Has Zlatan deserved his contract extension?

[bugmat]

What we've got is a formerly great player who is well past his peak. Im starting to worry he's doing more harm than good, given he isn't only undroppable, he's pretty much unsubbable. I hope he proves me wrong but yeah, on the current evidence I'd say this decision was premature.

100% agree with this - like LvG Mourinho certainly has his damaging blind spots.

 

[Adebesi]

He's started to hit goalscoring form again, and there's no other player in the squad that could have scored the goal he scored yesterday. Some odd scapegoating going on considering that he now appears to be over his little blip. He has all the attributes needed to succeed and he's looked good so far, and he'll likely improve further as he understands how to play in this league. Good for 15+ league goals this season I reckon which would be a good return. He's past his peak but he's still good.

What?

If there is any truth at all in that statement then its hardly surprising we are struggling. It was a lovely goal and all, but it hardly required a world class finish, the real quality was in the pass. A good finish for sure, but one you would hope to see from any decent centre forward.

 

[Treble]

Stupid decision. He and Rooney shouldn't be at the club next season. Stop using these overpaid over the hill primadonnas.

 

[CM]

I don't think his contract has been extended yet, from what I understand it's triggered when he hits a certain number of appearances and Mourinho was just anticipating that happening.

As far as performances go I think he has been alright. His link-up play with Mkhitaryan and Pogba in the last couple of games has been quite good even if he hasn't been quite as clinical as he should be. I'd like to see us using Rashford or Martial up front in some of these cup games though, it's pretty tiresome seeing him getting played in every match he's available for.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Stupid decision. He and Rooney shouldn't be at the club next season. Stop using these overpaid over the hill primadonnas.

This.

People saying it'd be 'disrespectful' for the club to wait before offering him another ridiculously overpaid contract...!? This is Manchester fecking United!

The boy is very, very lucky to be here, and offering him a new contract as we underachieve is an awful, badly thought through move that sends out yet another message of us being a soft touch.

He should be spending 3 quarters of the season desperately playing to earn another deal.

Or maybe Woodward has bought into Zlatan's cringeworthy, tiresome 'I'm a god' bragging - after all, he certainly bought into van Gaal's confidence tricks!

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

He's our biggest goal threat at the moment, so I guess based on that, then yes, unless we have another striker we're looking to bring in.

 

[shabz]

Misses more than he scores, but scores more than everyone else. Whether that is due to him playing as striker and others not getting the opportunity could be a factor.

 

[Irrational.]

Yes he is our biggest goal threat and he has had moments where he's produced bits of magic. I acknowledge he's a super player and has had an outstanding career and is a marketer's dream.

But I think he is the wrong fit for us at this moment in time. If we'd have signed him 3-4 years ago then absolutely a contract extension would've been the right thing. He scores the odd goal here and there and gets an assist but they usually mask his overall performances. Far too many times we're let down by a poor touch, taking too long on the ball, losing the ball, missing gilt-edged opportunities, poor hold up play and movement, occasional lapses in concentration defensively and poor pace. This team is crying out for a pacey finisher that can produce the goods in the big games and when it matters - unfortunately he is not the one. He's easily marked out of games and they seem to pass him by. He's not the only one, but at least with Rashford and Martial we can say they are young and will learn. We bought him also for his leadership qualities, maybe the evidence is off the pitch but I haven't seen much on it. I also don't get the obsession of having him on the pitch at all times when he's available.

Just compare him to our direct rivals: Aguero, Costa, Kane (who admittedly has been poor this season) and Sanchez. They're probably on lower wages and offer much more.

I know Mourinho is used to powerhouse centre-forwards, but current Ibra is nowhere near the monsters that were prime Drogba, Milito or Ronaldo.

We need to put an end to buying players approaching the twilight of their career and instead just get a player that will give us 5-10 years of good goalscoring form and reliability (although I appreciate this may not be instant).

Personally I'd let him go at the end of this season - I think he can give the youngsters all they need this season - they will be another year wiser and more experienced the next and hopefully with the addition of a 'younger Zlatan' we'll be able to compete at the elite level.

 

[Varun]

We should only let him go if we're getting a top striker in which will not be easy at all. We shouldn't rely on kids to maintain their form and lead the line for an entire season.

