Manchester United Star Dropped from National Team: “Not Good Enough”
A Manchester United player has been axed from his national team after the manager claimed he “doesn’t deserve” to be selected.
Manchester United settled for a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday. The result left United sitting in 14th place in the league table, just marginally above Everton. Despite Bruno Fernandes’ spectacular first-half free-kick, Ruben Amorim’s squad struggled to create meaningful opportunities going forward.
Arsenal controlled the match with 69% possession and registered 17 shots, six on target. United managed only 10 shots, with six finding the target. This lack of attacking prowess has been a consistent issue for the Red Devils this season.
Zirkzee Dropped as Netherlands Boss Questions Performance
Joshua Zirkzee, the 23-year-old forward who joined Manchester United last summer, has been excluded from the Netherlands’ upcoming Nations League quarter-final against Spain. The decision comes as a significant blow to the striker, who had previously featured in Ronald Koeman’s last three squad selections.
The Dutch manager was brutally honest about his decision to drop Zirkzee:
- “He wasn’t in the preliminary selection because I don’t think he’s good enough at the moment,” Koeman explained on Dutch TV program Studio Voetbal.
- “Especially scanning when turning or passing often goes wrong.”
- “I still think that you have to earn your selection, and I think he doesn’t deserve that now, but that could be the case again in another period.”
Zirkzee’s struggles at Old Trafford haven’t gone unnoticed. United’s forward line has been particularly ineffective, with Zirkzee and fellow striker Rasmus Hojlund managing just five Premier League goals between them this season.
The Dutch international isn’t the only Manchester United player facing national team disappointment. Defender Matthijs de Ligt was also omitted from Koeman’s squad, despite being a regular fixture for the Netherlands since his debut in 2017.
De Ligt’s exclusion follows a challenging period for the center-back. In October, he was substituted at half-time after making a critical error during a 2-2 draw with Germany. Koeman addressed this decision at the time, stating: “It just looks like he is now in a period where all his mistakes are being punished. I gave him a new chance today, but eventually, I protected him by taking him off.”
While United’s Dutch contingent faces international disappointment, several other Premier League stars have made the cut for the Netherlands squad:
| Player | Club |
|---|---|
| Ryan Gravenberch | Liverpool |
| Mark Flekken | Brentford |
| Justin Kluivert | Bournemouth |
Zirkzee’s national team omission adds further pressure on the forward to improve his performances at club level. With United currently languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, both player and team need to find form quickly.
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