Sunday's trip to Newcastle United will trigger bad memories for Manchester United attacker Joshua Zirkzee.
The last time the two sides met, Zirkzee was subjected to boos and ironic cheers from some Reds supporters as he was substituted 33 minutes into United's 2-0 defeat to the Magpies at Old Trafford at the end of December.
United found themselves two down just 19 minutes into the clash and Zirkzee had struggled to have any sort of impact on proceedings. Ruben Amorim's side were being overrun in midfield, with both Christian Eriksen and Casemiro being overpowered by the more sprightly and energetic trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton. To try and stem the flow of momentum, Amorim had to make an early change, resulting in Zirkzee being sacrificed for Kobbie Mainoo.
As Zirkzee traded places with the United academy graduate, sections of the Old Trafford crowd produced ironic cheers in response. It was impossible not to feel sorry for the Dutchman.
To Zirkzee's credit, he has responded well to that cruel incident and has improved over the last few months, benefitting from playing as a No.10 in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system.
United signed the 23-year-old last summer with the idea of him providing support for Rasmus Hojlund at the tip of United's attack. However, it has become increasingly clear throughout the campaign that the former Bologna man is not a natural striker.
Despite that, Zirkzee has scored three times the number of goals Hojlund has this calendar year, with his header against Lyon on Thursday night marking his third goal of 2025. It also marked his eighth of the campaign, moving him level with Hojlund for the season.
It goes without saying that neither Hojlund or Zirkzee are good enough to spearhead United's attack and that neither of them should be a starter come next season. United must sign a proven goalscorer this summer to hit the ground running next term.
However, United still have to navigate their way through the remainder of this season. If they play their cards right in the Europa League and reach next month's final, they still have another 11 games to play.
Until the finish line is reached, the chances are Amorim will continue to rotate between Hojlund and Zirkzee. The Dane, who has just one goal in his last 27 matches, has been a passenger in each of the last two games, offering United nothing inside the final third.
Zirkzee, by contrast, has credit in the bank after his goal at the Groupama Stadium and his wider performances in recent months. However, he has earned his stripes when operating as a No.10, with his performances against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest either side of the March international break, when he started as a No.9, offering very little terms of reward.
It means any temptation Amorim might have to restore Zirkzee to the starting line-up at Hojlund's expense at St James' Park could be counter-productive. Zirkzee is not a No.9 and his performances in that position throughout the season have demonstrated that.
Amorim, despite his constant tinkering, has struggled to come up with an attacking combination that has result in either Zirkzee or Hojlund enjoying a purple patch in front of goal, only strengthening his case to be supplied with a new goal-getter.
Until he is rewarded with that craving, he is going to have to continue attempting to solve a conundrum without a realistic answer. Zirkzee deserves to be recalled against Newcastle after his contribution from the bench against Lyon, but he is not a natural fit to replace Hojlund.
Amorim must be counting down the days until the summer.
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