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Tag: Manchester United

  • Ibrahimovic wins EPL best player award for December

    Manchester United forward, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been named the Premier League’s Player of the Month for December after his five goals helped Manchester United find winning form.

    The 35-year-old Swedish has enjoyed his first season in English Premier League and now has a total of 18 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils.

    He opened December goal against Everton at Goodison Park, then claimed United’s late winner in their 2-1 victory at Crystal Palace.
    Ibrahimovic again scored twice in a 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion and one against Sunderland on Boxing Day.

    In addition, the giant striker scored in United’s 2-0 UEFA Europa League win away to Zorya Luhansk, securing his team’s to the knockout round.

    ‘I am playing in a great team with great team-mates, a great coach and at a great club,’ said Ibrahimovic, who joined United on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer.

    It was a double success for United in the monthly accolades, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan winning the Carling Goal of the Month for December with his scorpion kick against Sunderland.

  • I’m chasing the Premier League title – Ibrahimovic warns title contenders

    Manchester United Striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has once again lived up to his confident personality by claiming he has ‘already conquered England’ despite not yet winning a major trophy with Manchester United.

    The Swedish, speaking to his club website, said: ‘No, I’m not chasing anybody. I’m chasing the head trophy – the Premier League.

    ‘That is my aim. The individual things come as part of the main objective because that is like a bonus for every individual player.

    ‘I have no individual targets because that I did already, after three months in England. After I conquered England – it took three months.

    ‘If the collective does well, then the individuals will do well. I try to help the team and try to do what I’m best at – scoring goals, playing good and creating chances for my team-mates.

    ‘As long as I can do that, I know I will help my team. The same thing with them, they help me the way they can for the team.’
    Ibrahimovic has previously won club titles in Holland, Italy, Spain and France, will be a top striker for Manchester United side to face rivals Liverpool at the weekend.

    The 35-yr-old striker has been happy with his club recent form which has seen the Red Devils win their last nine games in all competitions.

    Ibrahimovic is not resting on his laurels as he is keen for United to overtake the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City.

    ‘The last one and a half months have shown the right way, the gap has been bigger but now it is better,’ added Ibrahimovic.

    ‘So we are closer to that now. We wait for the other teams to have their dips, to make their mistakes, and we will be there.

    ‘I said from the beginning – slowly, slowly, we will get better and everything was about the click.’

  • FA Cup: Rooney, Martial, Rashford on target as Man United thrash Reading 4-0

    Wayne Rooney became Manchester United’s joint all-time leading scorer as the holders cruised into the FA Cup fourth round with victory over Reading.

    Rooney scored his 249th United goal inside 10 minutes to match the 44-year-old record of Sir Bobby Charlton, who was there to witness the moment.

    Anthony Martial added the second as United bossed the first half.

    Marcus Rashford added the third before doubling his tally after a horrible error by Reading keeper Ali Al Habsi. It is an unhappy return to Old Trafford for Reading boss and ex-United defender Jaap Stam.

  • Jose: Ibra is going nowhere

    Jose Mourinho insists in-form Zlatan Ibrahimovic will see out his career with Manchester United rather than embark on a swansong in America or China.

    The 35-year-old Swede is United’s top scorer having netted 16 times in 25 games, including 10 in his past nine, and Mourinho has said he intends to exercise the second-year option on the contract Ibrahimovic signed in the summer.

    His immediate future may well be at Old Trafford and, beyond that, Mourinho does not expect the well-travelled striker to bow out with a lucrative stint in Major League Soccer or the Chinese Super League.Arsenal, Chelsea & West Ham all to Win.

     

    “He scores goals, he plays well and I’m really happy for him because he will end his career on a high, which is amazing. He’s not ending his career in America or in China, he’s ending his career at the top of the top.

    “I’m really pleased with him. His record is good and he can improve. With no penalties, which is amazing too because normally the other guys that are top scorers around the world, they score a lot of penalties. He has had one penalty in 17 Premier League matches so I couldn’t be happier.”

    While Ibrahimovic quickly settled in his new surroundings, the process for fellow summer arrival Mourinho has not seemed to be as serene.

    United’s indifferent form, a succession of FA charges and living in a Manchester hotel had all presented challenges for the Portuguese in his new job.

    But he insists he has been comfortable embracing the task of taking charge of one of the world’s biggest football teams.

    “For me, it was easy – it’s a difficult job but easy to feel at home, easy to feel good in the club, easy to feel that the club wants to progress, the people want to be happy again,” he added.

    “I felt good immediately so five, six months here, but really feeling at home; for me it was quite easy.

