Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Wayne Rooney

[Rhyme Animal]

The glaringly obvious thing for me is that Zlatan should be second striker with Rashford leading the line.

You need that off the shoulder runner that will keep CBs constantly thinking with their runs - think Aguero's movement - and the silky touch and vision behind him.

Zlatan does lack that lightning pace to play off the shoulder in the PL, it's clear now, and he will constantly come deep to the point where he's in the second striker's position more than the 9... but he's great at it!

It's clear as day that Zlatan will be an amazing second striker with a pacy 9 ahead of him.

Basically, this is the answer...

-----------------------DDG--------------------
Val---------Smalling-------Bailly--------Shaw
--------Pogba-------------------Carrick-------
Mkhi----------------Zlatan-------------Martial
--------------------Rashford------------------

 

[SteveW]

I'd give this a go. Rashford needs to be in the team. Without some pace in attack we are nothing. Zlatan and Rooney should never play together

 

[Bestie07]

This is going to be another RVP and Rooney situation. One of them (Rooney) should not be starting.

 

[Glanville95]

I wish I could be wrong about this, but everything I have seen so far points that I will be right again. The partnership will struggle unless we surround these players with pace. One needs to be dropped to give us a better balance or bring in a more dynamic midfielder that can make penetrating runs since they both like to drop deep.

Not as if anyone else, ever, suggested this partnership lacked pace and could as a consequence nosedive. You really are the messiah.

 

[Mehul K]

Certainly makes us overly dependent on Martial for pace in behind. Think Mourinho will give this pairing enough chances to work though. He'll have to drop one of them eventually if it doesn't work out given the other options available.

 

[Amadaeus]

Not as if anyone else, ever, suggested this partnership lacked pace and could as a consequence nosedive. You really are the messiah.

The difference is that I provided several solution to make the partnership work beside the obvious belief that we should just drop Rooney to fix our team. Moreover, I stated this long before the partnership played, so perhaps everyone else just followed suit.

 

[red_devil83]

We know the obvious solution to the problem, don't we?

Wayne Rooney must die!

 

[BringNaniBack]

Drop Rooney and the problem is solved. No Rooney in the team we may win the league. Rooney in the team we will struggle to make top 4.

 

[Joga Bonito]

I think you would get short odds for correctly predicting that Rooney will be blamed for everything when he plays at #10 behind Zlatan, no matter what happens and which one is poor. I think they will get up and running as a partnership and I think as all of the attack get fitter and find their cohesion we won't have any problems.

Yeah of course, Ibra got rave reviews for his first half performance in his performances thread. Agendas everywhere ain't it?

 

[BringNaniBack]

Spot on OP. Zlatan needs to be surrounded by runners not a player slower than him.

Martial Ibra Mhkitaryan
Pogba Carrick Herrera
​

That's the ideal front 6 to get the best out of both Ibra & Pogba.

This.

 

[Ludens the Red]

It's not going to work. It'll have the same result as Rooney & RVP, and Rooney & Falcao. In fact Rooney & anyone wouldn't work because the fundamental flaw is Rooney.

This.

 

[stretford_oslo]

Drop Rooney and the problem is solved. No Rooney in the team we may win the league. Rooney in the team we will struggle to make top 4.

Agree with this, unfortunately.
He won't be dropped though

 

[Godfather]

It's not going to work. It'll have the same result as Rooney & RVP, and Rooney & Falcao. In fact Rooney & anyone wouldn't work because the fundamental flaw is Rooney.

Pretty much

 

[ClosetDevil]

Shame... I'm sure everyone wish he would turn back the clock and show some of that raw aggression in his play like he did way back.

 

[Will Singh]

Rooney has been a major problem for a long time, a lot has been said about the Pogba SAF relationship but what about the Rooney SAF situation as SAF wanted to sell him and that fecking clown Moyes gives him a mega contract.

For me when Pogba comes he can slot nicely into the #10 and Rooney can feck off!

 

[spiriticon]

Rooney burned people a couple times on the wing today. I'm not sure he's as slow as you guys make him out to be...

 

[dannyrhinos89]

Rooney should not be starting that's how you solve it.

Honestly if Brendan Rodgers can bench Gerrard then we can definitely bench Rooney

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Don't like them playing together. Martial, Rashford, Mkhi and Pogba behind Ibrahimovic, IMO.

But it is early days.

 

[birdy2121]

To me the best front six at the moment is:

-------------Ibrahimovic
Rashford------Mata------Lingard
---------Pogba----Carrick

You are clueless this will 100% not be the team as Anthony M is far better than Rashfrod currently and Jess L is not going to miki out as for Mata over Rooney do you know anything about Jose?

