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2016-17 Performances


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6.2 Season Average Rating
Appearances
46
Goals
28
Assists
9
Yellow cards
8
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slir32

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Dec 10, 2009
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I knew he was saying something i had no idea it was to suck his balls :lol:. Does anyone have a video clip of it?
 

Bobcat

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Poor first half, good second half. Did well for the goal and played some nice passes to free up others.

He still needs width around him, though. Apart from Rashford, he had no one running off the ball. At PSG, he had Matuidi, Di Maria, Cavani and Moura all bombing on. He's a playmaker striker. He likes to thread balls in to runners, i.e. the one he put in to Rashford. We need more of that.
I've been saying this for a while now. I did not get to see the first half, but second there was plenty of good runs from Pogba and Rashford. No point in having your target man play hold up if you don't provide an exit strategy

Has had a shocking October, and one assist tonight does not excuse the utter sh*te served up for several games now.
I accept its hard when a striker is isolated but some of his ball control has been Rooney-esque, he's terrible in the air (rarely wins contested headers), and as for his movement...sweet jesus.

I'd prefer him to be dropped for a few games. It might hopefully wake the beast and then we'll see the best of him.
Even easier decision when we have Rashford fit and raring to go.
I agree hes been poor, but Rashford has had a bad month as well. I'd say a certain frenchman who was our top goal scorer last year deserves a chance.

But honestly, this lone striker set up is not working out so great for us. Zlatan has been isolated alone up top so much and i think it has cost us quite a few points already. If our plan is playing counter attacking football, we need some rapid feet way up front. I know Mouhrino have been trying to solve this by playing Martial, Lingaard and Rashford in those advanced midfield positions, but way to often they have tracked far back when we have a chance to make a break for goal, and our attack leads to nothing
 

Jaybomb

New Member
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Jan 1, 2016
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4,459
He needs to start scoring. That's what he will be judged on.

But yeah, he really should have ended the night with at least 2 more assists.
 

Viggers

Full Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2015
Messages
320
The one thing Zlatan seems incapable of is the one thing I thought he wouldn't be struggling with in the PL. His scoring instinct is absolute bobbins right now. If his conversion rate was anywhere near the other strikers in the league we would be in a much much better plate, he has been missing chances (and clear cut chances at that) left, right and centre. I have been very disappointed with him tbh, but as they say don't worry when the goals dry up, worry when the chances dry up. Hoping that he will get out of this rut soon and at least as a general rule he is still offering some good link up play while he isn't scoring.
 

Adam-Utd

Part of first caf team to complete Destiny raid
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
39,954
Where has his powerful shot gone ? He used to blast the ball from FKs and open play with ease. Now they're either low shots or shit shots.
Same could be said about Memphis. Must be the english air.
 

TMDaines

Fun sponge.
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
14,004
One thing I noticed last night during the warm up: during the midfielders and forwards' final warm up exercise, where they do one touch passes, lay the ball off for each other, and shoot. Zlatan barely had a shot. I watched them doing this pretty intently, maybe not paying attention to the first minute or so, and Zlatan shot literally only once, which seemed odd. He was just always laying it off for others. At half time I chalked this down to a bit of arrogance and thought someone could do with getting in his ear and getting him practising his finishing, but at full time it made real sense. He pretty much performed this training exercise for most of the second half, looking to receive the ball, before laying it off for a teammate to shoot or run onto it.

Against Burnley, I'll be interested to see if he's focussing more on his finishing during the warm up.
 
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DanClancy

Full Member
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Sep 22, 2015
Messages
1,365
He needs to start scoring. That's what he will be judged on.

But yeah, he really should have ended the night with at least 2 more assists.
Goals will help but as long as he's having a positive impact on those around him I'll be happy. He was poor in the first half but he was far too isolated, when our back 4 played higher up the pitch it was easier to get his team mates closer to him and he certainly had more of an impact. I hope he doesn't travel to Turkey next week.
 

Henrik Larsson

Still logged in at RAWK (help!)
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Sep 13, 2013
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5,421
Location
Swashbucklington
Think it's interesting he got so much slack for the first half. Apparently even Jamie Carragher had something to say about it during half time, maybe people got influenced by that clown. Not really sure what a striker is supposed to do when the team can't string three passes together, maybe he should've dropped even deeper and help cover for our centre halves while he was at it?

All the criticism for the Chelsea and Liverpool was more than fair though, and I think he fecked up in the first City game too by not scoring at least two goals.

