Joshua Zirkzee: The Nine and a Half
Unpacking the Unique Profile of Manchester United’s New Target
“He said that his idols are Ibrahimovic and Batistuta, who are two excellent players, but, seeing him day to day, he reminds me of the Ronaldinho I played with at Barcelona”
— Thiago Motta, on Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee, like many before him, has become the new focus of transfer panic from the Manchester United fanbase.
A primary target of the new INEOS regime, Zirkzee has gained an unfair first characterization and affiliation with the lackluster Ten Hag reign, serving as a scapegoat for current fan frustration.
The casuals, however, are in for a shock.
Much like Jude Bellingham, I believe that Joshua Zirkzee is one of those few players in world football who cannot be fully understood through a single paradigm.
The emergent profile of his physical and technical capabilities is a range of possibilities – high impact in various phases, and complete domination in certain zones.
Before we begin this analysis, however, we must ameliorate an issue and clarify our purpose.
Modern player profiling has fallen into an incessant obsession with fitting players into a prebuilt mold.
This often leads to significant setbacks in attempts to comprehend players whose attributes do not neatly conform to one of these archetypes — resulting in the diametrically opposed characterizations of 'positionless' (see Joao Felix) or 'all-time great' (see Wayne Rooney).
Recognizing the nuances of individual players is crucial to avoid misconceptions. For instance, labeling both Bellingham and Kevin De Bruyne as Attacking Midfielders may be accurate in some conventional sense, but it greatly oversimplifies their distinct roles and removes their essence.
To avoid this, we will suspend any discussion of position until the very end.
Think of this exercise not as a discovery of Zirkzee’s archetype, but of a creation of a new mold, a unique description of a player.
We begin with the base of all football, the physical.
Towering at an imposing 6'4" and 190 pounds, Joshua’s stature is a significant asset in deploying his diverse set of qualities on the pitch.
His body proportions are unique for his height and exemplary for a footballer: featuring short, powerful legs that generate tremendous force and a lengthier torso that offers enhanced leverage during physical duels.
These biomechanical traits play a crucial role in his effectiveness on the field, and Zirkzee understands how to deploy them.
His ability to lower his center of gravity to hold the ball with his back to goal creates a stable and balanced base that provides press resistance from central defenders and midfielders alike.
This body shielding allows him to maintain control and wait for support runners or create space for a turn in the immediate transition.
Moreover, Zirkzee’s upper body strength and torso play a key role in his ability to maneuver past direct line tackles.
With intimate use of his torso to pivot and swing around challenges, Zirkzee consistently maintains momentum and control, effectively bypassing defenders who attempt to engage him physically.
The running power generated from his legs is another standout feature of Zirkzee's physical profile. His quad length paired with a consistent angular proportion in hip bend creates a great degree of control in stride and step count.
This combination of raw power and precise control is what allows him to drive past opponents in a fashion reminiscent of Ronaldinho or Henry – a certified elite premier-league level.
Additionally, Zirkzee's hip flexibility significantly enhances his mobility, agility, and technical execution on the field.
Unlike Harry Kane, his ability to rotate his hips smoothly allows for intricate movement patterns, also aiding in his ability to adjust his body positioning rapidly, making him more effective in tight spaces and between lines.
“Without a doubt, my gift is my technique; it is the way of showing everyone my essence. It's the best way to express yourself. Creativity at the service of the team is a lethal combination”
— Joshua Zirkzee
To understand what Zirkzee offers with the ball, it is important to first understand what he was made from.
Hailing from the Feyenoord Academy in Rotterdam, Joshua did not grow up with the classical and semi-religious adherence to technical mastery preached at Ajax.
He was forced, instead, to adopt this skillset through another organic means — five-a-side.
“I think what the USA has with (urban outdoor) basketball courts, we have in Holland with the five-a-side pitches,” Zirkzee said
The tight space manipulation, between-lines operation, and pausa derived from these experiences are reflected clearly in Joshua’s play. They are his central strengths — with his relative dominance increasing proportionally to the amount they are allowed to flourish.
All Phases Domination
In the build-up phase, Zirkzee’s ability to drop deep and link play is a significant asset.
His physical presence allows him to shield the ball effectively, drawing defenders toward him and creating space for his teammates, while his intelligence in the link-up and natural pausa lends to elite decision-making.
