He Looks Poor And Old - Former Manchester United Star Blasts Ibrahimovic

Manchester United are “a million miles away from being good” and are hindered by a Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who “plays like an old man”, according to former defender Gordon McQueen.


The Red Devils were trounced 4-0 by Chelsea on Sunday, as manager Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he was sacked during last season.

The loss follows uninspiring draws with Liverpool and Stoke City in the league, leaving United seventh in the table and six points behind leaders Manchester City.

And McQueen, who spent seven years at Old Trafford and won the FA Cup with United, is ashamed by the current side’s performances and feels their top scorer is culpable despite his six goals in all competitions.

"Ibrahimovic has done nothing so far and looks very poor. He looks like an old man playing football,” he said.

"He might have got 50-odd goals in France last season, but it's an inferior league to the Premier League and he is proving it this season.

"There is nothing like our league for pace and intensity, and he is finding it out the hard way.

"Of course, it would help if he got some good crosses from the wings, but he's not making the most of the chances he does get and doesn't seem able to find that yard of space where it really counts.

"It is not a lack of effort, I wouldn't accuse any Manchester United of that, I just think he is not good enough, it's as simple as that.

"There is no chance of him getting 30 goals this season. He will do well to reach double figures the way things are going.

"He scored a few at the start of the season, but it's gone quiet for him and he isn't able to bully Premier League defences as he could in France and elsewhere."

But McQueen feels there are more issues to Mourinho’s team than the 35-year-old Ibrahimovic.

"It is not just the defence, it is the whole team. They are a million miles away from being a good team,” he added.

"They went a stupid goal behind after 30 seconds and it spooked them. They never recovered their composure after that.

"United teams of old would have regrouped, but this lot are not good enough to do it.

"It is a shadow of the defence that had Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at its core. He brought in Eric Bailly, who has done okay, but no better than that. Mourinho can't trust a settled defence because he doesn't have reliable defenders who can do a job week in, week out.

"All Mourinho can do is hope that he can stay in touch with the leaders. What we've seen so far that might be a big ask."

Sunday’s loss adds to United’s misery against big sides this term, having already lost to Man City and drawn with Liverpool.

"They are getting shown up because they are not good enough,” former Scotland international McQueen explains. “They got a point at Liverpool and it was a good defensive performance, but they always carry a goal threat at Anfield and I didn't see too much of that. It seems we can't get it right at both ends, particularly against our big rivals.”