Will we be a better team with Lukaku rather than Ibrahimovic?

[Red For Ever]

I think we will be a better team, scoring more goals overall, not because one is better or worse than the other,
but we will play a different style of game, Lukaku will be close to Zlatans goal tally, and quite possibly more, but
I think other players will get more scoring opportunities as a result of that different style, although I hope they take them better than they did last year.

Zlatan was fantastic last year, although I recall a few missed opportunities, but I think our other striking options did not seem to turn up at times last year, they need to step up this year, and make the most of what i think will be more chances, mainly down to the different style i expect us to play

 

[kiristao]

I prefer Lukaku simple because I think he will give us pace upfront that Zlatan could not. Won't bemuch use when teams park the bus like they do against United but then again, Zlatan also was quite ineffective when teams parked the bus.

 

[Akshay]

Indeed, it's ridiculous that black players only ever get compared with black players when it comes to saying they're the new so and so.

The player he actually reminds me of is Fernando Torres. Not as good yet as Torres was in his prime, but Torres only hit those heights in his first season at Liverpool.

 

[witchtrials]

I wasn't over the moon with either signing but, though Ibrahimovic is doubtless the technically superior player, I'm hopeful that Lukaku's pace might finally mean an end to the stodgy attacking play of the last few years. Starting to feel cautiously optimistic about having a more dynamic forward line.

 

[All 3 United]

Zlatan cost us a lot of points at home, by missing not just one sitter but sitter after sitter in multiple games.

Lukaku is already a better finisher and imo he will improve further.

 

[Dobbs]

Well yeah because Lukaku will be here for years to come. So you can start to build something....hopefully a team that gets us back to the very top.

The alternative, which we chose for some reason, was to get a striker who gave us one season. Which in the end struck me as a waste of time.

 

[noodlehair]

If he can score enough goals then yeah.

Ibra scored plenty of important goals, but he had a habbit of appearing in deep areas of the pitch and then cocking up our attacks. Sometimes he'd spend all game doing this and it was actually pretty infuriating. We already have loads of players who operate in that area so he wasn't needed there. Ever.

Lukaku doesn't do this. He's only interested in playing up top which should allow the team to function properly. He just needs to put the ball in the net often enough and noot have too many of those games where he jjust gets the ball and smacks it straight into the nearest defender every single time.

 

[prtk0811]

Yes, With Lukaku as a focal point our attack will be more dymamic and will improve as a whole unit. Ibra had limitations.

 

[Decomposing In Paris]

Is this a joke?

No, absolutely not. Zlatan is a better player on the ball, makes far better decisions, links up play and provides assists, bullies defences with sheer attitude and presence, is a much more motivating dressing room presence, and is great under pressure thanks to his experience. He's simply a sheer winner, and that is invaluable.

Lukaku is faster and perhaps marginally better with his finishing, and that in no way compensates for the rest. He is yet to prove he can do well for a top team, Zlatan has spent more than a decade doing it over and over again.

We're going to miss Zlatan quite a few times this season. Can't wait for him to be back.

Good post.

Ibrahimovic deserves better than much of what I'm reading here. He was fantastic for us last season, people complain about the chances he missed, but every striker misses chances... do they really think Lukaku isn't going to miss chances? All chances are not created equal, and for a team to carve out a scoring opportunity, there has to be a striker helping to create it with their movement.... something that's much more difficult to do when you're the focal point of a team, against a packed defence (as Zlatan so often found himself last season). Lukaku scored a higher percentage of his chances, but the chances were different, and so was the pressure.

Honestly, they could be immense together. Lukaku pressing the defence back, playing his natural game, Zlatan dropping off a little, creating chances and making late runs.

 

[Ixion]

Zlatan cost us a lot of points at home, by missing not just one sitter but sitter after sitter in multiple games.

Bullshit.

 

[red_devil83]

I think we will. Lukaku has pace and is a good dribbler (not in a Messi way mind you), whereas Ibra was pretty static and required good movement around him. Lukaku will run onto balls that Ibra just couldn't, which should add another dimension to our attack

 

[izzydiggler]

I don't think there's much in it either way. I don't see Lukaku making huge differences on his own - I expect a similar goal return and although he might be involved a bit more, we lose leadership and presence.

