Lukaku or current/last seasons Zlatan - who is the better player?

[sunama]

Bit premature, no? Lukaku's one game vs an entire season of Ibra?

Still makes for an interesting discussion as the season unfolds.

Agreed on both points.

 

[SSSSnake]

Will answer halfway through the season.

 

[sunama]

I'm guessing when Pogba joined you knew after one game he was better than Schweinsteiger.

Bastian was completely past it. I mean, right now, he is in the MLS - which says it all.
The difference between Pogba and a completely past it Bastian was huge.

Ibra on the other hand was our top scorer, by far, last season, so he clearly isn't past it.
The comparison between Lukaku and Ibra should be much closer than the poll is currently indicating.

 

[shamans]

Will answer halfway through the season.

And?

Do people still think that Zlatan is objectively the better striker?

 

[Sing you a song]

The Zlatan of last season was far better than the Lukaku of this season , a far better all round footballer , much "cleverer "than Lukaku who is completely one dimensional .
This season time will tell if he can get his fitness back I think he could pose more of a threat to the opposition than Lukaku

 

[SalfordRed18]

I'd take last seasons Zlatan back in a heartbeat.

 

[Dec9003]

I think Lukaku is much more effective than last seasons Zlatan. He was a 35 year old player, who constantly looks knackered and off the pace. That said he still kept scoring goals and you have to applaud him for that.
Lukaku on the other hand is genuinely really good, he needs the team to be a bit more attacking though for us to see his best, the same can be said for a few of our players.

 

[KM]

Lukaku is hundred percent still the better player. People are forgetting how many chances Zlatan missed in small matches whereas Lukaku has been more clinical than him.

 

[Mr.Ridiculous__]

Jesus, it's like people forget how our attack when to shit once Zlatan got injured. He was pivotal last year.

 

[simplyared]

Straight answer to a straight question: Lukaku

 

[Jeffthered]

The fact that Lukaku is being compared to a play ten years older than him, recovering from a serious injury.... and the jury is still out says much. Zlatan is a better player, and I am surprised some think otherwise. He is a better footballer, in ALL areas of the game. However, he doesn't have the mobility that Lukaku may offer.

However.... the question should be as we have reached mid-point in this season, who would score and create more goals between now and the end of the season, if both remain fit? Who would inspire the team more? Who would make us a better, more confident team?

I know what I think.

 

[anant]

Lukaku. Zlatan wasn't clinical and having him as our main striker made us considerably weaker on the counter.

 

[Bwuk]

Lukaku. Zlatan wasn't clinical and having him as our main striker made us considerably weaker on the counter.

Zlatan was part of the reason we created so much.

Zlatan comfortably for me.

 

[Jeffthered]

Lukaku. Zlatan wasn't clinical and having him as our main striker made us considerably weaker on the counter.

The guy scored 28 goals in 46 games. I'll take that as being pretty clinical, and a fabulous rate of return. And counter attacking football isn't THE only aspect of an attacking strategy... in fact, when teams come to Old Trafford, what we lack is a tempo, precision, insight, inspiration, and sheer quality to break teams down.

Ibra would / will offer more in such games. Tight, and we need to break teams down.

Those games, away from home, with Pogba playing well... yes, that counter-attacking strategy may suit Lukaku over Ibra. But when we have posession, and need to probe teams, and retain quality in and around the last third, I take Ibra over Lukaku all day long.

 

[finneh]

Lukaku is hundred percent still the better player. People are forgetting how many chances Zlatan missed in small matches whereas Lukaku has been more clinical than him.

Correct. Games like Stoke earlier in the season were the kind of match we lost last season with Zlatan missing the kind of chance Lukaku buried. Likewise the wins against Southampton, Bournemouth & West Brom.

That's before even looking at a couple of games in August where his clinical finishing put us out of touching distance which provided a platform for us to win by 4 goals (West Ham, Swansea).

I haven't been Lukaku's biggest fan this season, but he's a key reason that we're 8 points better off at this stage than last season. Likewise if by 20th April Lukaku hasn't scored more than 7 extra goals in the Premier League I'll eat my hat

 

[roonster09]

Previously I said Zlatan is better player but we are better team with Lukaku and I still think the same.

