- Joshua Zirkzee has been praised for his performance against Southampton
- He continued his resurgence after being jeered off just 17 days earlier
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Manchester United fans lavished Joshua Zirkzee with praise after his cameo appearance off the bench inspired a 3-1 comeback win against Southampton on Thursday night.
After being outplayed in the first half and finding themselves a goal down United needed to make a change, and Ruben Amorim decided to bring on Zirkzee for Rasmus Hojlund in the 53rd minute.
The £36.5m summer signing immediately started to pose problems for Southampton as United cranked up the pressure, and the hosts got their reward as Amad Diallo scored a hat-trick in the final 10 minutes to seal all three points.
Diallo understandably received plenty of plaudits after the final whistle, but United fans were also keen to acknowledge Zirkzee’s contribution just 17 days after he was substituted and jeered off in the 33rd minute of their previous home game against Newcastle.
‘Zirkzee deserves huge credit for tonight, when he came on he delivered,’ one fan wrote on X. ‘Game changer’.
Another added: ‘Put some respect on Joshua Zirkzee’s name. He might not have a goal or an assist officially, but he completely changed this game for Manchester United.’
Man United fans have claimed Joshua Zirkzee turned the game in their favour against Southampton
Zirkzee came off the bench when United were 1-0 down, and they went on to win 3-1
Zirkzee was jeered off after being substituted in the 33rd minute of United’s previous home game, but he has started to win fans over
Meanwhile, one supporter claimed Zirkzee and Diallo were the only United players who could leave Old Trafford with their heads held high.
‘Amad obviously going to get all the plaudits, but it was Zirkzee tonight who changed the game. Dreadful performance if we’re honest. But those 2 are positives,’ they wrote.
Zirkzee has been used sparingly since joining from Bologna, and his United career already appeared to be at a crossroads after his dismal performance against Newcastle that saw fans turn on him.
But he was United’s hero on the weekend against Arsenal in the FA Cup as he slotted home the winning penalty in the shootout, and he impressed again on Thursday night.
One fan insisted he should now be starting games ahead of Hojlund after finally finding form.
‘Zirkzee should be indefinitely starting ahead of Hojlund,’ they claimed on X.
‘Actually provided something of note and got United up the pitch. Connects the team far better and far more involved throughout the game.’