 

[top1whoisman]

As for the comparison part in the OP, Valencia doesn’t even have an agent, as ”he doesn’t need one - he is where he wants to be”. So Valencia’s contract situation is kind of like Carrick’s. We can sort out a new one in May, they won’t go anywhere. As for Zlatan, he has missed shedloads of good chances in the last games, but he’s also the only one finding the back of the net on regular basis. I doubt Rashford or Martial (in their current form) or Rooney would’ve scored any more if given the opportunities. Zlatan, imo, also contributes so much to our attacking plays. To some extent RvP did the same with his back to goal, but he didn’t have the vision and passing range of Zlatan.

 

[Man-United]

Of course he deserves it. He's one of the best players in the team and creates so many chances. Top player.

 

[Ballache]

he's scored 9 goals and is on his way to hit 20 this season. Yes he does but we need to bring in a replacement in the summer and slowly phase him out. We're too reliant on him atm.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

What we've got is a formerly great player who is well past his peak. Im starting to worry he's doing more harm than good, given he isn't only undroppable, he's pretty much unsubbable. I hope he proves me wrong but yeah, on the current evidence I'd say this decision was premature.

I'm just going to leave this here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/top-scorers


He has already proved you wrong including some others who seem to have gone on a crusade against him. Despite a dry patch, he is 2 goals behind Costa and Aguero. His overall contribution is also good with link-up play/Hold-up play. I still think he can do better which is stunning considering his 9 goals overall this season. I swear he gets blamed for others missing their chances as well.

Let's not go moaning about things that are actually working for us as we have plenty that is not working and needs looking at especially when you consider he has 3 goals in his last 2 games.

 

[Adebesi]

I'm just going to leave this here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/top-scorers


He has already proved you wrong including some others who seem to have gone on a crusade against him. Despite a dry patch, he is 2 goals behind Costa and Aguero. His overall contribution is also good with link-up play/Hold-up play. I still think he can do better which is stunning considering his 9 goals overall this season. I swear he gets blamed for others missing their chances as well.

Let's not go moaning about things that are actually working for us as we have plenty that is not working and needs looking at especially when you consider he has 3 goals in his last 2 games.

No, he gets blamed for the chances HE misses.

And he's three behind Costa and Aguero based on your stats, not two. Costa has also notched up four assists, to Zlatan's zero. And his goals per minute is way down on those two, closer to the likes of Defoe and Lukaku.

I resent in conversations like this that I get pushed into talking one of our own players down. No doubt you will detect the whiff of an agenda here, but as far as Im concerned that is far from being the case. Im certainly not saying we should get rid or even that he should be dropped or that he is rubbish. Im saying the jury is still out on him and if the deal was structured as a one year + option, it makes sense to wait a bit longer before we decide whether to cash in that option. If he can maintain his recent scoring form then great, in which case an extension would definitely be deserved. On the other hand, we have a big problem scoring goals at the moment and he is our centre forward, so clearly there is an issue there, regardless of how wonderful his finishing is and link up play are.

More than anything my gripe is the same as the one I used to have with Rooney, which is not about the player himself but the manager's use of him. Being our number one striker is fine, but there are times when - IMO at least - it should be him coming off with 20 minutes to go for a fresh pair of legs, NOT Mata. Maybe some games he shouldnt start. Maybe he would have a better chance conversion rate if he was rested a bit more, who knows.

 

[Powderfinger]

No, he gets blamed for the chances HE misses.

And he's three behind Costa and Aguero based on your stats, not two. Costa has also notched up four assists, to Zlatan's zero. And his goals per minute is way down on those two, closer to the likes of Defoe and Lukaku.

I resent in conversations like this that I get pushed into talking one of our own players down. No doubt you will detect the whiff of an agenda here, but as far as Im concerned that is far from being the case. Im certainly not saying we should get rid or even that he should be dropped or that he is rubbish. Im saying the jury is still out on him and if the deal was structured as a one year + option, it makes sense to wait a bit longer before we decide whether to cash in that option. If he can maintain his recent scoring form then great, in which case an extension would definitely be deserved. On the other hand, we have a big problem scoring goals at the moment and he is our centre forward, so clearly there is an issue there, regardless of how wonderful his finishing is and link up play are.

