"Take away numbers as they mean nothing anymore" - Ex-Manchester United winger Gordon Hill slams club for shirt number given to attacker
Former Manchester United winger Gordon Hill has criticized the club for handing Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee the iconic no. 11 jersey. The former Bologna star has struggled to impress since joining the club this summer. The 23-year-old has bagged just one goal and two assists in 721 minutes across 18 games.
Hill represented the English giants for 119 games and scored 49 goals after joining the club for a reported €100k fee in 1975. He left for Derby in 1978 for a reported €300k fee.
Venting his frustration about Zirkzee's performances on X, the former winger wrote:
“What p____s me off is that Zirkee has a number 11 on his back is some taken the Mickey. That is a treasured number. Worn by great wingers. Take away numbers as they mean nothing anymore. No wonder there is no pride in putting on just a shirt with your name on it. I made number mine.”
Manchester United's last four no. 11s have been far from the greatest players to play the game in recent years, with figures like Adnan Januzaj, Mason Greenwood, Antony Martial, and Rasmus Hojlund taking the number before Zirkzee.
Ryan Giggs famously donned the #11 jersey during his time at the club.
"The big problem is - is it a midfielder who should drop in to fill that space or should a centre-back step in with someone?" Jamie Carragher's analysis of Manchester United gameplan against Ipswich
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher broke down what he felt was Manchester United's issue in their 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town in the Premier League. The Red Devils failed to impose themselves in midfield and could only manage a draw despite opening the scoring in the second minute.
The game saw the Red Devils play Amorim's preferred 3-4-2-1 formation and some areas showed signs that could raise future concerns. Speaking after the match on Sky Sports, Carragher analyzed the tactics, saying:
"I hear a lot of managers including Ruben Amorim saying systems don't matter too much, I believe that they do, no matter how many times managers tell me they don't because, well why do you play a different system? Different systems give you different things in different areas. For me, the weaknesses are in these spaces here, either side of the two central midfield players. The reason why is, when you play a conventional back four, your wide man can tuck in and help."
The former Liverpool defender concluded his analysis of Manchester United's tactics, saying:
"But because you play a back three, when they get the ball they naturally go wider and wing backs go wider and higher. It means there's a lot more space around these two central midfield players, especially if the two attacking 10s don't drop back. There were the same issues on the Ipswich side as well. The big problem is - is it a midfielder who should drop in to fill that space or should a centre-back step in with someone?"
Ruben Amorim recently replaced Erik Ten Hag as the Manchester United head coach and will be tasked with returning the team to the heights expected of a club of their size.
