United Held to Draw Against Wolves Despite Zirkzee’s Early Goal

Joshua Zirkzee scored his second league goal of the season midway through the first half, aiming to bolster Manchester United’s top-four ambitions at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. However, despite this early advantage, United could not maintain their lead, conceding a late goal in the first half when Ladislav Krejci equalized for Wolves with a header.

In a match that saw United struggle to capitalize on their home advantage against a team languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. This result marked United as only the third team this season unable to secure a victory against the league’s bottom dwellers.

Zirkzee was substituted at halftime, replaced by young Jack Fletcher, a decision that drew sharp criticism from former United defender Gary Neville. Following the match, Neville expressed his discontent with manager Ruben Amorim’s choice to withdraw Zirkzee, labeling it as “poor.” On Sky Sports, he stated, “Every single substitution was bizarre. If Zirkzee wasn’t injured and that was a tactical decision, it was really poor. He needed to be out there for his physicality, presence, and experience. Having scored, taking him off was unjustifiable.”

Upon discovering that Zirkzee’s removal was not due to an injury, Neville remarked, “That’s not right. That shouldn’t be happening.”

Amorim reverted to his preferred 3-4-3 formation against Wolves, despite having previously employed a 4-2-3-1 in a Boxing Day victory over Newcastle. Neville criticized this decision in light of United’s disappointing performance, asserting that the manager’s refusal to adapt was problematic. “The reason he has to change is that the performance levels with the 3-4-3 have been so poor and the results appalling. It’s concerning when I see a return to that formation so quickly after five minutes. The manager needs to reflect on that; I believe he got it wrong. He complicated things unnecessarily.”

During the match, Neville pointed out that Amorim had incorrectly set up the team in the early stages, voicing his frustrations on Sky Sports. “I think I’ve watched enough United over the past few weeks to discern what looks right and what does not. Zirkzee’s positioning on the right side, having to track back to defend, was not ideal. The entire setup just didn’t reflect the improvements seen in previous games. The fans recognize this and share our frustrations.”

Amorim, meanwhile, expressed his discontent with the team’s lack of “fluidity” against the league’s bottom team. He acknowledged that creativity was lacking throughout the match, stating, “We struggled for the entire game. Our energy was different compared to the last match against Newcastle, and although we had our chances, the connections were missing. We cannot blame absentees; rather, we lacked the necessary quality to perform effectively.”

Defending his decision to substitute Zirkzee, Amorim explained, “We were struggling to recover the ball. The opponents overloaded the midfield, which at times necessitated fewer strikers to attack effectively. While we played with three strikers, it did not yield the desired results. We need to regroup and prepare for the next match.”

As the new year approaches, United will seek to return to winning ways with upcoming matches against Leeds and Burnley.