Stretford End's Joshua Zirkzee song shows striker is winning back Man Utd fans

Joshua Zirkzee's last two Old Trafford appearances have been defined by the reaction from supporters. The change from one game to the next says a lot about how his time as a Manchester United player is going.

Zirkzee was a second-half substitute in the 3-1 win over Southampton on January 16. The victory, which ended United's run of six consecutive games in all competitions without one, was brought about by a dramatic late hat-trick from Amad Diallo.

But Zirkzee's impact should not be overlooked — and judging by the fans' reaction from the Stretford End, it wasn't.

Even when the score was still 1-0, the Dutch striker earned a rendition of "Oooooh, Joshua Zirkzee" from the singing section. It came just after he had held up the ball, spun into space and made a promising run into the box, which ended in a blocked shot. United fans recognised the spirit and endeavour, even though the finish was lacking.

Joshua Zirkzee loved that one a bit too much 😂 pic.twitter.com/4UQb0DeQ2l

It was a marked difference from the last time Zirkzee was serenaded by the United home crowd. During the 2-0 loss to Newcastle United in December, the forward suffered the ignominy of being substituted in the first half, partly due to his own ineffective display but also because Ruben Amorim recognised that an extra midfielder was needed. Some fans sarcastically cheered when Zirkzee's number was held up; others booed their contemporaries for that reaction. Zirkzee was reportedly close to tears in the tunnel before taking his seat among the substitutes, and it seemed for all the world that his brief United career was about to come to an inauspicious end in the January transfer window.

Things have changed in 2025. Zirkzee had a solid cameo at Anfield and would have had an assist for a late winning goal had Harry Maguire not blazed over the bar from 12 yards out. He was more effective off the bench in the FA Cup at Arsenal, coming close to snatching the win in extra time and linking well on the break. He also struck the decisive penalty, right in front of the away fans, to send United through.

Against Southampton, his performance was good enough to earn him a starting spot against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

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Zirkzee impresses against Southampton

Rasmus Hojlund had laboured once again as the starting No. 9, this time against the Southampton back three of James Bree, Jan Bednarek, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. While United were poor overall in the first half, their centre-forward was a passenger, save for one good run and pass that should have ended in an Alejandro Garnacho goal.

According to Fotmob data, Hojlund had only 18 touches of the ball in his 53 minutes on the pitch. He completed eight passes and was dispossessed twice, while his only shot ended in a block. Most concerningly of all, the 21-year-old won just two of 10 duels in total, highlighting just how ineffective his hold-up play was.

Quite simply, United were better once Zirkzee was on the pitch. His individual performance was superior to Hojlund's — he won more duels (three), made more recoveries (three), had more touches (22) and completed more passes (nine) — but he also offered a far greater physical challenge to the Southampton centre-backs, out-muscling them when the ball came long and using the space in behind them cleverly.

While Saints no doubt tired as the second half wore on, they looked more uncomfortable in the first few minutes after Zirkzee's introduction than at any time when Hojlund was on the pitch. It was his pass that led to Amad's equaliser.

Whether or not he is the right man to be United's starting centre-forward for years to come is, at this stage, redundant. He is the right man to be United's starting centre-forward on Sunday, and for now, that will have to do. United are in no position to be looking too far ahead during a season in which relegation has actually been discussed as a possibility.

Given what he went through against Newcastle, Zirkzee deserves huge praise for at least starting to turn things around. He's earned the chance to keep that going — and United need him to.