“He got me sacked and he’s now trying to replicate it with Amorim…I know Amorim replaced me but I don’t want him to fail so I have told him to remove that player”: Former Man United’s coach Erik ten Hag names ONE player Ruben Amorim must axed before he could succeed at Old Trafford

Erik ten Hag was reportedly against Manchester United signing Joshua Zirkzee in the summer. The sacked Dutchman’s doubts over the striker now appear to be shared by his successor, Ruben Amorim, as shown by the head coach’s actions against Newcastle.

As the first signing under the new INEOS regime in July, there was plenty of excitement surrounding Zirkzee’s £36.5million transfer. He had shown great potential in Serie A with then high-flying Bologna, making the team of the season and seemingly poised to add a dynamic and versatile element to Ten Hag’s forward line.

Yet just five months later, with Amorim now in charge and Zirkzee only netting four goals in all competitions, his work ethic and consistency have been highly scrutinised. His already woeful situation worsened during Monday’s match against Newcastle at Old Trafford, when he was taken off by the Portuguese after just 33 minutes with United 2-0 down.

Amorim’s brutal move was likely just his way of best changing the course of the game, but it also suggested that he shares Ten Hag’s doubts over the striker, who reportedly wasn’t the Dutchman’s preferred choice of signing. Earlier this season, The Sun reported Ten Hag was unhappy with Zirkzee’s signing as the forward arrived at Carrington out of shape.

Zirkzee scored just once under Ten Hag before Amorim took the reins. Despite scoring three more goals since then, Calciomercato reports that the Portuguese head coach isn’t convinced by the 23-year-old either and would be open to letting him leave in January.

Ten Hag’s rumoured opinions of Zirkzee have now resurfaced in the aftermath of his nightmare against Newcastle, where the Dutch forward was reportedly reduced to tears after being booed off by his own supporters. His future at Old Trafford appears up in the air, with rumours of a January move intensifying.

Respected pundit and legendary Arsenal striker Ian Wright has also been vocal about his doubts regarding Zirkzee. “I can’t see in any formation Zirkzee making it from what I’ve seen so far,” Wright admitted on the Wrighty’s House podcast last November. “I can see it with Rasmus Hojlund. He looks like a future player with better players around him. He gives me the impression that if he gets in and around the box and he gets chances, he can go hot.

“I don’t see the same with Zirkzee. I look at him and his movement, I don’t see anything in his game that makes me think, ‘Okay, there he is, I see what he can do.’”

However, Amorim sought to reassure Zirkzee after his early substitution. Shedding light on what he said to the ex-Bayern Munich man in his post-match interview, Amorim hinted that all hope may not be lost for Zirkzee just yet.

“It was really tough for me to do that [take him off], but I’ve spoken to Josh as it was important to express the message,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “Josh is a really good guy. When he went to the tunnel, I can understand that some guys can be in a bad way but he is a really good lad. It is life, and we will support Josh and continue.”