More than anything my gripe is the same as the one I used to have with Rooney, which is not about the player himself but the manager's use of him. Being our number one striker is fine, but there are times when - IMO at least - it should be him coming off with 20 minutes to go for a fresh pair of legs, NOT Mata. Maybe some games he shouldnt start. Maybe he would have a better chance conversion rate if he was rested a bit more, who knows.

From a neutral's perspective, I largely agree that it makes sense to wait.

The problem with Zlatan isn't just his poor conversion rate this season but how he affects everybody else on the pitch. Zlatan has taken 63 shots this season in league games, which is almost as much as Martial (10), Rashford (16), Rooney (18), and Mata (21) combined. When Zlatan is on the pitch, the game will always be structured around him, either letting him drop deep to get on the ball or, more likely, pumping balls into the box for him. His movement patterns and playing style make it more difficult for other players to get involved offensively, especially from the wings, because he clogs the middle - his movement is up and down but rarely lateral - and because he demands the ball and young players will defer to a legend like him, especially one that seems to have a special relationship with the manager. I don't think it is a coincidence that Martial and Rashford have regressed with his arrival: They see less of the ball and their ability to move decisively into dangerous positions is compromised by the fact that Zlatan is already loitering in them waiting for service, accompanied by several defenders. If I had to make a call right now, I'd say that you would be better off letting Zlatan go after this year and then going all out in the summer to sign Griezmann (or, failing that, another forward who can play across the front) and building the front line around Martial/Rashford/NewSigning. But the most important thing here is that you don't have to decide now so there is nothing lost by waiting. The team is currently caught between trying to maximize performance in the short term (which signing Zlatan was clearly intended to do) and building a team for the long term (which continuing to have the attack revolve around Zlatan will impede IMO). So far, the short term is not working out that well so the most sensible thing would be to at least wait on the option and reevaluate in the spring.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

From a neutral's perspective, I largely agree that it makes sense to wait.

The problem with Zlatan isn't just his poor conversion rate this season but how he affects everybody else on the pitch. Zlatan has taken 63 shots this season in league games, which is almost as much as Martial (10), Rashford (16), Rooney (18), and Mata (21) combined. When Zlatan is on the pitch, the game will always be structured around him, either letting him drop deep to get on the ball or, more likely, pumping balls into the box for him. His movement patterns and playing style make it more difficult for other players to get involved offensively, especially from the wings, because he clogs the middle - his movement is up and down but rarely lateral - and because he demands the ball and young players will defer to a legend like him, especially one that seems to have a special relationship with the manager. I don't think it is a coincidence that Martial and Rashford have regressed with his arrival: They see less of the ball and their ability to move decisively into dangerous positions is compromised by the fact that Zlatan is already loitering in them waiting for service, accompanied by several defenders. If I had to make a call right now, I'd say that you would be better off letting Zlatan go after this year and then going all out in the summer to sign Griezmann (or, failing that, another forward who can play across the front) and building the front line around Martial/Rashford/NewSigning. But the most important thing here is that you don't have to decide now so there is nothing lost by waiting. The team is currently caught between trying to maximize performance in the short term (which signing Zlatan was clearly intended to do) and building a team for the long term (which continuing to have the attack revolve around Zlatan will impede IMO). So far, the short term is not working out that well so the most sensible thing would be to at least wait on the option and reevaluate in the spring.

Really good post. And I agree.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

No, he gets blamed for the chances HE misses.

And he's three behind Costa and Aguero based on your stats, not two. Costa has also notched up four assists, to Zlatan's zero. And his goals per minute is way down on those two, closer to the likes of Defoe and Lukaku.

I resent in conversations like this that I get pushed into talking one of our own players down. No doubt you will detect the whiff of an agenda here, but as far as Im concerned that is far from being the case. Im certainly not saying we should get rid or even that he should be dropped or that he is rubbish. Im saying the jury is still out on him and if the deal was structured as a one year + option, it makes sense to wait a bit longer before we decide whether to cash in that option. If he can maintain his recent scoring form then great, in which case an extension would definitely be deserved. On the other hand, we have a big problem scoring goals at the moment and he is our centre forward, so clearly there is an issue there, regardless of how wonderful his finishing is and link up play are.

