Man Utd star 'not happy' with Ruben Amorim but boss has already explained why he upset him

Ruben Amorim has already provided a rationale after seemingly disappointing Joshua Zirkzee during Manchester United's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa. The Dutch striker entered from the substitutes' bench in the loss but may have anticipated an earlier introduction.

United fell behind on the cusp of half-time during their visit to Villa Park following Morgan Rogers' exquisite curling strike. Matheus Cunha drew level before the interval, though Rogers netted his second just shy of the hour mark to clinch all three points for Unai Emery's outfit. Captain Bruno Fernandes became a victim of the defeat, appearing to sustain a hamstring injury during the opening period, yet continuing to play. Zirkzee was amongst the favourites to replace him at the break, but United legend Gary Neville expressed his astonishment at seeing Lisandro Martinez introduced in his stead.

Neville observed that Zirkzee appeared displeased at not being deployed at half-time, despite his eventual introduction after 73 minutes, though Amorim had previously offered a reasonable justification for a comparable choice last campaign.

Speaking on Sky Sports commentary, Neville conveyed his amazement at Martinez's introduction over Zirkzee, who has struggled for playing time under Amorim.

"I'm surprised as I thought Zirkzee would come on as he is closer to Fernandes' position," he remarked before continuing: "He [Zirkzee] doesn't look like he's too happy."

However, a similar situation unfolded last season. Zirkzee was pulled from a match against Newcastle in December 2024 after United fell behind 2-0 within the first 32 minutes, leaving him visibly upset.

Amorim justified his decision post-match and said: "You have to think about the team. The player is suffering during the game. We needed another midfielder. It was tough on me to do that. I talked with Joshua about that.

"I'm always thinking about the team. At that moment it was important for him to come out. I know that 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. Newcastle were better than Manchester United. They weren't better than Josh."

Neville also weighed in on this contentious substitution, much like he did when Zirkzee was not brought on against Villa. He commented: "I know that he's earning a lot of money but there's a human being in there that's basically being cheered off by his home fans and that is brutal."

Despite Amorim making decisions surrounding Zirkzee for the benefit of the team, rumours persist linking the Dutchman with a move away. Zirkzee only joined in July 2024 from Bologna for £36.5million but may potentially make a return to Italy. Corriere dello Sport reports that Roma are keen on Zirkee, with the only obstacle to a transfer being a disagreement over fees.