Why Ruben Amorim must unlock Joshua Zirkzee’s talent
While playing for Bayern Munich, he missed a penalty chance in a pre-season friendly against Ajax, which resulted in unbearable criticism and abuse from fans.
Social media became so unbearable for the striker that he deleted all his Instagram posts and even changed his profile photo to a black screen. Later, head coach Julian Nagelsmann disagreed: “He wanted to finish this game easily. I hope he can have a different sense of seriousness in competitive games.”
That’s the thing about Zirkzee – his attitude always seems to be questioned.
“It’s not enough to have talent, it’s important that he works hard on his own,” said former Bayern coach Hansi Flick. “Then he can play in the Bundesliga. It depends on mentality and attitude and an absolute willingness to show what you want.”
Will Zirkzee want it at all costs?
Earlier this summer, a video of then-manager Vincent Kompany berating his players at Anderlecht went viral. “Second thing, Zirk, this is the last time I’m going to talk about your attitude. You go away, I don’t need a ********* smile, but I need a perfect attitude. You’re no good, just like all Like everyone else, I can take anyone without anyone complaining.”
In a team that values ​​hard work and determination over insatiable skill, perhaps Zirkzee may not win over hearts and minds until people see a moment of magic and start questioning what football should be.
Kompany proved to be an important coach for Zirkzee – he scored many goals in Belgium, paving the way for his move to Bologna. For a player who always wants to learn but is temperamental by nature, having a coach who believes in him and helps develop him is crucial.
During Motta’s time at Bologna, particularly in his second season when Marko Arnautovic left and Zirkzee took on more responsibility, the Dutchman flourished.
Bologna’s players knew how to exploit the space Zirkzee created for them, allowing many goals from Calafiore’s outstanding forwards and Lewis Ferguson. As Zirkzee understood the skills of the players around him, he learned how to use his skills to create the best conditions for them.
“I try to move and understand the characteristics of my teammates. With some teammates, I will meet the ball head-on, and with others, I will pretend to attack deep, and then I try to catch the ball with my feet,” Zirkzee explained to DAZN. March.
“I don’t see myself as a selfish forward, but I think it’s something I have to work on in the future. People are right, I don’t score enough. When I don’t score, I get angry at myself. Trust me.”
It doesn’t help that Zirkzee’s physical attributes suggest he should be a different type of forward. One look at his physique and we imagine him bullying his opponents, using his weight, winning aerial duels and fighting.
Instead he is defined by his technique, with the dexterity of a child who always wants the ball on the ground and is more interested in delivering game-breaking passes than scoring goals.
That’s not to say he isn’t a clinical finisher – two predatory goals against Salernitana last season showed it’s not all beauty and magic, but also efficiency. But this desire for purpose may not be a deep-seated feeling.
He feels the more involved he is, the better he performs, and Ruben Amorim appears to have begun to understand how to utilize the player. Be patient with him, it’s not every day that a player contorts his body as comfortably as Zlatan Ibrahimovic or evokes the sensations of Ronaldinho on the pitch.
“Seeing him every day, he reminds me of Ronaldinho, who I played with at Barcelona,” Motta said. “But I can’t compare him to anyone. He’s Joshua, he’s special, he loves his football and above all works very hard in training.”
