I think Ibra and Mourinho are well in sync with one another's expectations after all these years. Jose has the luxury of brining Ibra back slowly so there's no pressure on anyone in that regard. Once Zlatan is back to full fitness, he can be used strategically in certain situations and the fact that he is looming will only make Lukaku more competitive. Having another 6 months of exposure to Ibra will also be helpful to Rashford and Martial.
Zlatan Rejoins United
- Thread starter Rado_N
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
I'm quite intrigued about what Zlatan could do as the no.10 instead of Mkhitaryan or Mata. He's certainly capable of defense-splitting passes and impossible to be bullied off the ball. At various points in the matches we've played so far Lukaku has drifted outwards so having Zlatan occupying the central spaces when that happens would obviously give defenders something to think about.
Besides, he'd make our set pieces even more lethal. Imagine having to mark Lukaku, Zlatan and Fellaini all at once. Pogba is also capable of good headers, so is Smalling.
Besides, he'd make our set pieces even more lethal. Imagine having to mark Lukaku, Zlatan and Fellaini all at once. Pogba is also capable of good headers, so is Smalling.
I genuinely think this is absolutely mental to want to see Zlatan at 10. He could barely move and transition with speed when playing up front last season, him playing at 10 to me sounds awful and something that I don't particularly want to experience.
Each to their own though, as a squad player/rotational player I can think of none better than Zlatan, especially for Lukaku and how brightly Romelu has started this season. Could be the perfect little foil to wrap around our squad going through the rigors of the season, especially in the knockout phases of the CL if we progress in the LC and the FA cup. Apart from Lukaku we don't really have that 'like for like' number 9 that can keep the stability in our attacking unit. I think we'd have to change the way we play slightly to accommodate Martial/Rashford up front.
It could be like Rooney in his last years here, or it could work with the pace from Rashford and Martial and Lukaku in the team.
I think there are more than one way to skin a cat and Mkhitaryan hasn't exactly set the world alight even with his numbers. Zlatan is quite terrible in transition as the one running on the end of the pass but as the one making the pass? Worth a try, especially if Mourinho intends on making him part of the starting XI.
Zlatan was a dynamic #10 for PSG only 18 months ago and banged in 50 goals from that position. Cavani and Lukaku are obviously different players, but I see no reason why Zlatan and Romelu can't have the same dynamic as those two had at PSG.
Did this happen? I always thought Zlatan played as striker and Cavani was used as a wide forward.
Zlatan and Lukaku can be a good partnership in 3-5-2 or the diamond. The diamond actually looks really interesting for me :
Its only is the flanks will be quite exposed on defending but can be used against parked buses. Not to mention we'll have both Rashford and Martial on the bench also!
The 3-5-2 also :
I can see this happening more than the diamond, may be in some away games in Europe. The flanks are well covered by the wing back and defender behind him, while Zlatan will drop deep to help Mikhi and Pogba in building the attack, interesting. Again Rashford and Martial are still on the bench, though.
One thing for sure : Zlatan will give us numerous options either as a starter in some games or a sub in others.
De Gea
Valencia - Bailly - Jones - Young
Matic
Herrera/Fellaini - Pogba
Mikhi
Zlatan - Lukaku
Valencia - Bailly - Jones - Young
Matic
Herrera/Fellaini - Pogba
Mikhi
Zlatan - Lukaku
Its only is the flanks will be quite exposed on defending but can be used against parked buses. Not to mention we'll have both Rashford and Martial on the bench also!
The 3-5-2 also :
De Gea
Bailly - Lindelof - Jones
Valencia - Matic - Pogba - Young
Mikhi
Zlatan - Lukaku
Bailly - Lindelof - Jones
Valencia - Matic - Pogba - Young
Mikhi
Zlatan - Lukaku
I can see this happening more than the diamond, may be in some away games in Europe. The flanks are well covered by the wing back and defender behind him, while Zlatan will drop deep to help Mikhi and Pogba in building the attack, interesting. Again Rashford and Martial are still on the bench, though.
One thing for sure : Zlatan will give us numerous options either as a starter in some games or a sub in others.
Bailly, Matic, Pogba, Ibra, Lukaku 
We should just ask the opposition to let us walk it in, who'd stand up to that lot?
We should just ask the opposition to let us walk it in, who'd stand up to that lot?
