Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a name which is feared amongst many sets of football fans and players alike. Ibra has previously plied his trade in the Ligue 1, Serie A and the La Liga but now he’s keen on leaving his mark in the Premier League.
His arrival at Manchester United created a basis for different opinions – most of which were centred on his suitability for the English top flight.
Zlatan got off to a flying start in the Premier League following an impressive performance against Bournemouth on his league debut. His stellar start to life in Manchester helped to lay doubts aside, but at the moment things don’t seem to be going so well for the enigma.
Ibrahimovic currently has a 0.57 goal ratio having bagged four goals in 7 appearances. The four goals all came in quick succession, but the United forward has failed to find the back of the net in his last three outings.
This could very well be a simple dip in form for Zlatan, but it could also be the start of his decline at Old Trafford. Coming off the back of a goal-laden season at PSG many would expect Ibrahimovic to replicate his 50-goal tally in some form – but as a 35-year-old there’s only so much influence Zlatan can have on the pitch.
Even world-class footballers undergo a decline in the latter stages of their careers and Zlatan isn’t an exception. His cocky but likeable ego oozes of confidence and a desire to remain at the highest level.
While he’s still a talented footballer, his ageing legs don’t seem to be able to keep up with the league’s unforgiving nature.
As we all know, pace is an essential attribute for any Premier League forward - without it, players tend to get isolated in either half of the pitch hence making a player over-reliant on the services of his teammates.
Zlatan lacks pace. Hence he has to rely on the services of his teammates. His goalscoring instinct is second to none, but with United being an inconsistent side, it’s fair to say that the disparity has begun to rub off on Ibrahimovic.
How important is Zlatan for United?
Ibrahimovic is evidently United’s go-to man regarding goals but how influential has he been thus far in the Red Devils’ Premier League campaign.
As stated earlier, the Swede has bagged four goals in seven appearances – but it’s worth noting that one of those goals was a penalty which came against Southampton.
Having made 36 attempts on goal so far, only 12 have been on target hence leaving the 35-year-old with a %33 shooting accuracy.
Despite being famously known for his tendency to bury clear cut chances, Ibrahimovic has squandered five big chances in the league which would have added to his current four-goal tally. But as a footballer chances get missed so we can’t really blame him for the wasted opportunities.
As far as assists go, Ibrahimovic has none which implies his inability to consistently create chances for his teammates – his lack of pace plays a huge role on that front. Nonetheless, he has created three big opportunities for his teammates, none of which were converted.
Verdict
As the stats suggest, Ibrahimovic isn’t much of an all-around player anymore. Goals seem to be the only thing he can offer Manchester United and even on that note, his tally isn’t as prolific as one would expect.
The 35-year-old is seemingly in decline, but his next few league appearances will provide more insight as to whether his goalscoring ability is really on the wane.
