Hojlund Bad, Zirkzee Worse! Can Amorim Revive Failing Forwards?

When Donald Trump first campaigned for US president in 2016, he promised Americans, "We're gonna win so much you're gonna get sick and tired of winning." Ruben Amorim might just know what that feels like. Since taking charge of Sporting CP in March 2020, the 39-year-old has achieved a remarkable 122 wins out of 158 matches (a 77% win rate), more than any other coach in Europe’s top 10 leagues. Amorim has led Sporting to a perfect 14-0 record in domestic play this season, securing top spot in the Primeira Liga and a semi-final spot in the League Cup, while also winning three out of four Champions League games and remaining unbeaten.

However, Amorim is set to join a Manchester United team that is "sick and tired of losing." The Red Devils currently sit 13th in the Premier League, struggling in almost every performance metric. A revealing comparison from Sky Sports' Monday Night Football exposed the disparity between the two clubs, highlighting Sporting's dominance in nearly every key statistical area. Sporting ranked first in every category except final third tackles, where they placed third, while United only ranked high (second) in that same metric. In almost every other area, their performance was either uninspiring or alarming. United were seventh in possession, short pass percentage, and goals conceded, but most worryingly, they ranked a dismal 18th in goals scored.

'Embarrassing for a club like United'

The lack of goals will be the biggest concern for Ruben Amorim when he takes over next week, and it’s the area where he must make the most significant improvement if he is to succeed where Erik ten Hag and every manager since Sir Alex Ferguson has failed. Dimitar Berbatov, who was part of some of United's most prolific teams and even scored five goals in one match against Blackburn, was understandably disheartened by the statistics, which he reviewed alongside former rival Jamie Carragher.

"Our strikers aren’t producing or scoring goals. We’re 18th in the league for goals scored, which is embarrassing for a club like United," Berbatov said. "This is a position that I would like to see improvement." And he’s not alone in his frustration. United’s tally of just nine goals after 10 games—only Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored fewer in the Premier League—is their second-worst start to a season in front of goal in their history. The only worse start came in the 1972-73 season, just before the club’s relegation. United have failed to score in four of these games and had to rely on a penalty to break the deadlock in their most recent 1-1 draw with Chelsea.

“They can hardly score a goal,” Gary Neville remarked after the Chelsea game. “They’re not good at counterattacking, they’re not a great possession team, and yet they have an incredibly expensive squad. It’s a massive job for Ruben Amorim. The last 10 games have been dreadful, the performances have been awful. You can't separate results from performances. Winning the title? That's miles away. Manchester United is supposed to be an attacking team, but right now, it’s nothing like that. The new manager can’t arrive soon enough.”

Missing the most chances

The good news for Amorim is that United are not struggling to create chances. This was evident in their 11 shots on goal against Chelsea, with three of those falling to Alejandro Garnacho. In their previous league match against West Ham, they had 18 shots, many of them clear-cut opportunities—such as Diogo Dalot missing an open goal and Garnacho striking the bar.

Their inability to convert these chances led to a defeat against West Ham and ultimately contributed to Ten Hag’s departure. But the problem hasn’t been isolated to that game alone. United’s expected goals underperformance (-7.8) is the worst in the league, while their shot conversion rate (6.4 percent) is the second worst, ahead of only Crystal Palace. They also top the table for big chances missed, with 25.

“The lack of goals is hard to believe,” said Roy Keane. “You look at the chances they’re missing, and that’s why managers lose their jobs here. That’s why they’re down in the table, and that’s why their goal tally is what it is. It’s hit and miss, but more often than not, they’re missing.”

Keane also offered a warning to Amorim. "He should have signed a longer contract—there’s a long way back for this team," he said. "This is an average United team, and all the stats back that up. They’re so flat; from the manager’s point of view, they’re a long way off from getting back into the top four and competing. They’re just average at everything. They’re not good at anything special."

Gyokeres' incredible rise

It’s fortunate that United have chosen Amorim, as he is the perfect fit to address their attacking shortcomings. Under his leadership, Sporting scored 96 goals last season—19 more than their closest rivals, Benfica—and have been even more prolific this season, netting 35 goals in their first 10 matches. United fans could only watch with envy as Sporting triumphed over Manchester City in the Champions League, becoming the first team in eight years to score four goals against City, all from just nine shots.

Sporting’s destruction of Pep Guardiola’s side was the latest in a series of attacking masterclasses from Viktor Gyokeres, who stole the show with a hat-trick that outshone Erling Haaland. The Swedish striker has been on fire, scoring an incredible 12 goals in his last six appearances, bringing his total for the season to 23. This follows a stellar debut campaign, where he netted 43 goals across all competitions, proving his smooth transition from English to Portuguese football.

Gyokeres was first spotted by Brighton while still a teenager, but his early years were marked by slow progress, with loan spells at St Pauli in Bundesliga 2 and Swansea City in the Championship yielding limited success. However, his fortunes changed dramatically at Coventry City, where he scored 17 goals in his first full season before adding 21 in 2022-23, finishing as the Championship’s second-top scorer. His performances were enough to catch the eye of Sporting, who signed him for £20m ($25m), facing little competition for his signature.