The important question for me is will Lukaku allow the likes of Pogba and Martial to be 'unleashed' more...same with the DM we eventually buy - we'll have to wait and see I guess.

 

[mattsville]

Much better with Lukaku imo, too many attacks broke down with zlatan as he was dropping deep as he had no pace to get in behind, counter attacks now a real option, with a pacey attacker defences will drop deeper too so we can dominate more easily

 

[FromTheBench]

Is this a joke?

No, absolutely not. Zlatan is a better player on the ball, makes far better decisions, links up play and provides assists, bullies defences with sheer attitude and presence, is a much more motivating dressing room presence, and is great under pressure thanks to his experience. He's simply a sheer winner, and that is invaluable.

Lukaku is faster and perhaps marginally better with his finishing, and that in no way compensates for the rest. He is yet to prove he can do well for a top team, Zlatan has spent more than a decade doing it over and over again.

We're going to miss Zlatan quite a few times this season. Can't wait for him to be back.

Remember us doing much better with Saha as a team than Van Nistelrooy when he left.

Van Nistelrooy was a better player and was still banging them in for Real when he left.

 

[The No.10!]

Honestly, they could be immense together. Lukaku pressing the defence back, playing his natural game, Zlatan dropping off a little, creating chances and making late runs.

This WILL happen.

 

[Sky1981]

If compared to a 24 years old Zlatan, Zlatan's better

but the reality is zlatan is injured, and 35.

 

[Raoul]

Ibra was very good. Lukaku will be very good. And when they both play together in January, it will be great.

Its' a bit of an exaggeration that Ibra missed chances on a consistent basis. Actually, he missed a lot of chances during a lean spell of one month which brought down his overall conversion rate. He was pretty normal for a striker from December onwards - scored a lot, missed a few. Strikers do have lean patches at times.

He did start to tire by the time we played Anderlecht in the EL though, and couldn't play well. Got injured at that time too.

I also do not think Ibra hindered any other player. Not his fault that Rashford always seemed to run with his head down towards the advertising boards, Martial sulking over his personal issues or Mkhi putting in performances worthy of a pub player in the league.

Great post...and spot on.

 

[Eire Red United]

Ibra was stop gap, nobody signs a 36 year old to be main striker at a top club without looking to upgrade. We weren't going to spend $70m to get Griezmann as a back up for Ibra ffs

He'd have played as a second striker off ibra, not as back up

 

[FCBarca]

Ibra is one of a kind, Lukaku will do well here I believe but I am not sure many players have the sort of drive, skill & confidence to deliver like Zlatan much less for as long as he has

There's an odd if not adolescent sentiment among caf members to somehow label the player straight away, show just a little patience to see what sort of player he might become here. He's just 24 years old and his best years are still ahead of him, how good he could become is up to a number of factors and of course most of it rests on those broad shoulders of his. Best of all, he's far better with more potential than Morata.

He is a coup of a signing and doubly so because Chelsea failed to get him back. He did not really develop much initially under Mou, that's the only concern I would have going forward but he's too good to fail

 

[All 3 United]

Bullshit.

Nope it's fact and you can even watch the replays.

 

[frank lee madeer..]

Zlatan isn't a better player than lukaku right now. He's 36 . People just hero worship zlatan, cos he's zlatan. Being honest, were the only club in the top 6 that he'd have started for. He's old , and slow , and that's why he was a free agent.
I like him, He's still got quality , but he's no longer anywhere near as good as people make out.

 

[dogwithabone]

For starters I don't think Lukaku will drop as deep as Zlatan used to and therefore we are virtually always going to have an outlet down the middle who's pace and power will enable him to carve out opportunities and get beyond defences. There are few better one on one finishers in Europe than Lukaku, I think he's a huge upgeade on Zlatan.

 

[wiz4231]

Don't care, would love to see them upfront in 352 formation, beasts.

 

[stevoc]

Ibrahimovic is (or was) a better player but Lukaku is a better striker and a better finisher. I also think his pace and the fact he will give us a solid presence in the box will suit United's style much better than Ibrahomovic did.