But criticising him for a first half when the team plays so poor and incoherent seems about as silly as saying a goalkeeper was absolutely brilliant after a half where there were no shots on target. It's like people genuinely don't understand how much a striker depends on the form of teammates. Second half the team started playing better and Zlatan really stepped up, I would say that was an excellent performance overall considering the circumstances.
 

addo

New Member
Newbie
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Dec 18, 2006
Messages
196
Reports say that the reason he so drasticly improved from the first half was that he was trying new shoes (Adidas) the first half but changed back to his Nike Mercurials for the second..
 

ivaldo

Mediocre Horse Whisperer, s'up wid chew?
Joined
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Messages
28,699
Reports say that the reason he so drasticly improved from the first half was that he was trying new shoes (Adidas) the first half but changed back to his Nike Mercurials for the second..
Well there you have it, it's all Adidas' fault!
 

Jed I. Knight

The Mos Eisley Hillbilly
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May 29, 2013
Messages
3,622
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Tatooine
Think it's interesting he got so much slack for the first half. Apparently even Jamie Carragher had something to say about it during half time, maybe people got influenced by that clown. Not really sure what a striker is supposed to do when the team can't string three passes together, maybe he should've dropped even deeper and help cover for our centre halves while he was at it?

All the criticism for the Chelsea and Liverpool was more than fair though, and I think he fecked up in the first City game too by not scoring at least two goals.

But criticising him for a first half when the team plays so poor and incoherent seems about as silly as saying a goalkeeper was absolutely brilliant after a half where there were no shots on target. It's like people genuinely don't understand how much a striker depends on the form of teammates. Second half the team started playing better and Zlatan really stepped up, I would say that was an excellent performance overall considering the circumstances.
You should probably rewatch that first half. He was attrocious in nearly all of his own involvements. Mishit several passes, slipped, lost areal duels, and generally gave away the ball. I think those sort of things are part of what people expect a striker to do, rather than covering our centre backs, but great suggestion

And I haven't seen or heard Jamie Carragher or anyone else comment on Zlatan's first half. Just my opinion, and another one is that he looked far better when he was involved in the second half, so maybe he really does favour his Nike shoes like @addo is suggesting.
 

m1y2

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Jan 26, 2014
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Prague
Reports say that the reason he so drasticly improved from the first half was that he was trying new shoes (Adidas) the first half but changed back to his Nike Mercurials for the second..
actually some of these details can make a real difference.. shoes can definitely make the difference, just hoping for him to wear those nikes all the time from now
 

Dobbs

New Member
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Sep 2, 2015
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4,696
Reports say that the reason he so drasticly improved from the first half was that he was trying new shoes (Adidas) the first half but changed back to his Nike Mercurials for the second..
Were his first half boots made of wood or something?

Isn't it more likely that he just had a bad 45 mins? It happens, especially with young and old players.
 

TrustInJanuzaj

'Liverpool are a proper club'
Joined
Mar 26, 2015
Messages
10,728
He really wasn't that bad first half. I only really remember one real shocker of a pass to Rashford where he should have done better because he had plenty of time and he massively overhit it but he did also play a lovely through ball to Rashford who might have done better. Carragher said at half time it was the worst performance from a striker and i think that has swayed people's opinions (as per). God knows why anyone would take that scouser seriously considering the bias he has against Utd.

I actually ended up giving zlatan MOTM (close with Herrera) because quite simply without him on the pitch second half we wouldn't have won the game. He played like the world class player he is and pulled us to victory just as I'm sure he will in the coming games.
 

Pexbo

Winner of the 'I'm not reading that' medal.
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Never thought I'd see the day Zlatan has a confidence crisis.
 

SirScholes

Full Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
6,200
People were raving about him after one good half against city
I can't forget the what 6 easy chances he has blown? he is costing us points
 

wr8_utd

:'(
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
38,262
He needs dropping. Rather have the out of form Rooney play than this fraud. Or just put Rashford up top.
 

AXVnee7

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Jun 11, 2016
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3,393
Looks slow, sluggish and tired. He's played against, Chelsea, City and now against Burnley. He needs a break, and dropping anyway...

Ibra being effective was always going to based on managing him correctly.
 

11101

Full Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2014
Messages
21,323
He's playing ok today, getting involved in the build up, but he really needs to start making runs around the box. Our midfield has noone to pass to.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
34,061
It's getting ridiculous at this point :lol: He looks completely without confidence when finishing!
I don't really think it's a confidence thing, he just always takes a boatload of chances to try to score.
 

Minimalist

New Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
15,091
Don't think he's been awful but a rest would probably do him good.

Martial on the left, Rashford up top. Think we could cope without him for one game.

Rooney isn't the answer before that nonsense starts. Rooney's just as slow and ponderous.
 
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