Zlatan Ibrahimovic |United Player | See the thread in the United Forum

[Riz]

I love how I asked for players who arrived late in their careers who did well, get absolutely no responses apart from the question turned around on me, I give a few examples back but "they're all completely different"

Yeah no shit. Every player is different. However answers like "they were injury prone" is just silly. Of course they're injury prone. Their bodies are starting to betray them. Hence players at 30 losing a step.

If his age has got nothing to do with it, anyone fancy him being a first team player for Manchester United at the end of next season? No. Because we all know decline is inevitable at this age.

We're all complaining about a past it Rooney and RVP was public enemy number 1 last year.

I can't tell if you're on a wind up or not..

The burden of proof lies with the believer. You asserted that there is a trend of over 30 attackers arriving and failing in the league. The only examples in the history of the Prem any of us could come up with were Shevchenko and Eto'o who both arrived in completely different circumstances (not to mention a sample of fecking 2 is hardly conclusive).

It would be like me saying there's a trend of short term Swedish signings at United having a positive impact on the club, then sighting Henrik Larsson and being outraged that you couldn't name another who had a bad impact.

 

[Wumminator]

I know he's played well in every league he's played in. If it was a choice of getting a thirty year old Zlatan I'd be on board. What a player and what a career.

You say it's "only a season" but it's not just "Only a season". It's a massive season in which we need to rectify our lack of goals.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Can't tell if you're being serious or not?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could "plug the financial gap" of Manchester United's failure to reach the Champions League - should he join the club.

Football finance expert Rob Wilson says the 34-year-old would be United's most marketable player since Cristiano Ronaldo, and linking up with the three-time European champions would be a "match made in heaven".

Wilson says Ibrahimovic's shirt sales alone would help cover the cost of finishing fifth in the Premier League this season and missing out on the riches of playing in Europe's elite competition, worth up to £50m.

"It would not surprise me if Zlatan sold more shirts than Ronaldo or Lionel Messi," Wilson, a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, told BBC Sport.

"The cost of missing out on the Champions League is £30-50m. Zlatan will help plug that gap significantly with the number of shirts shifted by United.

"It is a match made in heaven. The football club is commercially so aware who will exploit every commercial opportunity.

"To them, they are signing a player who understands commercial endorsements and behaves in a way that allows him to maximise them.

"Put that together and you get the holy grail stakes of shirt sales, and stacks of corporate sponsorship.

"Zlatan is also the sort of player who brings ad hoc ticket buyers to a match, even if it is the Europa League or League Cup.

"It is matching the world's biggest sporting brands with one of the most marketable players, who has **** following, plus it is his career swansong.

"If you marry that with Manchester United, he will probably shift more shirts in the next year than any player in the squad because of the superstar status that he has."

Wilson claimed that Ibrahimovic could become the face of Manchester United.

"Zlatan has a global profile, and global appeal," he said. "Fans will buy shirts with Ibrahimovic on the back in Africa, South East Asia - markets United had a foothold in but not the leverage.

"Only a few select few players can do that: Gareth Bale, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Ronaldo."

 

[Attila]

I know he's played well in every league he's played in. If it was a choice of getting a thirty year old Zlatan I'd be on board. What a player and what a career.

You say it's "only a season" but it's not just "Only a season". It's a massive season in which we need to rectify our lack of goals.

How many league goals do you think he will manage?

 

[Wumminator]

How many league goals do you think he will manage?

Five or Six

 

[Attila]

I said attacking players.

Two examples being Eto'o and Schevchenko.

Attackers and attacking players...whats the difference? Schweinsteiger is neither

Eto'o was brought in as back up. What exactly were you expecting him to do for Chelsea? 1 in 2 in the league is pretty good I would say...better than his last season in russia

 

[Riz]

Five or Six

I'll have a bet with you right now he gets more than that.

 

[El Jefe]

Five or Six

I think you've had reasonable reservations in this thread but this post is surely a wind up.

 

[Man-United]

Eto'o in Anzhi: 10 goals in 25.
Zlatan in PSG: 38 goals in 31.

 

[Wumminator]

Here's an interesting statistic.

Zlatan - Champions League Group Stage - 79 games. 38 goals
Champions League knock out - 38 games. 7 goals.

Zlatan - Less distance covered than any striker in the CL this season

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Wasn't there some stats around showing the strikers over 30 by and large slump in the PL anyway?