Now, Gyokeres is considered one of Europe’s top strikers, with his market value having skyrocketed five-fold. Any club looking to sign him next summer is expected to pay around £100 million ($129m). He currently leads the goal-scoring charts in Europe’s top 10 leagues and is joint-top in the Champions League alongside Harry Kane, with both players having scored three penalties.

Amorim's impact

Since joining Sporting, Viktor Gyokeres has mastered the art of running behind defences and finishing calmly past goalkeepers. He showed this skill early on Tuesday against Manchester City, breaking through the defence but mishitting his shot. However, his resilience was evident as he quickly bounced back, charging past debutant Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and confidently slotted the ball past Ederson to score.

In his previous Champions League outing against Sturm Graz, Gyokeres put on an even more impressive display, sprinting down the left wing before cutting inside and finishing across the pitch. Reflecting on his time with Amorim, Gyokeres said, "We’ve done amazing things together, and we will miss him a lot."

Dimitar Berbatov is one of many who would like to see Gyokeres link up with Amorim at Manchester United. "This guy, Viktor Gyokeres, he’s scoring goals for fun right now," Berbatov said. "I think there’s a special connection with the coach, so maybe, maybe, we’ll see him in a United shirt." However, Amorim has avoided discussing Gyokeres' future directly, although he has hinted that the striker may leave at the end of the season.

Despite Berbatov's enthusiasm, a move to United seems unlikely, especially given Gyokeres' £100m price tag. United still have their own Scandinavian striker to focus on—one they need to get firing before they consider splashing such a huge amount on another forward.

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Hope for Hojlund

Rasmus Højlund shares a similar profile to Viktor Gyökeres, with both players excelling at running behind defences and finishing chances. Højlund demonstrated this ability in his Champions League debut at Old Trafford against Galatasaray last season. However, his performances have been inconsistent since then. Four injuries have hindered his progress, and when fit, he has often been deprived of service from his teammates. There's also a feeling that United have not fully utilized his strengths, often asking him to hold the ball up rather than allowing him to exploit space and run onto passes.

Højlund himself acknowledged this after scoring the winner against Brentford last month, saying, "I was trying not to fight too much with the defenders; I was trying to focus on getting the ball to my feet." Yet, he struggled in matches against West Ham and Chelsea, where he was tasked with playing a more traditional centre-forward role.

Amorim's use of Gyökeres on the flanks, shifting away from previous seasons' possession-based football, offers hope that Højlund could flourish under the Portuguese coach. The prospect of working with Amorim excites the Danish forward.

"I am really looking forward to this," Højlund told Danish magazine Tipsbladet. "He has great ideas. I’ve seen how they play. I spoke with [Denmark and Sporting midfielder] Morten Hjulmand about it, and he is also very pleased with the coach. So I am eager for him to start. It will be exciting to see how he implements his ideas, and I am looking forward to working with a young, ambitious coach."

Zirkzee's clumsy cameos

While there is hope that Højlund can realize his full potential under the new manager, there is growing skepticism surrounding United’s other centre-forward, Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutch striker, often described as a "No.9 and a half" due to his tendency to drop deep and link up play, has not found the back of the net for United since his debut goal. His lack of pace is becoming an increasing concern.

Zirkzee was brought on late against Chelsea in place of Højlund, and within moments, he was presented with a perfect through ball from Bruno Fernandes. However, despite having a slight advantage over Wesley Fofana, he was beaten to the ball by the Chelsea defender. Zirkzee then misplayed a pass to Amad Diallo, which was intercepted, much to the frustration of United supporters.

This was not an isolated incident. Zirkzee's awkward performances have become a regular topic of discussion among fans both online and at Old Trafford. Long-serving Reds were left bewildered by his display as they discussed the game on their way home, while online reactions were harsher, with some comparing him to an out-of-shape amateur player or even a sea lion.

Pundits have also been critical of him, including former England manager Fabio Capello. "Go watch Zirkzee play in the Premier League and tell me if he seems like the same player we admired in Bologna," Capello said in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "In Italy, he did what he wanted; in England, he doesn’t even have time to think about the play before the ball is stolen from him."

Turning potential into proven quality

United's interim manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, urged fans to show more patience with Zirkzee last week. "Josh came in as a young player with a lot of potential," he said. "He has a lot of talent, is at a good age, and has the potential to develop. We need to take care of him, give him time, and he will improve and become a very good player."

Zirkzee and Højlund posted similar statistics during their time in Italy, with the Dutchman scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in Serie A last season, while the Dane recorded nine goals and two assists. These figures highlight that both players still have room to grow, despite their combined £108.5m ($140m) price tag.

Top clubs often buy potential over proven talent, and United has struggled to get the best out of players who seemed destined to succeed, such as Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Raphael Varane, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Amorim’s reputation for developing players was a key reason United chose him as Ten Hag’s successor. His ability to improve players is evident from his success with talents like Nuno Mendes, Manuel Ugarte, Matheus Nunes, João Palhinha, Pedro Porro, Paulinho, Issahaku Fatawuv, and Matheus Fernandes, helping generate £300m ($380m) in transfers for Sporting.

While United doesn’t necessarily need such large transfer profits, a boost in player performance would certainly be welcomed. Instead of turning players into valuable assets for sale, Amorim's focus will now be on unlocking the potential of those already at the club, starting with Højlund and Zirkzee. If he can get them scoring at a similar rate to Viktor Gyokeres, he’ll be well on his way to restoring United to its former glory.