Ruben Amorim will “never regain the respect” of Joshua Zirkzee after substituting the Manchester United forward just 33 minutes into Monday’s 2-0 loss to Newcastle. Zirkzee went directly down the tunnel after being substituted for Kobbie Mainoo. Amorim had to make the change as his team fell behind 2-0 early in the match, so he took Zirkzee off. Zirkzee later came back to sit on the bench as United couldn’t recover from the deficit. Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker stated that Amorim will now be seen as the main antagonist by his player. “It’s a challenging situation for the player and a hard reality that Ruben Amorim will need to accept,” he shared with BBC Radio 5 Live. “As a player, during a moment like that, it’s important to consider the human aspect… ‘He will view Ruben Amorim and lose trust in him forever.” He can greet him with “good morning boss,” but he won’t truly respect him on the inside. A little more than six weeks into his role at Old Trafford, Amorim has faced challenges. United have continued to fall in the standings following Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, leading to scrutiny of the former Sporting CP manager. His decision to start both Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund up front, while leaving Christian Eriksen and Casemiro behind, left United vulnerable against a more spirited Newcastle team. According to Reo-Coker, substituting Zirkzee was not merely a tactical change. “It’s a recognition from Amorim that he misjudged the team,” he stated.