 

[Attila]

Here's an interesting statistic.

Zlatan - Champions League Group Stage - 79 games. 38 goals
Champions League knock out - 38 games. 7 goals.

Zlatan - Less distance covered than any striker in the CL this season

We aren't in the CL mate...also could you post RVN knockout round stats. I've read he wasn't the best in them either but not sure

 

[Man-United]

Here's an interesting statistic.

Zlatan - Champions League Group Stage - 79 games. 38 goals
Champions League knock out - 38 games. 7 goals.

Zlatan - Less distance covered than any striker in the CL this season

Zlatan last three years in CL: 17 goals in 24 games. And he's in better form than ever.

 

[Zoo]

Starts against Wales in half an hour.

 

[We need an rvn]

1) Mourinho doesn't have a system, he works with whatever is on ground

2) They can all play in a front 3.

3) Ibra will not start all games for obvious reasons

That said, everyone keep saying we need a striker, so what exactly do you guys want?

I'm all for the signing, i've said this numerous times. My reply to you was more that i don't think we can play all three together. ie. if rashford is a no. 9, play him as a no. 9 and not on the wing. Ibra is definitely not a wide player in a front 3, and i don't want rashford being the makeshift player starting on the right wing just because it's him. That was more what i was trying to say. It's like the classic Gerrard / Lampard dilemma when in theory we should have just played with one and built the team more around them.

I'd be more than happy if Rashford and Ibra 50 odd matches between them

 

[RDCR07]

Here's an interesting statistic.

Zlatan - Champions League Group Stage - 79 games. 38 goals
Champions League knock out - 38 games. 7 goals.

Zlatan - Less distance covered than any striker in the CL this season

You're such a WUM. You are worse than Kevin the professor and I never thought I'd said that to anyone.

 

[Attila]

Here's an interesting statistic.

Zlatan - Champions League Group Stage - 79 games. 38 goals
Champions League knock out - 38 games. 7 goals.

Zlatan - Less distance covered than any striker in the CL this season

The argument of using Ibrahimović's European Cup knockout record as an indictment of his performances vs Premier League defenses is so speculative and fail that you can't even figure out where to begin. Case in point - Ruud Van Nistelrooy, one of the greatest marksmen in Premier League history, who terrorized domestic and European defenses in the group stages scored a grand total of 5 Champions League knockout goals. He sure wilted under the pressure of facing legendary PL defenders. going by that selective stat.

 

[POF]

If Zlatan arrives, Rashford will be a better player for us right away.

There's no argument against "No attacking player arriving in the prem for the first time aged 30+ has done well." No matter what people say the prem's quality means that he'll struggle.

Zola, Klinsmann, Vialli, Boksic, Gullit, Larsson?

 

[Wumminator]

I'll have a bet with you right now he gets more than that.

When he signs, I'll take that bet!

 

[Wumminator]

Zola, Klinsmann, Vialli, Boksic, Gullit, Larsson?

You're going back almost 20 years for some of them mate. It was a lot easier in the past.

 

[podurban2]

About to kick off against Wales if anyone is interested.

 

[Attila]

When he signs, I'll take that bet!

Put me down for £50...easiest money ever. 6 goals...what are you thinking!

I expect him to get 15 at least

 

[Ecstatic]

Twiggy is just making fun of us

 

[Wumminator]

Put me down for £50...easiest money ever. 6 goals...what are you thinking!

I expect him to get 15 at least

feck off am I betting £50.00. A fiver at most!

I think I'll bet he won't score more than seven league goals without penalties.

 

[Ubik]

Twiggy is just making fun of us

Just an attention seeker, I think. Shame he always gets it.

 

[Attila]

feck off am I betting £50.00. A fiver at most!

I think I'll bet he won't score more than seven league goals without penalties.

Ok £5 and you get a name change to Wumminator

 

[Wumminator]

Ok £5 and you get a name change to Wumminator

Deal. If you lose you become Pratilla (could have been meaner there)

 

[POF]

You're going back almost 20 years for some of them mate. It was a lot easier in the past.

That's just when more players moved to the EPL for the first time aged 30+. The numbers are far fewer in recent years. You said "no attacking player arriving in the prem" and there was "no argument". There clearly is. Some are amongst the best ever Premier League players.

 

[Wumminator]

That's just when more players moved to the EPL for the first time aged 30+. The numbers are far fewer in recent years. You said "no attacking player arriving in the prem" and there was "no argument". There clearly is. Some are amongst the best ever Premier League players.

