this. He could play, but we made a choice.”
United also had two golden opportunities in the first half when Bruno Fernandes was denied by Bernd Leno from line-breaking passes by Casemiro.
Ten Hag clarified that Casemiro will not play a more attacking role this season but praised the Brazilian’s quality when going forward, stating, “A midfielder has to defend and has to attack. Everyone knows Casemiro is a brilliant passer. Very good interpretation, good in duels, but also, he’s a good linker and a good passer.”
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
