Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen has delivered a scathing assessment of Joshua Zirkzee following United's humiliating 1-0 defeat to Everton at Old Trafford on Monday night.
A Shocking Defeat at the Theatre of Dreams
The match, played on November 24, 2025, saw Everton play the vast majority of the game with only ten men after Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping his own teammate, Michael Keane. Despite this significant disadvantage, the visitors were deserved winners, exposing a United side that appeared laboured and completely devoid of creative ideas.
United's attacking options were severely limited. Key striker Benjamin Sesko is sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury sustained against Tottenham before the international break. His expected replacement, Matheus Cunha, was also ruled out over the weekend with a minor head injury.
Zirkzee's Uninspiring Full Debut
This forced manager Ruben Amorim to hand Joshua Zirkzee his first start of the season. The Dutch forward, however, struggled to make a meaningful impact for much of the game and looked off the pace. While he was on the end of two late headers as United desperately chased an equaliser—one forcing a superb save from Jordan Pickford—his overall performance failed to impress.
Analysing the game for Premier League Productions, Owen was blunt in his criticism. "I can't watch him and get excited, I must admit," the ex-England international stated.
Owen's Verdict on United's Tactical Shift
Owen believes Zirkzee's presence fundamentally changed United's approach to the game, and not for the better. He argued that the team resorted to a style of play that contradicts their usual intentions.
"He [Zirkzee] was the closest to scoring for Man Utd," Owen conceded, "but they are almost resorting to playing like this with hopeful crosses because he's in there."
He elaborated further, drawing a direct comparison with the missing Cunha: "If you have Cunha playing, a different profile of player, you probably don't go knocking crosses in all game. It's not how Manchester United want to play and I always think if you start lumping the ball it becomes desperation."
Owen concluded that the performance demonstrated why Zirkzee is "not the right profile" for what Amorim is trying to build at the club, emphatically adding, "he doesn't excite me at all."
United will be desperately hoping to have Matheus Cunha available for their next fixture, a difficult trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace this coming weekend.