Observe his movements in the following, a raw display of technical, mental, and physical prowess in the build-up:
Zirkzee’s domination of the build-up phase is further supplemented by his passing statistics, with above-average range, volume, and variation of passing.
As a forward, he demands an unusual amount of touches, choosing to organize his offensive movements towards the ball, rather than off of it.
During the progression phase, Zirkzee's ball-carrying ability comes to the fore. His stride and close control enable him to drive the ball forward, bypassing midfield lines and creating numerical advantages in advanced areas.
Zirkzee excels at receiving the ball between the lines, turning, and driving forward with purpose.
Arriving at the third phase, Zirkzee’s two-footed ball-striking and final action execution is well adjusted.
Though he commits many of the same mistakes young forwards tend towards (indecisiveness in finishing and lack of aggression), his box instincts are remarkably promising.
One area of improvement in this sector is Joshua’s aerial presence. Though he often seems capable of winning duels with his height and leap — there seems to be a lack of aggression and coordination, with an unwillingness to engage.
As seen, the low number of aerials won is slightly deceiving, as the number of aerials lost is particularly low as well, indicating a low level of engagement rather than a high loss rate.
Coaching concerning mental preparation and technique should fix this issue, in the meanwhile, Zirkzee remains below average for forwards.
In terms of creativity and organization in the final third, however, I’ve waxed lyrical about Zirkzee between the lines. In truth words and numbers cannot fully encapsulate the technical quality and consistency of these operations. There is nothing to say, watch.
So, thus far, we have noted Zirkzee’s unique physical capabilities, diverse technical abilities, and relational tendencies as a footballer.
Now, it is time to fit the puzzle pieces into one coherent image: what is Joshua Zirkzee, how does he organize around an offense, and how does he fit into Manchester United?
"I'm not a pure centre-forward," he elaborated. "Motta has transformed me into a nine and a half."
— Joshua Zirkzee
Taking a big-picture view, Zirkzee’s stats compare interestingly with the pre-existing molds of players that we discussed earlier.
As a standard nine, Zirkzee’s attacking tilt is exceeded by his operations in possession, which appears his only well-adjusted value.
When selecting for ‘false-nine’ attributes, however, Zirkzee’s qualities shine well above the mean for forwards, and exceptionally high for the ‘nine’ position.
This unique mix of qualities — a classical ten with the frame of a pure nine and the intelligence of a false nine can only be described with a unique title.
The Nine and a Half.
Such a profile is ideally suited to complementing the skillsets of both Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Højlund, who excel as attacking outlets. However, it presents challenges for Bruno Fernandes, whose creative play thrives in central zones.
To maximize Zirkzee’s impact, my proposal is this:
Manchester United deploys a two-striker system, with either one of Højlund or Rashford complimented by a Zirkzee as a second striker. This can also be reserved for big games, where quick transitions and last-line explosions are prioritized.
Zirkzee is implemented as a classical false nine, with Rashford and Højlund playing inside forwards on the left and the right, and Bruno Fernandes retaining the 10 position behind him.
In settled possession, Højlund vacates the right half-space and moves to occupy the left center back in the box. Bruno moves into this vacated space, utilizing his in-swinging cross on his stronger right foot. The right-back takes the overlap to hold the width and support Bruno.
Rashford shifts to the touchline and hopes to isolate in the 1v1, cutting for an in-swinging cross/shot or in or driving to the line and producing a cutback.
Zirkzee hangs on the edge of the box, near the left half-space, ready to crash the box, create, or orchestrate between the lines. These tight spaces will allow his shifty style of ball manipulation and ‘pausa’ to dominate Zone 14, the area around the center D.
Out of possession, Zirkzee would be expected to hold and lead the press as a typical nine, a role he is accustomed to in Motta’s Bologna.
Zirkzee can also function as just an auxiliary nine-option. This would waste the best of his values — like buying a high-end katana to spread butter — but his false-nine linkup can be reduced to consistent box crashing and brutish hold-up play.
Profiling in football is about the seamless integration of a player's unique qualities into the team. Joshua Zirkzee —> United embodies this principle.
His physical dominance, technical skill, and tactical understanding offer Manchester United a versatile talent capable of redefining roles on the pitch. As he continues to develop, the hope is that Zirkzee will transcend conventional player profiling and carve out a distinctive niche that marries his strengths with the needs of his team.
His story is still being written, but the pages already hint at a player capable of leaving a mark on the sport.
A Galactico in the making.
The Nine and a Half.
t. Doctor Octopus