He also takes a decent free kick, we will benefit from not having Zlatan taking every free kick next year and continuing his vendetta against defenders shins.

I loved Ibra here but he was still a very frustrating player. Playing every game for the full 90 even when it clearly wasn't his day sometimes, standing over every single free kick and stabbing it straight into the wall almost every time bar one or two, swinging a karate kick at aerial balls instead of using his height and physique to win what would be an easy header for him. I think Lukaku will be a better fit in terms of being a team player and being a part of the build up with his mobility and positioning. He won't have that air of invincibility about him either, and Mourinho surely will know to pull him for Rashford or Martial if Lukaku is having a bad day.

If Zlatan can come back in January and be used as another option, then that would be incredible. I just hope it's not going to be always Zlatan all of the time, as it was last season. A rotation of the 4 forwards would make us incredibly unpredictable and give us a strike force to be feared.

Yes,yes and yes i would add to that spending way too much time outside the box. He was great for us last year, amazing season for someone of his age, but i will not miss any of those antics.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I don't think Lukaku is better than Ibra as a player overall, but he's a better fit for our team.

But if we're worse off than last season, then something has gone seriously wrong.

 

[Jaybomb]

I like Lukaku and he was my number 1 target this summer.... But he's not better than Ibra.

Yet.

 

[Jaybomb]

I don't think Lukaku is better than Ibra as a player overall, but he's a better fit for our team.

But if we're worse off than last season, then something has gone seriously wrong.

We won't be. I have a feeling Zlatan will sign a 6 month contract with us and push for the league before joining LA Galaxy in 2018/19.

Lukaku, Zlatan, Rashford and Martial. What a problem to have.

 

[Irrational.]

Most of all I think we'll miss Zlatan's personality and leadership on the pitch. That no-fecks-given approach (see Tyrone Mings) and refusing to let the opposition bully the team. He lead by example and had a winning mentality at all times. He never let his head drop. I think in most other departments Lukaku can improve or bring something similar to the team.

I guess this just means another player (or players) will have to step up.

 

[MileHighRed]

Yes I think he's a better fit with the likes of pogba, mata and miki, his movement will help them and i think his pace will help Rashford too.

 

[jungledrums]

Is this a joke?

No, absolutely not. Zlatan is a better player on the ball, makes far better decisions, links up play and provides assists, bullies defences with sheer attitude and presence, is a much more motivating dressing room presence, and is great under pressure thanks to his experience. He's simply a sheer winner, and that is invaluable.

Lukaku is faster and perhaps marginally better with his finishing, and that in no way compensates for the rest. He is yet to prove he can do well for a top team, Zlatan has spent more than a decade doing it over and over again.

We're going to miss Zlatan quite a few times this season. Can't wait for him to be back.

Peak Zlatan did everything you described, not 35 year old Zlatan. He wasn't particularly great on the ball or with his decision making to be honest. He was good for us absolutely, 28 goals in total is very impressive, but I consider an ever-improving Lukaku to be a better option for us up front. Zlatan wasn't exactly godlike with chance creation either; we aren't gonna miss that. We created enough chances through Pogba/Mata/Mkhi and others. We need a finisher, and someone perhaps more mobile than Ibra... Step forward Lukaku.

 

[Mylifeistooazn]

Why not both?

 

[Gandalf Greyhame]

Zlatan is a good finisher. But Lukaku is more than marginally better than him. Lukaku finishing is fecking deadly.

with that said.... I agree with the rest of what you said about Zlatan and what he brings

Assuming he has it, we don't know if he can bring that 'deadly' finishing to a team which is always under pressure to score and is mostly up against packed defences.

Remember us doing much better with Saha as a team than Van Nistelrooy when he left.

Van Nistelrooy was a better player and was still banging them in for Real when he left.

When RVN left, we had multiple goal scorers step to bring 15+ goals to the team on a consistent basis. Who fills those boots now?

Peak Zlatan did everything you described, not 35 year old Zlatan. He wasn't particularly great on the ball or with his decision making to be honest.

