How the return of Pogba and Ibra can help Man Utd to become credible UCL contenders
- Kaustubh Pandey
It was Ibrahimovic’s return to action, albeit as a number ten, that suggested that every single player who had been ruled out on a long term basis, had returned. And United had a full squad to play with after what seemed like a long time. A terrific Ibrahimovic goal could have been icing on the cake in the 4-1 win, but the fact that the Big Swede had returned was enough to appease United fans.
And it is obvious that questions will be raised about whether Ibrahimovic can boost United’s hopes of winning the title and going far in the Champions League, with Pogba’s impact and importance already very clear to all. What is more obvious that their returns will make an impact.
It was clear that Zlatan was used as a number ten behind Romelu Lukaku after he came on against Newcastle and while he did quite well, it was at a time when the Magpies had given up hopes of winning and had begun to commit numbers forward, only to get exposed at the break. Zlatan, despite that, has a habit of dropping into deep areas when his side is in possession, to allow the other players to make runs into the box. It was evident that he did a good job with this last season, but that unpredictability will now be lost largely because he will play in that position where he dropped off to while playing as a striker last season.
That though, won’t mean that the effectiveness will reduce. With someone like Romelu Lukaku up front and players with pace like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial around him, Ibrahimovic can always rotate well with the currently out of form Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who shone before Pogba got injured.
Zlatan won’t just come in handy there, he can act as a proper Plan B to Lukaku, who thrives off service. When there’s a lack of service, say in big games, Zlatan can come in and make an impact when Lukaku isn’t doing well. And the fact that he brings physique to the plate, having Lukaku, Zlatan and Marouane Fellaini in the same side can be detrimental to any opposition’s hopes of dominating United physically. Not just that, but that helps during set pieces too.
What Pogba does is evident. He makes United tick, along with Nemanja Matic. He creates, scores and brings that added element of surprise and dynamism to the Red Devils’ midfield, something that United’s midfield lacked during his absence. It seemed too dull without him, with no midfielder willing to act as that dynamic link between midfield and attack. And it is no coincidence that the last time United scored four goals in a game and Lukaku scored was before Pogba got injured.
Both Pogba and Zlatan are recognizable, world class personalities. The amount of swagger that they bring to the United side is undeniable and it is that attitude of approaching games that often makes a difference in the Champions League games. The know-how of how to beat top sides and propel the side into doing well is an aspect of the game that very few United players can hand this crop of player. That is exactly what Ibrahimovic and Pogba will do, apart from just increasing the depth and versatility of the side.
It can be said that their returns haven’t made them credible contenders, it is because of the quality that sides like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain possess, as things stand. But because of them, United have come close to being credible contenders.