Fair enough. In those days, yeah it was quite common. Some great players there.

In recent times am I right in saying Etoo, Pedro and Schevchenko are the three who've arrived in the prem after 30?

 

[Attila]

Deal. If you lose you become Pratilla (could have been meaner there)

Ok I accept your conditions (Pratilla sounds pretty anyway )

 

[DatIrishFella]

Twig is actually JohnoWhite. It is known.

 

[Pyroblazer]

Fair enough. In those days, yeah it was quite common. Some great players there.

In recent times am I right in saying Etoo, Pedro and Schevchenko are the three who've arrived in the prem after 30?

Pedro is 28, so no you aren't right.

 

[Wumminator]

Pedro is 28, so no you aren't right.

fecks sake I just copied that off someone at RAWK.

Cheers you scouse bastards.

 

[Wumminator]

I'll accept two more five pound bets after the two I've made.

Zlatan will get no more than seven goals in the prem next year.
(Excluding penalties)

 

[POF]

Fair enough. In those days, yeah it was quite common. Some great players there.

In recent times am I right in saying Etoo, Pedro and Schevchenko are the three who've arrived in the prem after 30?

Shevchenko was 29 and that was 10 years ago. I'd be amazed if there was nobody else in those 10 years.

 

[Brwned]

Here's an interesting statistic.

Zlatan - Champions League Group Stage - 79 games. 38 goals
Champions League knock out - 38 games. 7 goals.

Zlatan - Less distance covered than any striker in the CL this season

How do you think Henry's record compares?

 

[Zlaatan]

If Zlatan arrives, Rashford will be a better player for us right away.

There's no argument against "No attacking player arriving in the prem for the first time aged 30+ has done well." No matter what people say the prem's quality means that he'll struggle.

Can we please stop with the "PL quality" bulls***?.. It's just a terrible argument full stop. What exactly is it about the PL that makes it so difficult for players who have never played there?
Does Cleverley, Milner, Routledge and the rest of the completely generic non world class players somehow become unstoppable forces the minute they play against someone who is not from the British isles and is doing their first PL season?

Apparently age is more of a factor than actual quality. (unless you've played in the PL before of course, then age doesn't matter at all, only how good you are)

 

[Invictus]

In recent times am I right in saying Etoo, Pedro and Schevchenko are the three who've arrived in the prem after 30?

And how many of them were in the best stage of their careers when they came to England?

Eto'o was at his best at Barcelona, then 2 years at Internazionale, and 2 at Anzhi Machajhaksjfka - scoring at a rate of less than 1 goal every 2 games in Russia.
Pedro was at his best under Pep, and had a 3 year decline before joining Chelsea.
Shevchenko was having injury issues, and Mourinho didn't even want him at Chelsea.

Compare that with Zlatan - who had his best statistical year, has scored 17 goals in his last 24 European games, and 34 in his last 35 games for Sweden (including 11 in his last 11). But who has time for that when one can easily make lazy assumptions predicated on the common denominator of age, eh?

 

[Wumminator]

Can we please stop with the "PL quality" bulls***?.. It's just a terrible argument full stop. What exactly is it about the PL that makes it so difficult for players who have never played there?
Does Cleverley, Milner, Routledge and the rest of the completely generic non world class players somehow become unstoppable forces the minute they play against someone who is not from the British isles and is doing their first PL season?

Apparently age is more of a factor than actual quality. (unless you've played in the PL before of course, then age doesn't matter at all, only how good you are)

I'm personally of the belief that the premier league is a lot more competitive with a higher number of great teams than other leagues around the world.

 

[Wumminator]

And how many of them were in the best stage of their careers when they came to England?

Eto'o was at his best at Barcelona, then 2 years at Internazionale, and 2 at Anzhi Machajhaksjfka - scoring at a rate of less than 1 goal every 2 games in Russia.
Pedro was at his best under Pep, and had a 3 year decline before joining Chelsea.
Shevchenko was having injury issues, and Mourinho didn't even want him at Chelsea.

Compare that with Zlatan - who had his best statistical year, has scored 17 goals in his last 24 European games, and 34 in his last 35 games for Sweden (including 11 in his last 11). But who has time for that when one can easily make lazy assumptions predicated on the common denominator of age, eh?

I don't take much stock in the goals scored in Ligue Un. Again I'm of the belief that it is a poor quality league.