Neville verdict on why Man Utd boss Amorim dropped Hojlund and Zirkzee

Gary Neville has suggested that Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim may not fully trust his striking options, Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

Both were left on the bench during United’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. Despite United investing over £100 million in the duo, Amorim instead deployed Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine.

A tactical move that failed as Palace claimed victory through a Jean-Philippe Mateta brace. Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville criticized the decision, arguing that it signaled Amorim’s lack of faith in his strikers.

"The only explanation I can think of is that he's either experimenting, trying to find a system he likes, or he simply doesn’t rate the strikers he has," Neville said.

"When I saw the teamsheet, I expected Fernandes or Garnacho to play as the false nine. But seeing Kobbie Mainoo up front?

"That had to be executed perfectly for it to work. From Palace’s perspective, they’d have been confident—there was no real goal threat."

Neville went on to argue that, even if Højlund and Zirkzee aren’t at their best, their physical presence would have at least troubled Palace’s defence.

"I’m not saying Højlund would’ve terrified them, but he’s a presence. Zirkzee is a big lad. I’m not saying they’re brilliant, but when I saw the lineup, I thought: ‘Where are the goals coming from?’ If a team doesn’t look like scoring, something isn’t right."

Neville also expressed concern over United’s continued struggles under Amorim, suggesting that morale within the squad is deteriorating.

"I thought things would improve when Amorim came in—I expected the players to buy into his energy and system. But we’ve seen the opposite; it’s gotten worse, which is surprising."

He warned that continued defeats could make it difficult for players to trust in Amorim’s philosophy.

"They’re obviously sticking with Amorim, but the more you lose, the harder it becomes for players to believe in the manager’s ideas. You can’t keep losing—eventually, it drains the squad’s confidence."

Despite Amorim’s tactical preferences, Neville urged him to work with what he has rather than persisting with ineffective solutions.

"He might not like Højlund. He might not rate Zirkzee. But he has to play with the squad he’s got. This can’t keep going on. They need to improve, but where will that improvement come from? Right now, it’s painful to watch Manchester United play."