Manchester United can win the Champions League - but only with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in attack
Paul Parker
3 hours ago
With Jose Mourinho as their manager, Manchester United can be confident of a good season in Europe, writes Paul Parker. But to win the Champions League, they will need Zlatan Ibrahimovic firing on all cylinders.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was given a new contract at Manchester United for a good reason: and I believe that reason was to help the club win the Champions League this season.
There were some who thought Ibrahimovic might never play again when he damaged his cruciate ligament in a Europa League match against Anderlecht in April. Romelu Lukaku has started the season like a steam train and United could easily have waved Zlatan goodbye. But he is being kept around because United want to win the Champions League this season and he will be instrumental if they are to have any chance.
There's a few players in that United squad who have very little experience at this kind of level, particularly in the attack: Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial spring to mind. Lukaku worries me a bit as the most important thing in Champions League football is ball retention and to kill the game, especially if you get a goal in front. Patience is vital. He doesn't strike me as that kind of player - at least at the moment. It's a very different task to playing in the Premier League where he is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of the past five years.
That's why I think Zlatan could play a bigger role in Europe than he does in the Premier League this season. If he comes back in November, December or January - whenever it may be - then when United start the knockouts in February, providing they make it, it will be Ibrahimovic who leads the line and Lukaku will be on the bench. without a shadow of a doubt.
In terms of his experience and what he brings to the team in terms of controlling a game, he will be vital in those biggest games. He is a classic Mourinho player with a physical presence and charisma. He can help manage to game and he has an aerial threat too. He could make a huge difference in the most exacting tests in Europe.
It's one of the stranger quirks of modern football that Ibrahimovic has won 11 leagues and 20 cups but never the Champions League. It would be amazing if he could do it in what could be his last year in European football. He has one last chance and he doesn't want to waste it. If he won the Champions League with Manchester United it would be the biggest achievement of his entire career.
It's not completely out of the question. I don't think you can bet against it with any degree of certainty. I'm critical about certain things about Mourinho but when it comes to winning in Europe, you can't argue with him.
Like Zlatan, I think he was brought in to win the Champions League. last season it was the Europa League, and now comes the step up. They way they play, there is a good chance they can cope with it. Mourinho and his style of football are built to safely negotiate the group stages. They will be ruthless and efficient, and that works in Europe. They are there to compete, not entertain.
Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho attends a press conference at at Old Trafford in ManchesterGetty Images
Once you get to the quarter-finals the quality gets extremely high but Mourinho has been at his best when being an underdog. With Porto and Inter he didn't have the best team in Europe but he won the cup. With Chelsea and Real Madrid he had fantastic teams at his disposal but never got past the semi-finals. Being the underdog, being cautious, plays to Mourinho's strengths. You could see him doing with United what he did with Inter in 2010: nullifying more stylish sides and making the most of all the players at his disposal.
There will be no great changes in style in Europe. Sir Alex Ferguson had his way of playing Premier League football and he had his way of playing Champions League foot
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