    “Obviously expectations are high, results…up and down and we are in a position that is not the position where we want to be. But in terms of passion for my work, passion for my new club, I’m feeling really happy here, yes.”

     

  • Ibrahimovic to snub offer from China, to extend stay at Man United

    Swedish striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to snub a staggering £120million offer from China to extend his stay at Manchester United.

    The Chinese government is willing to bankroll a move for the Swedish superstar knowing he can guarantee millions in commercial revenue and raise the profile of the Chinese Super League.

    They made overtures to the 35-year-old last year and were willing to offer around £56m a year to the free agent yet he opted for the challenge of the Premier League and Manchester United.

    His form and goalscoring exploits, however, have only served to whet the Chinese government’s appetite further and they have increased their offer which would include a fee for United. Their intention would be to then place him with a high-profile club within their Super League.

    United and Jose Mourinho, though, have already confirmed they intend to offer Ibrahimovic another year and the imposing Swede is happy to stay for another season beyond this one.

    Despite the odd stutter in form, Ibrahimovic has won admirers at United and throughout the Premier League with his nature, fitness and attitude, helping to educate some of the club’s younger players.
    He has played 25 games and scored 16 goals in his debut season for United and has settled well in Manchester.

    He believes that United can mount a serious challenge for the Premier League and wants to help Mourinho deliver before signing off and considering his next move, knowing the Chinese will still be willing to make him an offer in 2018.

    Mourinho described Ibrahimovic as ‘undroppable’ last week and, prior to Saturday’s game with West Brom, the striker said: ‘In my mind, I’m fresh. I’m like a 20-year-old boy. I feel fresh, I feel good and I’ll keep going.

  • Europa League: United, Spurs get easy draws

    Europa League: United, Spurs get easy draws

    THAT’S THAT

    The Europa League draw is done and dusted. You’d fancy both English sides to get through theirs, with Manchester United getting St Etienne and Tottenham drawing Gent.

    The last-32 ties will be played in principle on Thursdays 16 and 23 February at 6pm GMT and 8.05pm GMT, with the exact schedule to be confirmed soon.

    04:31

    EUROPA LEAGUE LAST-32 DRAW

    Here’s the full draw for the Europa League last 32…

    ATHLETIC BILBAO v APOEL

    LEGIA WARSAW v AJAX

    ANDERLECHT v ZENIT

    ASTRA GIURGIU v GENK

    MANCHESTER UNITED v ST ETIENNE

    VILLARREAL v ROMA

    LUDOGORETS v COPENHAGEN

    CELTA VIGO v SHAKHTAR DONETSK

    OLYMPIAKOS v OSMANLISPOR

    GENT v TOTTENHAM

    ROSTOV v SPARTA PRAGUE

    KRASNODAR v FENERBAHCE

    BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH v FIORENTINA

    AZ ALKMAAR v LYON

    HAPOEL BEER-SHEVA v BESIKTAS

    PAOK v SCHALKE

     

     

  • Everton vs Man United: Both team hope to end poor run

    Everton vs Man United: Both team hope to end poor run

    Jose Mourinho will return to the touchline as he takes his Manchester United players to Everton on Sunday afternoon.

    Both sides find themselves lower than expected in the table after a poor run of form, and will be looking to catapult themselves back up towards the top four.

    Wayne Rooney is missing through suspension, but Mourinho is likely to field both Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic with United able to climb above West Brom to sixth.

    Manchester United and Everton currently sit seventh and eighth respectively, ahead of their 14th game of the Premier League season.

    Both are in reasonably poor form and will be keen to exit their slump this evening.

    Everton

    Meanwhile, Mourinho has been complaining that he gets treated differently from other managers, after being sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle over during his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham last weekend.

    He said: “The only thing I would like would be the same rules for everyone.

    “Let’s go back to the last one. I kick a bottle of water, I cannot do it. If I do it, it’s a sending off. After the sending off, there is a punishment.

    Man-United

    “So I accept that is a sending off. In fact, if you see the images, when the referee comes, I go – not a word, not a complaint. I accept the suspension of one match and it’s as simple as that.

    “But it has to be the same for every manager. It has to be the same.”

    Everton manager, Ronald Koeman, said: If somebody had said to me at the beginning of the season that Everton at the beginning of December will be seventh and if they beat Manchester United we will go sixth, I would be happy.

    “Of course, I realise we need a win, I realise some away performances have not been good. But we’re still unbeaten at home and that’s also positive.

    “You need to be realistic and, of course, it’s a difficult time because one win out of eight is a long time and we have not been winning enough.”