Manchester United tactics: Lukaku must dominate Ibrahimovic
Manchester United need Romelu Lukaku to be their talisman
Jose Mourinho has a problem that most managers would kill for at Manchester United. The Special One must find a way to make sure that Romelu Lukaku remains the focal point of his offense even after the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
It’s a strange embarrassment of riches up front for United. Mourinho is fortunate enough to have a £90 million centre forward in his prime and one of the most prolific strikers in the history of football at the same time. The challenge, of course, is finding a way to make sure that both men can coexist.
Jamie Carragher makes an interesting point though. He posed the theory that Ibrahimovic’s ego could overwhelm the talented Belgian on Sky Sports this week. The former Everton star has never seemed completely comfortable in the spotlight while Ibrahimovic covets attention at every opportunity.
How the two men deal with the media isn’t nearly as important as how they cooperate on the pitch. Mourinho needs for Lukaku to be the focal point of his club’s attack. If he subconsciously elects to take a secondary role it will end poorly for Mourinho’s club.
The initial signs since Ibrahimovic’s return aren’t as glorious as the club’s 4-1 win over Newcastle would have you believe. Once he came onto the pitch as a second half substitute he quickly instructed Lukaku to move out and play down the right-wing. That is a poor use of one of the Premier League’s most talented striker.
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The real question is what Mourinho should do to fix the issue. It’s highly unlikely that he can force Ibrahimovic to alter his game this late in his career. There’s also the small fact that playing him out on the wing would render him largely useless. His lack of pace would prevent him from troubling defenders out on the flank.
Lukaku does have the foot speed to do a job out there, but it’s not his best position either. He is at his best when deployed as a central striker. Mourinho must face the real possibility that playing Lukaku and Ibrahimovic together just isn’t going to work.
Unless Mourinho is going to suddenly change his tactics to utilize a 4-4-2 he’s going to need to relegate Ibrahimovic to the bench. That may not sit well with the veteran striker, but it’s what’s best for the club. If Ibrahimovic’s presence does anything to limit Lukaku’s productivity then it could cost United silverware this season.
Next: United identify a potential successor for Mourinho
No matter what, Lukaku must remain Manchester United’s alpha dog on the pitch. Ibrahimovic can make headlines in the press, but the Belgian must be United’s talisman on the field.