More than anything my gripe is the same as the one I used to have with Rooney, which is not about the player himself but the manager's use of him. Being our number one striker is fine, but there are times when - IMO at least - it should be him coming off with 20 minutes to go for a fresh pair of legs, NOT Mata. Maybe some games he shouldnt start. Maybe he would have a better chance conversion rate if he was rested a bit more, who knows.

Yes I know that it was a mean trap I set for you... I just wanted to see if a single goal difference would make a difference to you...

When you take a step back and see what you are saying it is unreasonable. Yes he could score more and miss less but then again so could Aguero and Costa. 3 Goal difference for an "ageing striker" with the Elite of world football striking is no cause for concern.

 

[wolvored]

There is a conundrum with Ibra. On one hand he is the highest scorer, but on the other the play is all centered around him. This results in the fact there is basically only him scoring, and he isnt scoring enough. Now with an experienced fast mobile striker with the same tactics this would probably have worked out a lot better and the last 4 home draws probably would of been 2-3 wins. We may have gotten points in other games as well. Mourinho wont drop him because he hasnt got an experienced fast mobile striker, and probably thought Ibra would of carried over some semblance of his goal scoring at PSG. If he drops him say for 4-5 games and gives Rashford or Martial a go, if they dont score its going to deflate their confidence, and Ibra would be sulking, so its a case of stick or twist, and for now at least Mourinhos sticking. As for the contract If I was Woodward I would have had a target in my head, discussed this in private with Mourinho, (lets say 18 goals) and if passed then gone down the new contract road. If it hadnt been hit then I probably wouldnt award one. If he couldnt hit the target at 35-36, then its highly unlikely he would at 36-37.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I don't understand why people are so unhappy with him. I think his goal return is good (7/12 PL) and he generally has linked play, been available as an outlet and been a nuisance for defenders. I would say a good start if unspectacular.

As a genuine question, what more should he have realistically done?

 

[Jaybomb]

We're shit with or without him. He would have Ligue 1 numbers if he could put all those chances away. Hes not in good form at the minute but it has nothing to do with him being "past it" or "old". He was never a fast player. All his attributes have remained intact.

Falcao got probably one chance a game to score, if we were lucky. I remember I was praying for him to scrape a fecking tap in! Zlatan is not only getting more chances but he is creating them for others too. Theres positives. I think he'll probably finish his United career with about 60 goals. He has 9 already.

 

[wolvored]

I don't understand why people are so unhappy with him. I think his goal return is good (7/12 PL) and he generally has linked play, been available as an outlet and been a nuisance for defenders. I would say a good start if unspectacular.

As a genuine question, what more should he have realistically done?

Well if hes has had 61 chances as someones quoted then score a few more goals. If most of the play is going through him, then Mourinho was expecting this as well. As I've already said on here there is no other option really.

 

[Denis79]

Let's hope he gets going. He is an incredible player but is far from as good as he was last season

 

[Tiber]

No. But but his press officer gives him funny things to say so people dont care

 

[Tiber]

Let's hope he gets going. He is an incredible player but is far from as good as he was last season

Was. Everyone always acts like he is at this peak, he isnt

 

[Eriku]

He's got a decent return, even if he should had more, and has been damn good around the box, setting up chances for others. His failure is the failure of the team in general, and I don't think it's down to all our players being sub-par.

I'm glad he's gotten an extention.

 

[Denis79]

Was. Everyone always acts like he is at this peak, he isnt

You got a solid point.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I was against it, but he is usually at the heart of the chances we create and he's got 7 goals in the prem despite his misses. I refuse to believe his finishing will suffer the entire season until I see it.

 

[Henrik Larsson]

He's done better than I expected on forehand. I also very much think the problem is that he's actually been our best attacking player and biggest goal threat, opposed to the narrative of him holding us back.

In an ideal world we'd use him in the same way Bayern used Robben and Ribéry last year, meaning we'd have brilliant players in their prime (like Muller or Lewa) with Zlatan as a bonus on top of that.

 

[surf]

He is our best striker and has fantastic presence and attitude and effect on team mates. We need him more than he needs us so the contract extension is necessary.