If you don't think Zlatan is terrific on the ball, we're clearly not talking about the same player here. Also, as someone who's seen all United games last season, the only flaw to his decision making was his selfishness, which comes with the arrogance of players like himself and Ronaldo. That's not bad when he finishes half the times he decides to ignore a teammate and go for goal himself (and who can blame him after the atrocious finishing his teammates had last season?). Apart from that, he almost always finds the right man in key areas.

Zlatan wasn't exactly godlike with chance creation either; we aren't gonna miss that.

Look at that randomly picked YouTube video, and think for yourself how much of that Lukaku could have done. That strength in holding up the ball, the first touch, the passing accuracy, the link up play. In that random video itself, Zlatan created 18 key chances to goal which weren't finished. (0:35, 1:12, 1:25, 1:33, 2:53, 3:17, 3:22, 3:38, 5:16, 5:23, 6:34, 8:14, 8:36, 10:20, 10:26, 10:49, 11:23, 11:44). I understand that being faster, Lukaku might have better movement, and create different sort of chances, but we simply don't know if can step it up at United. Zlatan might be 35 years old, but he was still miles better than what Lukaku was last season.

Good post.

Ibrahimovic deserves better than much of what I'm reading here. He was fantastic for us last season, people complain about the chances he missed, but every striker misses chances... do they really think Lukaku isn't going to miss chances? All chances are not created equal, and for a team to carve out a scoring opportunity, there has to be a striker helping to create it with their movement.... something that's much more difficult to do when you're the focal point of a team, against a packed defence (as Zlatan so often found himself last season). Lukaku scored a higher percentage of his chances, but the chances were different, and so was the pressure.

Honestly, they could be immense together. Lukaku pressing the defence back, playing his natural game, Zlatan dropping off a little, creating chances and making late runs.

Exactly my point. People are now writing off Ibra as some shadow of himself holding the team back, belittling him so that they big up new toy Lukaku. How can we forget so quickly? He was the biggest goal threat in our team, he got the numbers, he created the space, he dropped back and linked up play. There was that period when he was injured/suspended and the caf went drooling about the prospect of Martial/Rashford/Mkhi/Lingard pace - and they did feck all without Ibra.

I've said it before, I'm skeptical of Lukaku, I think he will struggle here till he adapts. I think for immediate impact, Morata would have been the better buy. And neither of them are anywhere as good as Zlatan, even when he is 35.

 

[Dobbs]

And neither of them are anywhere as good as Zlatan, even when he is 35.

Lukaku has just outscored Ibra in the league playing for an inferior team. How can he be nowhere near as good?

In fact he posted better figures in the league for West Brom (when he was 20) than Ibra just got for Utd.

 

[jungledrums]

If you don't think Zlatan is terrific on the ball, we're clearly not talking about the same player here. Also, as someone who's seen all United games last season, the only flaw to his decision making was his selfishness, which comes with the arrogance of players like himself and Ronaldo. That's not bad when he finishes half the times he decides to ignore a teammate and go for goal himself (and who can blame him after the atrocious finishing his teammates had last season?). Apart from that, he almost always finds the right man in key areas.




Look at that randomly picked YouTube video, and think for yourself how much of that Lukaku could have done. That strength in holding up the ball, the first touch, the passing accuracy, the link up play. In that random video itself, Zlatan created 18 key chances to goal which weren't finished. (0:35, 1:12, 1:25, 1:33, 2:53, 3:17, 3:22, 3:38, 5:16, 5:23, 6:34, 8:14, 8:36, 10:20, 10:26, 10:49, 11:23, 11:44). I understand that being faster, Lukaku might have better movement, and create different sort of chances, but we simply don't know if can step it up at United. Zlatan might be 35 years old, but he was still miles better than what Lukaku was last season.



Exactly my point. People are now writing off Ibra as some shadow of himself holding the team back, belittling him so that they big up new toy Lukaku. How can we forget so quickly? He was the biggest goal threat in our team, he got the numbers, he created the space, he dropped back and linked up play. There was that period when he was injured/suspended and the caf went drooling about the prospect of Martial/Rashford/Mkhi/Lingard pace - and they did feck all without Ibra.

I never said he's not terrific on the ball, he quite obviously is. I merely suggested that at 35, his touch was at times erratic. His link up play was still very good most of the time, but occasionally he looked lethargic.

