November 19th 2024.
Joshua Zirkzee, the young and promising forward for the Netherlands, had another challenging game as his team drew with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The head coach, Ronald Koeman, was not in the mood to discuss Zirkzee's lackluster performance after the disappointing 1-1 result.
Zirkzee, who plays for Manchester United, was given the No.10 role in this match, supporting Brian Brobbey as Koeman opted for a completely different starting lineup at Bosnia's Bilino Polje Stadium. Although this was a Nations League game with no real consequences, the Dutch were determined to secure a win after a tough year for their national team.
The game started off well for the visitors, with Ajax's Brobbey scoring a beautiful header from a perfect cross by Noa Lang in the first half. However, the hosts bounced back in the second half and equalized through Ermedin Demirovic, who reacted quickly to a rebound after Mark Flekken saved Edin Dzeko's initial shot.
Despite their efforts, the Dutch were unable to find a winner, but their spot in the quarter-finals of the competition was already secured after a dominant 4-0 win against Hungary over the weekend. Bosnia, on the other hand, had already been relegated from the top tier of the Nations League after a humiliating 7-0 defeat to Germany.
Zirkzee, who joined Manchester United from Bologna in the summer for a hefty fee, has had a difficult start to his career at the club. He continued to struggle in this game, missing a clear chance to double the Dutch's lead just before half-time. The frustrated 23-year-old was eventually substituted in the 77th minute for Ajax's Wout Weghorst, who himself used to play for United.
When asked about Zirkzee's performance in the post-match press conference, Koeman refused to single out any individual player. He also mentioned that the pitch was challenging to play on, with many players slipping throughout the game. Despite this, he felt that his team controlled the game well until the last half-hour.
There have been rumors of Zirkzee possibly going on loan to Juventus in January, following his disappointing start at United. The Dutchman had a dream debut in the Premier League, scoring a late winner against Fulham, but he has struggled to find the back of the net in his 16 appearances since then, both domestically and in Europe.
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