Man Utd have been open to letting Joshua Zirkzee leave for a while and the striker barely gets a look in, but he deserves a more prominent role in this team.

If you wanted any further evidence that Manchester United's season is becoming an unstructured, unpredictable mess, then the growing consensus that Joshua Zirkzee should start a game is Exhibit Z.

Zirkzee helped save the job of a manager who never picks him on Sunday, converting Patrick Dorgu's low cross to get United's injury-time comeback against Aston Villa underway.

It was a smart first-time finish from the Dutchman, who now has two goals in 186 minutes of football this season, despite not yet starting a game in any competition.

In fact, it's something of a surprise that Zirkzee is still at Old Trafford. Several Serie A clubs looked at bringing him back to Italy in the summer, with Juventus and Fiorentina close to moves late in the transfer window. Everton then tried to sign him on loan in the final couple of hours of deadline day, without success.

It turns out the Toffees didn't need him, with Thierno Barry's remarkable turnaround from wayward cast-off to prolific Premier League striker perhaps an example for Zirkzee - and for Michael Carrick.

The 25-year-old is never likely to start scoring goals at the rate Barry has done this season, but the Frenchman has gone from eight goals in 41 games last season to 10 in 13 this term.

That feels a long way off for Zirkzee, who has 11 goals in 85 games for United since his £36.5million move from Bologna in July 2024. He looks a technically accomplished footballer, but hasn't used his physique well enough as a striker for United and looks unsure whether he is a No.9 or a No.10.

But having failed to sign a striker in the summer and seen Benjamin Sesko sidelined for another three or four months, things are getting desperate for Carrick and Zirkzee might at least simplify United's attacking approach.

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He did just that when he came on for Bryan Mbeumo with seven minutes, plus stoppage time, still to play against Aston Villa. Zirkzee stayed central and was in the position you would expect to see your centre-forward, just as Sesko would be if he was fit.

Mbeumo interprets the role very differently. You can see from the contrasting heat map and touch map below that Zirkzee played like a traditional striker, while Mbeumo was all over the pitch.

Carrick has had success with Mbeumo as his striker since taking over in January, but this now feels like a team that has lost its way tactically. The approach of offering the front three some off-the-cuff freedom isn't working.

United need more structure in their play and having a striker more willing to occupy the centre-backs and stay within the penalty area could offer them that. It would also mean Mbeumo could move back to the right wing, which is where he is better.

Maybe there is a hint Zirkzee is finding some form as well. He took his consolation goal well against Como and showed confidence to turn Dorgu's cross home against Villa.

Zirkzee has started just one of Carrick's 32 games in charge of United, which makes it all the more extraordinary that he wasn't sold or loaned out with an option or obligation to buy in the summer. He has rarely looked good enough and it seems pretty clear Carrick doesn't rate him.

But things are getting desperate. Sesko will be sidelined for at least another two months and it's also two months until United could look to sign a striker in January.

With neither Matheus Cunha nor Mbeumo looking comfortable through the middle, perhaps it is time to simplify things by bringing Zirkzee in and telling him to play within the confines of the penalty box, rather than drifting wide.

United need a focal point, and the unwanted Zirkzee might just be that man.