 

[Champagne Football]

I like Zlatan in the team a lot. He does a lot of good things and is involved in most of our attacks usually. The problem is that we don't have anyone behind him who can score regularly to share with the goals burden. Would be amazing if Mkhitaryan and Pogba can start chipping in with more goals as that will take the pressure off Zlatan which can only be a good thing

 

[Ludens the Red]

I don't understand why people are so unhappy with him. I think his goal return is good (7/12 PL) and he generally has linked play, been available as an outlet and been a nuisance for defenders. I would say a good start if unspectacular.

As a genuine question, what more should he have realistically done?

His performances should have been a lot better. He gives the ball away far too much.
He should also be scoring more goals and influencing games a lot more. He and his fans talked him up as one of Europes finest strikers and so that is how he should be expected to perform.
He enjoyed a honeymoon start but has since scored 4 league goals in 10 games (3 against teams in the bottom four). He's not been the match winner him and his fans talked him up as. He isn't performing against the best opposition. Aguero and Costa have pissed all over him this season.

He shouldn't get a new deal and I don't expect him to get any better.
Like someone else said we go out and get Griezmann next summer, if not, Icardi.

 

[CS@SG]

Somehow understand why he was not needed at Barca now.

 

[CS@SG]

And I hope the winning mentality is not about exchanging jersey with opponent with a wide smile on face after a 0-4 thrashing by the exact opponent.

 

[bond19821982]

His performances should have been a lot better. He gives the ball away far too much.
He should also be scoring more goals and influencing games a lot more. He and his fans talked him up as one of Europes finest strikers and so that is how he should be expected to perform.
He enjoyed a honeymoon start but has since scored 4 league goals in 10 games (3 against teams in the bottom four). He's not been the match winner him and his fans talked him up as. He isn't performing against the best opposition. Aguero and Costa have pissed all over him this season.

He shouldn't get a new deal and I don't expect him to get any better.
Like someone else said we go out and get Griezmann next summer, if not, Icardi.

genuine question - what do you mean by "he should be doing more"

have you seen RVN Or Batistuta play ? They do nothing for 90 mins and score a crucial goal in 91st minute - That's what a striker does - score goals. 7 / 12 is a decent return considering we still don't have a settled 11 yet. I cant speak for future and agree we should have waited little longer before extending his contract. Having said that, he is least of our problems.

 

[Devil may care]

People keep talking purely about the goals in here, but there are other issues with Zlatan being our main #9, his inability to press the CB's makes it hard to sustain attacking pressure on teams for starters. The lack of dynamism at the spearhead of our attack is a problem IMO.

He's done better than I expected on forehand. I also very much think the problem is that he's actually been our best attacking player and biggest goal threat, opposed to the narrative of him holding us back.

In an ideal world we'd use him in the same way Bayern used Robben and Ribéry last year, meaning we'd have brilliant players in their prime (like Muller or Lewa) with Zlatan as a bonus on top of that.

This is exactly what we should be doing if we do actually extend his contract, he seemed less gung ho about it than Jose. We can't afford to go into next season with a 36 year old striker playing every week.

 

[Billy Blaggs]

Lovely player. I enjoy watching him in our shirt.
But the God of Manchester. Eric there's only one you.
One year of Eric is better than anything I've ever seen at Utd

 

[Raoul]

People can moan all they want about Zlatan but truth be told Rashford and Martial haven't turned up this season, Zlatan has been our best attacker he deserves the extension.

Agreed. He has not been in last year's form but is just about on pace for 25-30 goals in all comps this year, which would be a great return for a free transfer of a 35 year old striker. He has knocked in as many goals (9) as Rashford, Martial, and Rooney combined have managed. Everyone has plenty of room to improve, but all things said I'm elated that Ibra is staying another year.

 

[DarkXaero]

People can moan all they want about Zlatan but truth be told Rashford and Martial haven't turned up this season, Zlatan has been our best attacker he deserves the extension.

This.

 

[Jib]

I like Zlatan in the team a lot. He does a lot of good things and is involved in most of our attacks usually. The problem is that we don't have anyone behind him who can score regularly to share with the goals burden. Would be amazing if Mkhitaryan and Pogba can start chipping in with more goals as that will take the pressure off Zlatan which can only be a good thing

It's Mata rather than Pogba who must score more because he plays higher that him...

 

[hobbers]

So long as it doesn't stop us signing and playing Greizmann.

Martial and Rashford are yet to live up to their deserved hype this season. They've both been fairly useless outside the box and far from clinical inside.