We take a look at the key news stories surrounding Manchester United from the day.
Jamie Carragher hails Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Jamie Carragher has hailed Zlatan Ibrahimovic and branded the Manchester United superstar the signing of the season. Ibrahimovic has scored 16 goals in 25 appearances for United and has also scored 10 goals in his last 9 games. Despite coming in for some early criticism, Ibrahimovic has won over many doubters with his performances, including the former Liverpool defender.
“In a year in which we saw the transfer record broken, the best acquisition is the one that arrived at Manchester United for no fee. I felt critics looked at Ibrahimovic, when he was dominating in Serie A and Ligue 1, with an element of suspicion because he didn’t do it in the Champions League. Things started to change when he scored four against England for Sweden during a friendly in November 2012.”
“But now he has arrived in the Premier League, he hasn’t let us down, with 16 goals in 25 games. You cannot dispute he is box office. He is charismatic, powerful and a scorer of all kinds of goals. Zlatan has shown us why he has won 29 major honours — including 11 league titles — during his glittering career.” he said, according to the Daily Mail.
Paul Mariner not sure why Schneiderlin failed at United
Former Arsenal striker Paul Mariner has said he does not know why Morgan Schnederlin has flopped at Manchester United. Schneiderlin is set for a move to Everton, having found playing time hard to come by after joining Manchester United in 2015. And Mariner says he thought it was a perfect match, and is not sure why Mourinho wants to sell him :
“I’ve got no idea [why it’s gone wrong],” Mariner said to ESPN FC. “I thought this was a perfect match. Everyone’s looking at Carrick as he’s getting a bit older, but he seems to be getting better with age. Meanwhile, Schneiderlin does not seem to be getting a look in at Manchester United, so quite right he’s asked the gaffer what’s going on.”
“Schneiderlin is a very good holding midfield player and, for the life of me, I don’t understand why Mourinho would want to get him out of Old Trafford – at least put him in the rotation.”
Schneiderlin has managed just 3 appearances this season, with all coming as a substitute. Jose Mourinho has instead favoured a midfield three of Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba and confirmed this week Schneiderlin has asked to leave. Mourinho also said he would not stand in the Frenchman’s way, and would allow the midfielder to depart.
Mourinho feels Zlatan is better now than during his time at Inter
Mourinho has said that he feels the version of Zlatan Ibrahimovic he is managing at Manchester United is better than the one he managed while coaching Inter. Ibrahimovic only played under the Portugese manager for one season before he left to join Barcelona, but he did manage 29 goals in 47 games at the San Siro under Mourinho.
Ibrahimovic has been a key part of United’s side this season after going through a dry spell. And while Ibrahimovic was in his prime at Inter, Mourinho feels that he has learnt a lot and gotten better with age, and has said that he prefers the Zlatan he has now.
“With us, he is phenomenal,” Mourinho told SFR. “And he is not just about goals. He is about goals and he is about the passion that he brings – the one he brings to training sessions. With me, I keep saying it, I had him when he was 25/26 – maybe 27 – but now I have him in the last period of his career and I prefer this better.”
Giggs reveals that Conte caused fight between him and Ferguson
Ryan Giggs has revealed that Antonio Conte’s performance against him in the 1996 Champions League campaign led to a fight between the Welshman and Sir Alex Ferguson. Juventus’s star-studded side beat United 1-0 in the group stages that year as Giggs, who was 22 at the time, was taught a lesson by a goading Conte flanked by Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps.
“It should be said that in the absence of any options my attempts to dribble out of midfield that night were at the less successful end of the scale,” he wrote. in his column in the Telegraph. My argument with Sir Alex ended with me throwing a drink which hit a kit skip and landed at the feet of my boss. I knew exactly what was going to happen.”
Giggs was fined a week’s wages for his actions, after becoming angry at the physicality of their opponents.
