Zlatan already making an impact at United
The impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Old Trafford already extends beyond the spectacular goal that marked his first game for Manchester United.
|||The impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Old Trafford already extends beyond the spectacular goal that marked his first game for Manchester United on Saturday.
Just as David Beckham and the famed Class of ’92 credited Eric Cantona for aiding their development, United’s younger generation are now speaking about the 34-year-old Swede in reverential terms.
None more so than 18-year-old Marcus Rashford, who impressed after replacing Ibrahimovic at half-time in the 5-2 victory against Galatasaray but who knows he faces a battle to make the United first team.
‘It’s a massive help to be with him every day. We can definitely all learn from him while he is here, so we all need to take that chance,’ said Rashford, whose breakthrough for United and England was one of last season’s big stories.
‘It’s great to see what he is like on and off the pitch. There is a lot to learn from him and hopefully I can bring some of his game into mine.’
Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera, 26, seems just as excited at playing with Ibrahimovic, who has won titles in Holland, Spain, Italy and France during his illustrious career. ‘We have a big leader in our dressing room,’ said Herrera. ‘We are going to follow him and with the experience of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick we are very optimistic about the future.
‘I have watched Ibra for a long time so it was no surprise he scored such a fantastic goal. Our strikers all have different qualities. Ibra is more of a target man while Rashford can go more to the spaces because he is so quick and fast. I think it is good for the manager to have different options.’
Ibrahimovic thrilled his adoring Swedish fan base by launching himself in the air to meet Antonio Valencia’s cross after four minutes with a spectacular bicycle kick.
It is not just how he plays but who he is that matters. As Cantona turned his collar up, the Swede does things his way and has already swapped one Manchester hotel for another because it lacked a swimming pool.
After United trailed 2-1 at the break, Rashford’s pace turned the game on its head, winning a penalty for one of Rooney’s two goals, with Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata completing the scoring.
Jose Mourinho used 22 players in Sweden, and with Chris Smalling due to return from injury and Paul Pogba’s arrival imminent, it is the most competitive squad in the Premier League.
One player desperate to be part of the new manager’s plans is Daley Blind, a favourite of former boss Louis van Gaal. The defender, who has impressed in pre-season, said: ‘People made a mistake very quickly of writing me off. But nothing was said by the manager and just like all the other guys I want to work very hard and get my spot in the team.
‘I’m confident with my own qualities so I have to show it over and over again. I think I’ve done a great job until now and we will see how it ends.
‘This is a great manager with his own plans and we’ve already learned a lot as a team. He is very honest. We know United is a big club with a lot of competition but I want to be part of this team.’
Mourinho will order his first-team squad to have a double training session today before their final two games before the league starts, Rooney’s testimonial against Everton on Wednesday and the Community Shield against Leicester on Sunday.
He said: ‘We lost a week in China. We need time but we don’t have time.’
Despite being a friendly, beating Galatasaray was an important fillip for United, who welcomed back several Euro 2016 stars who did not play on the ill-fated tour to China, where United lost 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund and had their game against Manchester City washed out in Beijing.
‘It’s important to get that first win together as a group,’ said Rashford.
‘There’s a lot of optimism, as that is only our second pre-season game as a full squad. It’s exciting for fans and players.’ – Daily Mail