The Swede didn’t score in the disappointing 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Sunday, though he should have done after two minutes when one-on-one with goalkeeper Lee Grant and Ibrahimovic had other chances later in the game.
Not winning at home against the Premier League’s bottom side isn’t becoming for a side chasing the title, but United played well and created far more opportunities than was the norm under Louis van Gaal. That keeps the fans onside and confident the team will improve, although Van Gaal is not pleased at Jose Mourinho inferring that he’s still sorting out problems left by him.
That’s what new managers do when they take over a new club, though; they change tactics and try to get the team playing to their preferred way. Unlike at Barcelona, United have no set tactical template and the players are changing their game after two years of being told to play it a different way.
Ibrahimovic didn’t want to play for Van Gaal. United tried to sign him in the summer of 2015, but while he liked the idea of joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain, he didn’t want to play under the former Ajax boss, in whose system strikers receive limited service. So he declined the approach.
The centre-forward was happy to join United once the Dutchman departed and he’s made a positive start, scoring six goals in 11 games, though Sunday was the third consecutive league match in which he failed to find the net.
It’s not a goal drought but is a notable stat, given Ibrahimovic finished last season by scoring in his final eight games in all competitions. He scored 13 in that time and his season total of 50 goals for PSG were one reason why goal-starved United fans were so excited by his arrival.
SOURCE: Theinforstride
