Joshua Zirkzee apologises to Man United fans in moving message
Joshua Zirkzee had a moment to forget as his missed penalty sealed Fulham’s victory, knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup.
Man United were eliminated from the FA Cup after a tense 4-3 penalty shootout defeat, with the match finishing 1-1 after extra time.
Calvin Bassey gave Fulham the lead just before half-time, only for Bruno Fernandes to level the score in the second half, forcing the game to be decided from the spot.
Bernd Leno proved to be the hero for the away side, saving consecutive penalties from Victor Lindelof and Zirkzee to send the visitors through. Following the defeat, pressure has mounted on Ruben Amorim, with fans frustrated by another disappointing result.
Zirkzee, however, responded to the setback with a message to supporters, addressing the end to United’s cup campaign and his penalty miss.
Joshua Zirkzee thanks Man United fans despite FA Cup heartbreak
The striker shared an apologetic and moving message with supporters on Instagram after the defeat, writing: “Sorry to let you down today Reds! Thanks for the incredible support” followed by a heart emoji.
His relationship with the fanbase appears to have improved recently, a stark contrast to a few months ago. Man United fans left Zirkzee in tears after being booed off against Newcastle on 30 December when he substituted after just 33 minutes.
Despite speculation surrounding his future, Football Insider has revealed that Man United are prepared to keep Zirkzee after improvements recently.
The 23-year-old has often been deployed behind Rasmus Hojlund rather than as an out-and-out striker, a tactical switch that has arguably contributed to improved performances. However, his goal return remains underwhelming, with just five goals and two assists in 40 appearances across all competitions this season.
| Season statistics | Joshua Zirkzee |
| Appearances | 40 |
| Starts | 17 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 2 |
Ruben Amorim under sack threat after FA Cup exit
Man United fans have grown increasingly frustrated with Amorim, despite the Portuguese coach only arriving in November.
There are concerns Amorim could lose the Man United dressing room after several post-match comments blaming the team’s performances that have left the side struggling in 14th place in the league.
Their Europa League campaign remains the last hope for silverware this season, and with Amorim already under scrutiny, failure to deliver could put his position at serious risk.