 

[Ardis]

Last season's Zlatan for sure. The rest of the team has been better this season, thus the team has gotten more points.
Zlatan will come back and dwarf Lukaku, because he is a much better football player.

 

[December2Member]

A bit premature for a thread for this - give it 6 months at least before trying to compare their impact.

Last Season, Zlatan played 28 PL games for United. Now, Lukaku has played 28 PL Games this Season. Here are their stats:

Zlatan: 28(1) PL Apps; 17 PL Goals; 0.61 Goals/Game; 5 PL Assists; Share of Team's Goals: 17/44*=39%; Share if Assists are included: 22/44=50%. Goals vs Big5: 2 in 6 Games = 0.33.
Lukaku: 28(0) PL Apps; 14 PL Goals; 0.50 Goals/Game; 6 PL Assists; Share of Team's Goals: 14/54*=26%; Share if Assists are included: 20/54=37%. Goals vs Big5: 1 in 7 Games = 0.14.

*When injured, United had scored 48 PL Goals. Of those, 4 came when Zlatan was suspended. Therefore, 44 Goals when in Action.
** Lukaku has missed one Game (Everton), where United scored twice. So 54 PL Goals when in Action, not 56.

 

[Jaybomb]

I voted for Zlatan. I think he was more influential but Lukaku was the right replacement. He’s going to be one of the greatest strikers the Premier League has ever seen.

 

[TMDaines]

Zlatan last season is better than Lukaku this, but Zlatan was here only for a good time. Lukaku is only going to get better and should be here for a long time.

 

[Adebesi]

It would be amazing to have Ibra available off the bench for the last few months of the season. Would be a real boost in the CL in particular, if we get past Sevilla. Would feel so much more confident, if we were facing the likes of Barca or Real, if we were able to bring him on with 25 minutes to go.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Will answer halfway through the season.

and?

 

[el3mel]

At time of this thread I voted for "Zlatan but Lukaku suits our style of play better". Still think that's the best answer.

 

[Varun]

At time of this thread I voted for "Zlatan but Lukaku suits our style of play better". Still think that's the best answer.

Agreed.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Lukaku is a better player now than Zlatan was last season, obviously nothing on peak Zlatan, though. He also suits us better.

 

[Raoul]

Peak Lukaku is basically on par with post-retirement age Zlatan.

 

[Adebesi]

Peak Lukaku is basically on par with post-retirement age Zlatan.

Let me tell you something, Lukaku hasn't even begun to peak. And when he does peak, you'll know. Because he's gonna peak so hard that everybody in Manchester's gonna feel it.

 

[Raoul]

Let me tell you something, Lukaku hasn't even begun to peak. And when he does peak, you'll know. Because he's gonna peak so hard that everybody in Manchester's gonna feel it.

Let's hope that happens since he is already in what should be his peak production years.

 

[TheFlagStaysDown]

Count the goals how much we will have scored in total at the end of the season and you'll see who is a better player, my bet Lukaku will surpass Zlatan in both his own goal tally and the team goals too, not talking about the assists. Lukaku is much less selfish, does that make Zlatan better player, not sure. Zlatan maybe more complete but that is understandable as he's 35 but who cares how complete the player is, nobody cares about completeness about a player, there's just one better and strikers are mainly judged by goals and goal contribution to the team. Lukaku seems already better than him.

I understand that people here take Zlatan as a god but even though he's had a decent season with us, I also still remember more done dozen clear chances he absolutely fluffed, Zlatan at 30 is something else though..

 

[Canagel]

Zlatan's career trajectory as a striker is one of the weirdest I've ever seen. He's been more clinical in his 30's than he was at Lukaku's age earlier in his career. I don't think Lukaku would've done what Zlatan did last year if he was 35. Infact no-one couldve done what Zlatan did. For this season Lukaku's all round impact has been better than Zlatan though. The likes of Martial, Lingard have been more productive with Lukaku and that was key because Zlatan although he scored a lot himself last season didn't bring out the best in these guys Martial especially.

