Is Zlatan holding us back at the moment?

[djdhrubs]

Sure he's not in great form and missing chances, but I feel that the way we set up we need someone pacey and ruthless down the middle. When Rashford and Martial, even Young and Depay are available we have pace down the sides but I've lost count of the times when Zlatan has tried to beat an offside trap only for me to think what's the point if he does, the defenders will catch him.

His lay offs seem very hit and miss, often leading to the opposition starting an attack. He often tries to play it one touch leading to things going badly wrong when he should take a couple of touches and bring the ball under control.

I'm obviously not saying he's solely to blame, there are other attacking players who are off form and like everyone else I prefer him to Rooney. But from the few games Martial started in the middle last season he seems a better player to hold the ball, provide a fulcrum for the attack, link the play and provide pace and a clinical finish.

Zlatan and Pogba have been untouchables in our attack this season but I wonder if persisting with Zlatan might do us damage in the future in a similar though less extreme way than previous managers have persisted with you know who.

Am I overreacting?

 

[Wumminator]

IMO yes.

He is slow and holding up play poorly, for how I like football being played I like pacey players who can take others on, or offer more in hold up play!

I'd give him more time but he's 35! It's not like he will adapt to the prem. He needs to hit the ground running, come on Ibra hat trick next game!!!

 

[esmufc07]

IMO yes.

He is slow and holding up play poorly, for how I like football being played I like pacey players who can take others on, or offer more in hold up play!

I'd give him more time but he's 35! It's not like he will adapt to the prem. He needs to hit the ground running, come on Ibra hat trick next game!!!

His next game will be Chelsea

 

[Wumminator]

His next game will be Chelsea

Ok, one goal next game to knick it and three against city in the cup!

 

[Globule]

Depay is never the answer. Never. Just thought i'd address that first.

He's not been in great form in recent games, and he really should have done better with that header tonight. The biggest problem I have with him at the moment is his hold-up play. He's been poor in this regard the last few matches.
I think it would help both him and us if we actually looked to get some crosses in. Karius looked nervy from that one cross in the first half, but apart from that chance Zlatan fluffed, we didn't give him any service from out wide.

 

[Aint gota Kalou]

I wouldn't say he's holding us back, but we should be willing to sub him in games like today where we were crying out for more mobility upfront. I guess when Martial is fit, him or Rashford could offer that off the bench.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Not sure how much you can judge him in a game where he got no support. The Stoke game was a bigger worry.

 

[Wumminator]

I wouldn't say he's holding us back, but we should be willing to sub him in games like today where we were crying out for more mobility upfront. I guess when Martial is fit, him or Rashford could offer that off the bench.

Not being funny, but there's not many games in the prem where we Aren't shouting out for more mobility. so often our attacks are so static!

 

[izec]

Yes. Martial needs to come in for him. Would like to see an interchanging front 3 of Mkhitaryan, Martial and Rashford. Behind them Pogba, Herrera and Mata/Lingard.

 

[The United]

Well, it is not exactly his fault apart from not burying some sitters. But even that is part of his playing ability.

The problem is that some of us know how he likes to play. Many said he would not be exactly a good fit for counter attacking style.

We are not getting better with our attacking play. In fact barely better than under LVG overall. That's with some of the most expensive signing to the squad.

It totally is down to coaching staff to sort it out like they did with Rooney. Find a system that works or just get rid of the personal.

 

[Wumminator]

Yes. Martial needs to come in for him. Would like to see an interchanging front 3 of Mkhitaryan, Martial and Rashford. Behind them Pogba, Herrera and Mata/Lingard.

That seems really exciting to me but I think it's partially lightweight. There's a reason players like Young and Fellaini keep getting picked!

 

[Rajma]

In this type of games, where we are happy concede possession and sit back in my book without the shadow of the doubt - yes. However, against minnows and midtable teams he's exactly what we need.

 

[Wumminator]

In this type of games, where we are happy concede possession and sit back in my book without the shadow of the doubt - yes. However, against minnows and midtable teams he's exactly what we need.

Fair enough, I agree.


I just wonder if there wasn't someone better who could help us in both!

 

[sullydnl]

Whatever about today's game, his underlying stats all suggest he should have scored a lot more in recent games. You could take that as either a positive or negative sign, I guess.

He really needs to be scoring though because beyond that he doesn't offer all that much.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I accept that Zlatan won't run in behind and run the channels. People who thought that would be silly. However, what you do expect from him is to hold up the ball and bring others into play. At the moment, he is not doing that, which means his role in the team is pretty pointless.

 

[Aint gota Kalou]

Not being funny, but there's not many games in the prem where we Aren't shouting out for more mobility. so often our attacks are so static!

He's great to have in games where we dominate but when we look to play on the counter like today we should be more willing to sub him IMO. Plus he wasn't playing well.

 

[Hugh Jass]

In fairness lads he was up alone with Lovren and Matip around him, so hes not going to win and lay off every ball. He still should have hit the target with that header. That was our chance. Having said that we looked very comfortable bar Can and Coutinhos chances.

We should really have beaten stoke and we would be higher up the table.

We will definitely make the top six. Top four I dont know.

 

[Dante]

I think he is, yes. His hold up play isn't good enough to compensate for his lack of pace.

 

[donkeyfish]

Partially imo. He seems to be out of sync with the rest of the team at times, expecting movement that isn't there. Pretty solid link-up with Pogba first 20 today though.

I have the impression Ibra has stepped up a notch after Rooney was benched, and was very good against Leicester and Stoke.

Today, he was alone. Martial would've been eaten alive as well. We played with 4 full-backs ffs. He is basically our only front player that can do something real with his back towards the goal.