 

[markhrad]

It's not going to work. It'll have the same result as Rooney & RVP, and Rooney & Falcao. In fact Rooney & anyone wouldn't work because the fundamental flaw is Rooney.

Exactly my position. If Rooney is still the main man I will feel sorry for Zlatan. Everyone will say that he is past it.

 

[Alock1]

It's Rooney-Van Persie all over again

 

[donkeyfish]

I´m not overly concerned about the pace of the players. I think a larger problem is the speed with which the ball moves. My impression of the current Rooney is that he uses too many touches to control and release the ball, slowing down the play more than e.g. Zlatan - who is not that fast, but has excellent technique and one-touch play*.

There was a similar criticism when we played Berba/Rooney as well, which worked out fine enough.

*At least when he is in top form, was a bit sloppy today.

 

[We need an rvn]

Don't like them playing together. Martial, Rashford, Mkhi and Pogba behind Ibrahimovic, IMO.

But it is early days.

Spot on. But does he have the balls to drop Rooney. Zlatan needs pace and someone who can control a ball behind him.

Put pogba and x next to him as dm with pogba to freedom to help out and we're a force to reckon with.

Rooney shouldn't be hear it

But it does make me think Rooney has something in his contract, or is like a Totti, who can't be dropped when they should be. But yes, I do realise I compared a 39 year old Totti to a 29 year old Rooney and Totti is still better than Rooney.

 

[Nytram Shakes]

i do worry about these to playing through the middle together, the lack of pace is quite scary

 

[3KDré]

It really does pain me. He used to be so good and now he just ends up being of detriment to the team during the attacking phases. I still highly admire his work rate and his willingness to commit to his team.

 

[Ixion]

You are clueless this will 100% not be the team as Anthony M is far better than Rashfrod currently and Jess L is not going to miki out as for Mata over Rooney do you know anything about Jose?

He said that's his best front 6 not Jose's. No need to call him clueless.

 

[VP89]

Rooney won't last in my honest opinion. Mata is behind Mkhitaryan and even he looked extremely sharp when coming on. Releasing the ball quicker and interchanging efficiently in a tighter final third of the pitch.

He'l start but Mourinho is certainly more savage than LVG by way of doing what it takes to win. He'll have no problem dropping Rooney and having Zlatan take Captain role if form dips.

 

[JPRouve]

You are clueless this will 100% not be the team as Anthony M is far better than Rashfrod currently and Jess L is not going to miki out as for Mata over Rooney do you know anything about Jose?

You are basically illiterate.

 

[Devil may care]

Most of us said this would be an issue when we were first linked with Ibra, it's got nothing to do with football knowledge or any other sarcastic put down, it's simply common sense if you watched Ibra play for PSG that he thrives with pace and runners around him, and that a player with poor mobility, a crap first touch and no pace who plays like he's 40 is not gonna thrive with him.

 

[BennyBlanco]

They both do well dropping deeper, it would be useful to have a runner take up the space? or have an option in the squad who can threaten over the top/in-behind, I'm not overwhelmingly convinced by how Mourinho has set us up, but whatever, We'll see and I hope i'm wrong as usual.

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

I'm amazed at how good Ibra is in his all round holdup play. Everyone knew that he was technically superb, but his passing really is on another level (he didn't show the best of it today, mind). Still, a vital goal, and not an easy header at all. He won't be up against as many centre backs as physical as Morgan.

 

[Gbenger]

You are basically illiterate.

Calm down man. He clearly didn't understand what you posted.

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

To me the best front six at the moment is:

-------------Ibrahimovic
Rashford------Mata------Lingard
---------Pogba----Carrick

Key phrase here is at the moment gentlemen and this guy does have a point.

 

[Kostur]

Calm down man. He clearly didn't understand what you posted.

Maybe because he is, you know, illiterate?

 

[sunama]

It's not going to work. It'll have the same result as Rooney & RVP, and Rooney & Falcao. In fact Rooney & anyone wouldn't work because the fundamental flaw is Rooney.

 

[sunama]

Shame... I'm sure everyone wish he would turn back the clock and show some of that raw aggression in his play like he did way back.

Certainly, but we need to stop living the past.
He was once a great player and nobody disputes this.
Right now (and for the last few years), he has not been a good player.

 

[tomaldinho1]

One semi competitive game and it's not working??

Having said that, Rooney looked off the pace and his touch wasn't there - picking up from last season. Needs to pull his finger out

 

[The United]

Well, martial being off form and the right wing being still slow or not being there like last season kind of make this worse. If both wing fowards can break with pace or getting behind the defense line, the set up would be decent.

But then again, isn't it the old problem from last 2 seasons? Amazing if we still have it deep into this season.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

This is going to be another RVP and Rooney situation. One of them (Rooney) should not be starting.

This

 

[RedElf]

Wayne Rooney must die!

Not nice.