 

[edgar allan]

Let me tell you something, Lukaku hasn't even begun to peak. And when he does peak, you'll know. Because he's gonna peak so hard that everybody in Manchester's gonna feel it.

And what about his performances on the pitch?

 

[BusbyMalone]

For me the answer it's easily Lukaku. Not even close imo.

Lukaku just offers so much more. He has way more pace, gets the goals and also brings others into play. His hold you play is better and work rate is certainly better. Don't mean to shit on Zlatan here 'cause he did great for us last year in terms of goals, but i also think he hindered us a lot in attack. yes he scored all our goals, but that was partly due to the way we played in having him in the team. We were so restricted imo.

He was also supremely frustrating a lot of the time, and while Lukaku is far from perfect (he has a lot of room for improvement), he easily comes out on top for me.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Kinda depends how you view Zlatans contribution last year. Zlatan can do things that Lukaku couldn’t dream of doing and vice versa I just think we got Zlatan at the tail end and although he did score goals he clearly didn’t have the fitness left to give us full Zlatan and to me that hampered the way the team functioned.
This year it’s still not great but the team does seem to work better and function better than last years long diagonal looping ball from Valencia to Zlatan or Fellaini.
So for me it’s Lukaku but if it was a 5 aside team I was picking i’d Pick Zlatan as he might be the better pure footballer if that makes sense.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Let me tell you something, Lukaku hasn't even begun to peak. And when he does peak, you'll know. Because he's gonna peak so hard that everybody in Manchester's gonna feel it.

I always wondered why Mourinho plays him every single game whilst others are rotated. Must be because of the implication.

 

[shamans]

I've been criticizing Lukaku a lot but Zlatan would have bottled that goal against cp

 

[Raoul]

Last Season, Zlatan played 28 PL games for United. Now, Lukaku has played 28 PL Games this Season. Here are their stats:

Zlatan: 28(1) PL Apps; 17 PL Goals; 0.61 Goals/Game; 5 PL Assists; Share of Team's Goals: 17/44*=39%; Share if Assists are included: 22/44=50%. Goals vs Big5: 2 in 6 Games = 0.33.
Lukaku: 28(0) PL Apps; 14 PL Goals; 0.50 Goals/Game; 6 PL Assists; Share of Team's Goals: 14/54*=26%; Share if Assists are included: 20/54=37%. Goals vs Big5: 1 in 7 Games = 0.14.

*When injured, United had scored 48 PL Goals. Of those, 4 came when Zlatan was suspended. Therefore, 44 Goals when in Action.
** Lukaku has missed one Game (Everton), where United scored twice. So 54 PL Goals when in Action, not 56.

Looks like Zlatan comes out on top here.

 

[BusbyMalone]

Kinda depends how you view Zlatans contribution last year. Zlatan can do things that Lukaku couldn’t dream of doing and vice versa I just think we got Zlatan at the tail end and although he did score goals he clearly didn’t have the fitness left to give us full Zlatan and to me that hampered the way the team functioned.
This year it’s still not great but the team does seem to work better and function better than last years long diagonal looping ball from Valencia to Zlatan or Fellaini.
So for me it’s Lukaku but if it was a 5 aside team I was picking i’d Pick Zlatan as he might be the better pure footballer if that makes sense.

Such as?

Genuinely curious, not trolling or anything.

 

[Adebesi]

I always wondered why Mourinho plays him every single game whilst others are rotated. Must be because of the implication.

Glad someone got the reference.

 

[AR87]

Lukakus mobility leads to a much better team dynamic. It's not even close between Lukaku this year versus Zlatan last season.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Such as?

Genuinely curious, not trolling or anything.

Hyperbole, but some of the goals and things Zlatan has done over his career are incredible. The touches, plucking the ball out of the sky, the volley back heal goals and so on. Obviously yeah sure Any proffesional footballer could have moments where they emulate that sort of skill and ability but on a consistent basis I just don’t see those things as part of Lukaku’s game.

Same as I don’t think I could picture Zlatan screaming away from the half way line having beaten a man and going solo past maybe 2 more which Lukaku has in his locker.

May I add I’m not even a Zlatan fan in his final years here but the man deserves respect for at times being a god damn magician with a football.