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Manchester United: Zlatan Ibrahimovich has not conquered England yet

By Craig Pearson

Jul 21, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; Manchester United midfielder Memphis Depay (9) celebrates with forward Wayne Rooney (10) after a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the first half at Avaya Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2015; San Jose, CA, USA; Manchester United midfielder Memphis Depay (9) celebrates with forward Wayne Rooney (10) after a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the first half at Avaya Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Zlatan Ibrahimovich has already declared himself having conquered the Premier League inside just three months. The Manchester United striker has been excellent so far this season. But there’s still a long way to go in Ibrahimovich’s debut Premier League campaign.

Zlatan Ibrahimovich is never shy to offer an opinion. The Manchester United frontman has already assumed his debut season in England a raging success. In just three months, the Swede says, England has been ”conquered”.

Ibrahimovich has scored 13 goals so far this year and is United’s leading scorer by quite a distance. The 35-year-old also has three assists to his name to date – enough to be tied second among the Red Devils’ assist leaders.

It’s indisputable that it has indeed been a great first half of the season for Ibrahimovich. Even if it has not exactly been a huge success for the team as a whole. But has Ibrahimovich really conquered the Premier League already?

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Coming into Old Trafford, Ibrahimovich was arriving on the back of years of criticism from English fans who often said Ibrahimovich only performed in B leagues and never in an A league. The one time the striker was in a top league, La Liga in Spain, Barcelona sold Ibrahimovich back to Italy soon after.

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Even in the Champions League, English fans would say how overrated Ibrahimovich was and that he never performed against English opposition. Of course, those people were wrong. Ibrahimovich has long since been among the best strikers in the world.

To label him overrated based on a few scattered Champions League games was short sighted and, ultimately, inaccurate. Ibrahimovich even shut down some of the noise himself with impressive displays against the likes of Arsenal in European competition.

Not to mention on the international stage for Sweden against England. But despite the opinion on Ibrahimovich being amiss all along, it would be wrong to say that Zlatan has already proven his point after just three months.

How many strikers in the past have had a goal rush over a three month period? More than that, a one-off incredible season? It happens often. The truth is, Zlatan Ibrahimovich has a good enough body of work behind him that he doesn’t need multiple seasons in England to prove himself.

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He doesn’t even really need to do one, actually. But since the United man has now taken on the challenge, it will take more than just three months to finally prove his point once and for all in the Premier League.

The English top flight is known for being a slog and a grind over the course of the entire campaign. Many falter as time goes on. Until Ibrahimovich completes the entire season, only then can the maverick Swede be truly judged.

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