It would be interesting to use him in 4-4-2 against smaller teams. Zlatan has the tendency to drop back and lukaku likes to stay up front so It could be the perfect strike partnership.
Didn't I read yesterday that the doctor who did the surgery has advised/warned Zlatan to slow down his recovery?
Yeah it's pretty crazy, as you say transitioning speed has been key for United so far this season, he's way too slow in that regard. He held up United's speed of play enough as it is last season as a lone target-man, it's only gonna be worse as a #10.
I'd play Zlatan in the #10 role ahead of Mkhi in those line ups. He'd get the time and space on the ball with Lukaku and Rashford or Martial ahead of him and he'd be absolutely lethal making late runs into the box. With his ability to guard the ball, no more unnecessary ball losses like with Mkhitaryan and he can pick a pass too with runners ahead of him and on the flanks.
deGea
Bailly Smalling Jones
Valencia Matic Pogba Young
Zlatan
Lukaku Rashford
Bailly Smalling Jones
Valencia Matic Pogba Young
Zlatan
Lukaku Rashford
What happens if Lukaku gets injured for a month, or 2 months? Play Rashford or Martial as centre forward? Then who do we play on the left? Who do we bring on when chasing a game? Rashford or Martial are not good enough to play as the centre forward that Mourinho likes. They are better running at defenders, they won't hold the ball up and bring others in to play.
Tottaly agree but what a super sub
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Will he accept the bench role/ super sub role when he comes back?
Surely big Rom is a definite starter.
Surely big Rom is a definite starter.
He knows his role. It will all have been discussed before his deal was signed. He's probably been guaranteed a certain amount of games, including the league cup, I'd guess.
With all the games, Carabao Cup, Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League as well as the heavy fixtures during December, Ibra will get game time in December and into the new year up to March/April depending on how we do in all the competitions of course.
Looks like he's back sooner than we expected. I just hope we don't change the whole system just to fit in Zlatan and Rom in the same line-up.
It’ll be tested for sure. 3-5-2 or Zlatan in Miki’s role, but if we continue playing this well then Zlatan is gonna have to play very well to force his way in.
Does anyone think it was absolutely poor management on this front? For I read that Zlatan had left the club for certain. Only to realise that after a few months he was back and had signed a contract. Surely thats not normal. There must have been a massive goof up. Did zlatan not get any offer to join and he came back to us? I really cant wrap my head around this one. But I am very curious as to why we had to let him go first and then sign him again. ?!
Well my honest opinion is that we thought we had Griezmann signed and he was going to play as the support striker to Lukaku but when that fell through then getting Zlatan back made a lot of sense for all parties.
I think the club and Zlatan had a gentlemens agreement that he resigns when he can train again. There's no value in paying 250k per week for a player who can't train for 6 months.
That's why when he left the club announced he will continue to rehabilitate with us. And obviously when he started showing progress, the new contact was made official. It's smart on the club's behalf to not commit until reasonably sure of progress. That sort of injury at 35 can be a career ender.
Class players can play in several systems. Our players need to get used to being comfortable in a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, etc. So I am all for trying it out against weaker opposition. If it clicks, it gives us so many options.
Yesssss he´s back...
Zlatan drives a Volvo?
I dont see a problem. I guess we first wanted to see how his regeneration is going before signing him and await our activity in the transfer market
Well he is Swedish after all
Well he’s the face of Volvo & getting paid a shit tonne for it so I’d say they’d be pretty annoyed if he was turning up for training in a Porsche.
We never let him go, Zlatan has confirmed that.
He continued to train with the club & once everyone saw that the surgery and first stage of recovery had gone well, a new contract was signed.
Didn't know that.
The best scenario for me is Zlatan as a back up for Lukaku not squeezing him into the team to play with Lukaku.
Imagine if Lukaku suddenly gets injured. It would be a massive relief to have Zlatan as an option together with Rashford. None of the other top six will have such a back up.
Imagine if Lukaku suddenly gets injured. It would be a massive relief to have Zlatan as an option together with Rashford. None of the other top six will have such a back up.
He never left the club, his contract expired.
Yep. No one wanted him and sadly we were forced to give him a new contract.
Haha. I don't mean that he was rejected by everyone. And injured 35 year old can face tough time getting into big clubs. However I was only wondering that the club officially announced that he has left and then signed him again. Strange happenings when its at a club as big as ours!
Probably due to new terms in his contract?
Zlatan to score the winner O'Shea style tomorrow?