Manchester United are over-reliant on Zlatan Ibrahimovich

Zlatan Ibrahimovich has so far enjoyed an impressive debut season in the Premier League. But as good as Ibrahimovich has been, Manchester United are now over-reliant on their star striker.

Manchester United‘s standout player so far this season has been Zlatan Ibrahimovich. The 35-year-old has been in fantastic goal-scoring form for much of the campaign, and is already the team’s talisman in such a short space of time.

There were some initial doubts surrounding the Swede due to his age, but, so far at least, Ibrahimovich has put those doubts to bed. However, Zlatan’s history does tell you that when he shines as the team’s main player, others usually don’t.

It’s all about Zlatan Ibrahimovich. In many ways, he’s just that good. But in other ways, he just isn’t one for aiding teammates and their play. Sharing the spotlight. And that goes for off the field as well as on the field.

The team plays to Ibrahimovich, and everybody sheepishly fits in around that. Ultimately, as goes Zlatan, goes the team. For better or worse. You live by Zlatan, and you die by Zlatan. There is no in between.

It was the same in Italy with Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus. And when Ibrahimovich left Barcelona, the issue was a playing conflict between the Swede and Lionel Messi. Ibrahimovich felt that the offense should run through him a lot more in order for him to play at his best.

But Pep Guardiola knew that would take away from Messi. They can’t shine together. However, Messi can shine alongside Neymar and Luis Suarez. So that tells you how things work with Ibrahimovich. It’s all or nothing.

Zlatan will help Manchester United win, absolutely. He’s one of the best around. But Zlatan Ibrahimovich makes Zlatan Ibrahimovich look good. He doesn’t elevate anybody else to shine alongside him. That’s not his deal.

Which is already the case with Manchester United this season. Ibrahimovich has 14 Premier League goals to his name. Fantastic. The next best? Four. Paul Pogba and Juan Mata are next with just four goals to their name.

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That differential of ten is the highest in the Premier League. The only two close is Everton and Sunderland. Two clubs you could argue are just as over-reliant on their strikers, Romelu Lukaku and Jermain Defoe. The other clubs in the league have much more even attacks.

What happens if Ibrahimovich loses form or was to pick up an injury that would keep him out for an extended period of time? Nobody would be in form or in rhythm to replace him from the start. Marcus Rashford is forced to play wide to accommodate Ibrahimovich this year.

Whilst Anthony Martial looks lost compared to last season. Wayne Rooney plays from the bench and is struggling as much as he has in previous seasons. Everyone is just trying to fit in somewhere.

Look at Edinson Cavani at Paris Saint-Germain in recent seasons. Same thing. Played wide and just tried to fit in around Ibrahimovich. In the process, looked nothing like the player from Napoli. Now Zlatan has left, Cavani looks more like his old self. It’s always the same story.

Now United are also playing much more long balls than they did prior. And why? To play to Ibrahimovich. Which obviously makes sense. But it’s not a style conducive to the strengths of other players in the team.

Whilst Ibrahimovich has been on fire at times this year, certain others are ice cold. It’s an all too familiar look. United are now Ibrahimovich’s team. A typical Ibrahimovich team. That’s good in some ways, but also risky in others.

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What happens if Ibrahimovich loses form or suffers a lengthy injury? Well, the striker actually went six Premier League games without a goal earlier this season. In those games, United won one, lost two and drew three. You live by Zlatan, you die by Zlatan.

Could Ibrahimovich fire Manchester United to the title? It doesn’t look like it this season. Could the Swede still fire United to a Champions League place? He better had. Nobody else will.

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