“He has been suspended for ignoring my order against Crystal Palace”: Erik ten Hag suspends ONE Man United’s player for disobeying a simple instructions, won’t play against FC Twente

HusseinSeptember 25, 2024Last Updated: September 25, 2024

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Manchester United’s recent uptick in form was halted by Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace over the weekend, as despite having the chances, Erik ten Hag’s side simply couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.

However, unlike some of the draws last season, there shouldn’t be too much panic over the result, as the fact that the Red Devils were creating chances to begin with is an encouraging sign.

That said, with the club set to kick off their Europa League campaign against FC Twente tonight, Ten Hag should make some changes to his lineup, including one that could result in those chances being put in the back of the net.

Why Ten Hag should drop Zirkzee

So, one of the players who should miss out on the starting lineup later today is former Bologna ace Joshua Zirkzee.

Now, in his short United career so far, the Dutchman has both impressed and frustrated fans, as, on the one hand, he’s shown some brilliant technical ability in attack and helped create a number of chances for his teammates, but on the other, he’s also snatched at and missed a fair few created for him.

It’s this duality in his game that led to the Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst awarding him a 6/10 for his display against Palace on Saturday, considering he played two key passes but missed a big chance himself in his 61 minutes of action; it’s a rating that seems entirely fair.

Now, there is certainly an argument to be made that the 23-year-old’s creativity outweighs his lack of ruthlessness, but Ten Hag needs a number nine who’s going to finish his chances, especially in this new Europa League format in which missteps at this stage can lead to more games down the line.

Overall, it appears Zirkzee will play an important role for United this season, but due to his workload and underwhelming finishing, he should be dropped for tonight’s game.

Why Rasmus Hojlund should start

Yes, it should probably come as no surprise that, with Zirkzee dropping to the bench, it should be Rasmus Hojlund who comes in to make his first start of the season.