As for that video of Ibra's highlights, it hardly paints a fair picture. Ibra and Lukaku are different players, I have faith that Lukaku will create chances for his teammates too, but they won't be of the same style as those of Zlatan. We could look at a highlight video of Lukaku and say "could Ibra do this? No", and it would be just as true as the reverse. It's a rather pointless comparison though, given that they have different attributes. Perhaps this is more a question of which skill set we need more. I'm of the opinion that it is Lukaku's.

Again, it's a difference in play style when noting Ibra "dropping deep and linking play". This has it's benefits, but it often meant we didn't have a focal point pinning centre backs back, and we had a diminished threat in behind while also constricting play. It's not a clear cut answer like you seem to suggest. Without wanting to repeat myself, it really does come down to a difference in style. Just to use your words, for Everton, Lukaku "was the biggest goal threat in [their] team, he got the numbers, he created the space, he dropped back and linked up play", while also offering a massive threat in behind and just as big a physical presence as Ibra.

 

[Man-United]

Zlatan cost us a lot of points at home, by missing not just one sitter but sitter after sitter in multiple games.

And won us a lot of points too, but I guess that doesn't fit.

 

[Man-United]

He's old , and slow , and that's why he was a free agent.

No... He was a free agent because he didn't want to sign a new deal at PSG.

 

[frank lee madeer..]

No... He was a free agent because he didn't want to sign a new deal at PSG.

Yeah, and he was fighting off all the top clubs, until finally excepting our £400, 000 a week...

 

[Man-United]

Yeah, and he was fighting off all the top clubs, until finally excepting our £400, 000 a week...

You don't seem to know, just guessing.. He choose us over USA and China. But yes, let's think he just joined one of the biggest clubs in Europe for the money!

 

[Dante]

Assuming he has it, we don't know if he can bring that 'deadly' finishing to a team which is always under pressure to score and is mostly up against packed defences.




When RVN left, we had multiple goal scorers step to bring 15+ goals to the team on a consistent basis. Who fills those boots now?



If you don't think Zlatan is terrific on the ball, we're clearly not talking about the same player here. Also, as someone who's seen all United games last season, the only flaw to his decision making was his selfishness, which comes with the arrogance of players like himself and Ronaldo. That's not bad when he finishes half the times he decides to ignore a teammate and go for goal himself (and who can blame him after the atrocious finishing his teammates had last season?). Apart from that, he almost always finds the right man in key areas.




Look at that randomly picked YouTube video, and think for yourself how much of that Lukaku could have done. That strength in holding up the ball, the first touch, the passing accuracy, the link up play. In that random video itself, Zlatan created 18 key chances to goal which weren't finished. (0:35, 1:12, 1:25, 1:33, 2:53, 3:17, 3:22, 3:38, 5:16, 5:23, 6:34, 8:14, 8:36, 10:20, 10:26, 10:49, 11:23, 11:44). I understand that being faster, Lukaku might have better movement, and create different sort of chances, but we simply don't know if can step it up at United. Zlatan might be 35 years old, but he was still miles better than what Lukaku was last season.



Exactly my point. People are now writing off Ibra as some shadow of himself holding the team back, belittling him so that they big up new toy Lukaku. How can we forget so quickly? He was the biggest goal threat in our team, he got the numbers, he created the space, he dropped back and linked up play. There was that period when he was injured/suspended and the caf went drooling about the prospect of Martial/Rashford/Mkhi/Lingard pace - and they did feck all without Ibra.

I've said it before, I'm skeptical of Lukaku, I think he will struggle here till he adapts. I think for immediate impact, Morata would have been the better buy. And neither of them are anywhere as good as Zlatan, even when he is 35.

Zlatan is great at trapping the ball when it's fired at him 3 feet off the ground. It's a weird skill to see, so people overstate it's importance. But, for the most part, his touch is erratic. You can see that in the clip.

 

[711]

Stats from last season are simple enough.

Zlatan shots on target 45%, Lukaku 53%
Zlatan goal conversion 15%, Lukaku 23%
Zlatan take-ons 33, successful 51%, Lukaku 95, successful 66%

Sorry I can't give a link as it's a pay site and they wouldn't like it.