Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Paul Pogba tried too hard at the start to justify £89 million Man Utd transfer
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Paul Pogba struggled at Manchester United earlier in the season because he was trying too hard to justify his world record transfer fee.
But the United striker is convinced Pogba is now starting to show why the club paid Juventus £89 million in the summer to secure his services after finally settling down.
Pogba has claimed four assists in his past seven matches, each of which has led to an Ibrahimovic goal, and their burgeoning understanding has been a central factor behind United’s resurgence in recent weeks.
“I think when Paul came, in his first period in United, let's say the first month, I think he wanted to demonstrate too much that he was worth the transfer that happened instead of playing his game like he knows how to play,” Ibrahimovic told ESPN FC.
“When that started to cool down, he started to play like he knows how to play, and he makes it more easier for himself, doesn't need to demonstrate because everyone knows who Paul is, what he has been doing at Juventus for the past three to four years, what he's able to do, and now he's playing more like Pogba.
“He has nothing to demonstrate, he has nothing to show, he just needs to enjoy the game and help the team like he's doing now. So now he's playing like a mature player and you see the results.”
Another new signing who has overcome an unconvincing start to impress is Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The United midfielder’s scorpion kick in the 3-1 win over Sunderland on Boxing Day is likely to be a contender for goal of the season but Ibrahimovic joked that his team-mate was merely taking a leaf out of his own book of tricks.
“You know when you have a good student, you always learn, that's exactly what I have in Mickey,” Ibrahimovic said. “He has been a good example for learning from Ibra-cadabra, so I'm happy for him.”
Ibrahimovic has scored 17 goals for United since joining on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain in the summer, 11 of which have been in his past 10 games, and a staggering 50 goals all told in 2016.
Manager Jose Mourinho has already said the club will activate the option of a second year in the 35-year-old’s contract and Ibrahimovic has said he has no doubts he can keep competing at the highest level.
“As long as I feel physically good, I'm not worried for what can happen on the field because in my mind I know what I'm able to do and I'm doing it,” he said. “So I don't know, depends on the circumstances, a lot of things fitting for me to continue.
“But it's not like I'm in one place because I'm Ibrahimovic and ‘He's there because his name is big'. I don't need that, I'm there because I'm bringing results and performing, I will not be there to waste time.
“That is not in my mind and that is not my way of thinking of the game because I'm in one of the best and probably at one of the biggest clubs in the world. I'm here to bring results because if I'm not doing it, somebody else will do it.
“I go into a season to do better than last season, because I know my last season was perfect, so I try to do it more than perfect and this is what I've been doing for the last 15 years.
“I talk with my feet, I don't get paid to talk with my mouth. I get paid to talk with my feet and that's exactly what I'm doing.”
United have won their past four league matches and are currently four points behind Arsenal in fourth. Ibrahimovic believes things could have gone better but that United are finally discovering some momentum.
“We had our moments where the results haven't been what they should have been after good performances, but we are still there and we have been closing the gap. So hopefully the other teams can do some mistakes and we close the gap even more and push the gap between other teams.
“We have no excuses, we are here for what we are able to want and do and that's win a title.
“The last period has been good and hopefully we can continue with this winning streak, we are working very hard, we all go in the same direction where we want to win, but to do that you need to win the games and work hard and that's what we are doing. So yeah, I'm happy, but I could be happier.”