Sir Alex Ferguson could be cut throat and Joshua Zirkzee has been told his Manchester United days would’ve over if he’d stormed down the tunnel under the Scottish manager
Sir Alex Ferguson could be cut throat and Joshua Zirkzee has been told his Manchester United days would’ve over if he’d stormed down the tunnel under the Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson could be cut throat and Joshua Zirkzee has been told his Manchester United days would’ve over if he’d stormed down the tunnel under the Scottish manager
Joshua Zirkzee would’ve “been done” at Manchester United if he walked down the tunnel under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Dutchman endured the embarrassment of being hauled off in the first-half as the Red Devils were beaten by Newcastle in their final game of 2024. Some poor selections from Ruben Amorim meant changes were quickly needed and he didn’t wait until the interval.
Instead the manager acted, with Zirkzee the man to be sacrificed. He grabbed his coat and headed straight for the tunnel, highlighting his misery. He eventually returned but Ben Foster, who played under Ferguson, admits that wouldn’t be tolerated under the Scot.
Ferguson was known for his ruthless nature and acting a certain way was important. Zirkzee’s show of frustration was understandable but Foster maintains the ex-United boss would’ve wiped his hands with any player who acted likewise.
He said on his YouTube channel: “When he walked off down the tunnel… If Alex Ferguson would have been manager, that player would have been done. Whoever that is, if you walk off that pitch when you’ve been brought off after 30 minutes, get a coat and walk straight into the dressing room. You’re done. I promise you, you’re done. It just doesn’t work like that.
“And I guarantee you, when he got back to the changing room, somebody would have said to him, ‘You need to get back outside. This is not a good look… The camera has just watched you walk all the way down the line, the fans are booing’.
“It is a horrible situation. I really feel for him. At that moment in time, the atmosphere in Old Trafford was horrible. United were getting pumped. They were on the back foot and it was almost like he was the scapegoat. He was just one of 11 problems on that pitch.”
(
Image:
Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Amorim was quick to sit down with his player, who has struggled for form since his summer move, and explain why he had to make the call. The United boss maintained his decision was the best one for the team – and they did improve following the personnel switch.
“I talked with Josh about that, because it’s important to express the message, he said. “But I’m always thinking about the team, and, in that moment, it was important for the team [for] Josh [to] go out. You have to think about the team and also, sometimes about the player, because the player is suffering.”
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Learn more
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Mirror – Sport