Lakshay Khurana
After Jose Mourinho signed for Manchester United, he made many remarks and challenging statements in the interviews. One of which gave United fans some serious jaw dropping and delightful imagination. Mourinho talked up an Ibrahimovic-Rashford partnership, saying ‘they can be an amazing complement for each other’. And that was indeed, the thing United fans have been longing to see since the Swedish striker was officially linked to the club.
Rashford and Ibrahimovic did not play alongside each other but there was an obvious bond. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a dream debut for Manchester United. The former PSG striker scored inside four minutes with a stunning overhead kick sending Red Devils fans into the uproar. He later got substituted by Rashford in the second half. The 18-year-old then produced a glittering run skipping past a defender and the keeper, before being brought down. Zlatan, on the bench, was mighty impressed by the young Mancunian’s actions and delivered a priceless reaction. Ibrahimovic has hardly ever reacted so enthusiastically to a piece of play from a teammate and his getting up from the seat to appreciate and applaud Rashford’s effort just showed how moved he was. Meanwhile, Rashford hailed Zlatan’s debut goal as ‘amazing’. In the post-match interview with MUTV he also said, “It’s amazing. There’s a possibility that we can all learn from him while he’s here so we all need to take the chance.”
If Rashford and Ibrahimovic are to become the ‘amazing’ partnership Mourinho predicted then Rooney will hope it comes with him playing just behind the two strikers, and Mkhitaryan on the flank. And this would further put Juan Mata on the sidelines.
If the former Borussia Dortmund player is to be given the no.10 role as he has been labelled as Mourinho’s ‘creative player’, then the skipper might have to be dropped in most of the games this season, proving some of the critics right about Marcus Rashford overtaking and eventually ending the England captain’s illustrious career at Old Trafford.
The potential world-class player, Anthony Martial has cemented his position on the left flank after being shifted to it from the striker role ever since Rashford made his glorious debut. He is just undroppable from that position.
Putting both Rashford and Ibrahimovic in the same line-up can make few players suffer and long for game time but no doubt, it will give the result the club has been wanting for quite a while now.
Line-up consisting both Rashford and Ibrahimovic:
Formation: 4-1-3-2
Goalkeeper: David De Gea
Defenders: Antonio Valencia (RB), Chris Smalling (CB), Eric Bailly (CB), Luke Shaw (LB)
Midfielders: Morgan Schneiderlin (CDM), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (RM), Wayne Rooney (CAM), Anthony Martial (LM)
Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford
