Squandering Way Too Many Chances – 3 Reasons Why This Manchester United Striker Should Be Dropped ASAP

Manchester United’s league struggles continued over the weekend as former Championship winners Burnley held them to a stalemate at the Theatre of Dreams. The Red Devils have now gone 4 league games without a victory and are way below the frontrunners in 8th position.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is being held responsible for the majority of their woes, as he has failed to deliver over a long period of time, stretching back to the loss at the hands of Watford on the road. Having last found the back of the net in the city Derby in September, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is without a league goal in 6 games.

The last time he went on such goal drought was in December 2007 while still with Serie A giant Inter Milan.

Should Jose stick with his “talisman” or give him a break? Here are 3 reasons why Ibrahimovic should be dropped now.

He is squandering way too many chances

In the last 6 league games, Manchester United have won just once and scored 6 goals. None of which came from Zlatan. And this boils down to the fact that the former PSG goal machine has missed an awful lot of chances presented to him on a platter.

Sitters and clear-cut chances? Not good opportunities enough for the vastly experienced striker to convert. In those 6 games that have seen Manchester United become a laughing stock of many, they haven’t been particularly poor in the attacking third.

They have created 84 chances, and a large chunk (more than 30) have fallen into Zlatan’s path. He has either chosen to shoot tamely directly into the keeper’s hands, sent some strikes way up above the upright bar into the stands, or failed to get others beyond the defenders.

Only a break can save Ibra from this nightmare. And one must be handed to him right away. It would help him regain his obviously-lost confidence.

Age is beginning to tell on him

At 35, not many players can perform at the highest level, and the physical demands of a league like the EPL was bound to have its toll on him.

Ibrahimovic has played 900 minutes of Premier League football already this season having appeared in all of United’s 10 games.

Is Mourinho making him recover loss grounds having arrived England late in his career? There isn’t a justification as to why he is being made to play every other league game at such an age. That’s excluding the fact that he has 125 minutes of EFL Cup and 117 minutes of Europa League cup under his belt.

Despite his healthy lifestyle and dedication to keep fit and remain in shape, cheating nature isn’t working out for the Swede. No other top striker in the league has played as many minutes as this old man, and 8 of them have scored more than him.

Is Zlatan a bad striker? Far from it, but he is turning out to be a bad signing, and that blame isn’t entirely on him. The club has failed to give deserved rest to his aging legs that badly need a lot of it.

Manchester United need to win

For their title ambitions’ sake, it would be in the club’s best interest to drop Zlatan to the bench for a couple of games. He could be a great influence off the bench and start getting the goals, but starting him isn’t just working for now.

Picking up just 6 points out of a possible 18 is the worst thing that can happen to them already, and if that top 4 dream is to be realized, the earlier they drop Ibrahimovic, the better. He should be dropped now, as Manchester United’s league campaign depends on it.