Perhaps nothing has better summed up the crumbling state of Manchester United than the reaction to the early substitution of Joshua Zirkzee against Newcastle on Monday.
United were 2-0 down to Newcastle within just 20 minutes of their final home game of 2024 and, when Sandro Tonali went within inches of making it three for the visitors, it was clear something needed to change.
With the midfield getting overrun, head coach Ruben Amorim chose to withdraw the attacking presence of Zirkzee, to get another defensive presence alongside Casemiro. Dutchman Zirkzee had not been enjoying his finest display in a United shirt but the reaction to his withdrawal was nonetheless eye-opening.
"I feel sorry for him, there's a human being in there..." 🎙
Joshua Zirkzee is replaced by Kobbie Mainoo after half an hour. pic.twitter.com/v9FBAvkK3x— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 30, 2024
Ironic cheers could be heard from sections of the Old Trafford crowd when his number went up on the substitution board, before a smattering of boos rang around.
Zirkzee did get some support from the home fans, with large sections applauding him as he left the field - and some UK journalists have suggested that the boos which broke out were in protest against the ironic cheers that met his substitution.
Regardless of the ins and outs of the boos, it was clear they had an understandably major impact on Zirkzee, who headed straight down the tunnel in disbelief. It was a shocking indicator of both how low this Manchester United team is on confidence and how support from the home fans is dwindling.
Zirkzee would return from the tunnel to the bench moments later but ex-United goalkeeper Ben Foster believes that his reaction of storming down the tunnel is not something which would have been tolerated during the Alex Ferguson era.
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Foster claims Joshua Zirkzee would have ended United career under Fergie with tunnel walk
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Foster slated Joshua Zirkzee's decision to walk down the tunnel amid fan boos, saying that his Manchester United career would have been "done" under Fergie.
When he walked off down the tunnel...if Alex Ferguson had been manager, that player would have been done.
Whoever that is, if you walk off that pitch when you've been brought off after 30 minutes, get a coat and walk straight into the dressing room...you're done. I promise you, you're done. It just doesn't work like that.
And I guarantee you, when he got back to the changing room, somebody would have said to him, 'You need to get back outside. This is not a good look. The camera has just watched you walk all the way down the line, the fans are booing.'
Of course, it is hard to corroborate Foster's claims - mainly because it is hard to imagine a world where things would ever have reached this bad a point during Alex Ferguson's tenure as manager.
Manchester United currently sit 14th in the table, closer to the relegation zone than the top five, having lost six games in a calendar month for the first time since 1930.
Though Ben Foster was not impressed with Joshua Zirkzee's reaction, he admitted he had sympathy for him for suffering the fans' wrath for a far bigger problem than his performances.
It is a horrible situation. I really feel for him. At that moment in time, the atmosphere in Old Trafford was horrible. United were getting pumped. They were on the back foot and it was almost like he was the scapegoat. He was just one of 11 problems on that pitch.
Just as well things get easier from here on out for Manchester United, who only have the small task of travelling to Anfield and the Emirates in their next two games.
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