One (crucial) thing, he's been ineffective. That is a problem, and he needs to snap out of it.

Edit: He is also a very good presser, and works much harder than I thought.

 

[AXVnee7]

I don't think he was that bad today, but definitely he was isolated and should've been subbed really. I really think Lingard should've been brought on as well but I guess we were playing for he draw at that point.

 

[arthurka]

Stop this... Just play Rashford and Martial on top... Has been terrible lately.

 

[izec]

That seems really exciting to me but I think it's partially lightweight. There's a reason players like Young and Fellaini keep getting picked!

I dont mean every game, but against most teams parking the bus anyway. Otherwise mix it up a bit, but i dont want Zlatan fecking up most games. Rotation in the league, also for Zlatan

 

[Steven Seagull]

He's not playing well himself but we're not running beyond him enough. Only Rashford on occasion has really looked to run off the back of him, or run into the spaces left by defenders.

 

[Yorkeontop]

I just want to see him being subbed in certain situations, he doesn't have to finish every game.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

He's had some good games and some not so good ones. Tonight he was poor but there are excuses for him. Young is the type of winger who hugs the touchline and crosses the ball, Rashford didn't have the best of games and was contained and there was also no penetrating runs from the midfield and no play maker. Not the best circumstances for a forward to shine.

 

[Old Ma Crow]

No we're missing the pace and movement of Miki and Martial up front.

 

[JaffyJoe]

YES! I've been saying it for the last month. We won't be a to good side unless we cater specifically to him. But he isn't that level of player to be catered to anymore. He does't even do the basics well. I've been calling for Tony up top and won't stop.

 

[djdhrubs]

I suppose I agree with playing him in home games when the opposition are sitting back but I don't see what he brings us in games like today when we are trying to hit a team on the counter.

The only way I can see he's better than martial is he's a bit taller. Martial actually isn't bad in the air. I agree with the Mkhi Rashford Martial combo not withstanding the fact that Mkhi hasn't even played himself into the team yet but on paper yes that seems the way to go.

 

[djdhrubs]

I wouldn't say he's holding us back, but we should be willing to sub him in games like today where we were crying out for more mobility upfront. I guess when Martial is fit, him or Rashford could offer that off the bench.

Exactly but he seems unsubbable at the moment. In fairness to Jose he did say he was thinking about getting Rashford close to Zlatan in the closing stages but then Rashford got cramp. So getting a pacy player close to him seems to be on Joses agenda but actually subbing him, probably not which is a bit of a worry.

 

[Sparky10Legend]

Gotta agree with OP......sadly Zlatan is offering not much atm.

Martial or Rashford up front for 3-4 weeks imo.

 

[Jinn]

Zlatan is the new Rooney. Undroppable until the press gets on his back.

 

[Bwuk]

He had no support today. If we are to persist with the 4231 I'd play him as 10, and Rashford or Martial infront at 9.

 

[The Purley King]

He was poor today. Even apart from the chance he missed the ball didn't stick.
He should have been subbed with 20 to go but we weren't exactly blessed with options.
He'll come good but they day was a concern. He is better than that........

 

[BringNaniBack]

He may well be. I do think he is good for playing against the weaker sides when we dominate but maybe not for the bigger teams. Either way we have just got rid of Rooney and Zlatan won't be losing his place. Even if he is playing extremely poorly he will be starting. We love getting ourselves into these situations with big name players where even when they are out of form or not what we need the manager won't drop them.

 

[Ramshock]

Depay is never the answer. Never. Just thought i'd address that first.

He's not been in great form in recent games, and he really should have done better with that header tonight. The biggest problem I have with him at the moment is his hold-up play. He's been poor in this regard the last few matches.
I think it would help both him and us if we actually looked to get some crosses in. Karius looked nervy from that one cross in the first half, but apart from that chance Zlatan fluffed, we didn't give him any service from out wide.

yes a 22 year old player is never the answer, he should just give up and take up hip hop now Globule from the internet has ended it for him.

This is a knee jerk thread, wasnt much he could do alone up top on his own and he still had a few chances.

 

[sammsky1]

Yes. Martial needs to come in for him. Would like to see an interchanging front 3 of Mkhitaryan, Martial and Rashford. Behind them Pogba, Herrera and Mata/Lingard.

That would be fun if it worked

 

[Globule]

yes a 22 year old player is never the answer, he should just give up and take up hip hop now Globule from the internet has ended it for him.

This is a knee jerk thread, wasnt much he could do alone up top on his own and he still had a few chances.

Depay has shown nothing to think he'd be an effective option. Sure, he could develop into the player we thought we were getting, but he's definitely not at the stage where we should be considering him an option. Even claiming that his pace would be an asset is a stretch at the moment because he doesn't actually seem that fast and, if he is, he certainly doesn't seem to know how to use it effectively.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Any player holds us back when they play poorly.

He's got to play better.

 

[Bastian]

He's not untouchable and shouldn't be, and it's fine to sub him off if he's not producing or if we need some more pace and movement but regardless of who wears the captain's armband he is the leader of our team. And when our team plays well he is at the heart of it.

I thought most people here were fearing a spanking from Liverpool. Some of the reaction is a bit strange. By strange, I mean standard.

 

[TMDaines]

I'm not too worried when a proven forward is missing chances. It is when he is no longer getting in position for them or pulling the trigger that you have to worry. Zlatan's natural weakness was historically in his finishing, but I'd put his string of recent misses down to variance rather than anything else. He hit the ground running at United and probably should have scored more than he has on average by now, but if he just continues as he is he will soon be racking up the goals again.