Happy for Ibra but worried about Martial, Rashford...!

(Baonghean.vn) - MU had their third consecutive victory in the Premier League after defeating host West Brom 2-0 thanks to a brace from superstar Ibrahimovic. Will the "Red Devils" fans be happy to see the form of Martial, Rashford...?

The trip to The Hawthorns of West Brom is considered to be “less good than more bad” for coach Mourinho and his team. Over the years under the reign of Tony Pulis, the team nicknamed “The Baggies” has always caused a lot of trouble for all opponents with its scientific and extremely annoying defensive and counter-attacking style.

However, Ibrahimovic's brilliance with 2 goals divided equally in each half, coming from a close-range header and a decisive shot helped MU leave with 3 points in hand. The excellent performance of the Swedish striker once again affirmed his extremely important role in the "Red Devils" squad this season.

Coming to Old Trafford, many experts and fans were skeptical. At the age of 35, few people believed that Ibrahimovic could succeed in the "most difficult tournament in Europe" like the Premier League. In the past, there were stars of the caliber: Shevchenko, Veron... all had to "wreak" and leave England, even though they were at the peak of their careers.

Doubts about Ibrahimovic's ability to shine in his relationship with MU are completely understandable. After an impressive start with his new team (MU) when the former PSG striker scored 4 goals in the first 4 matches in the Premier League, he was continuously without a goal. A series of delicious opportunities created by his teammates were unfortunately missed by Ibrahimovic.

Trusted by Mourinho, Ibrahimovic is shining brightly. Photo: Internet.

The Swedish striker's loss of sharpness and accuracy in scoring goals has caused MU to receive unsatisfactory results for quite a long time. There were even times when the Old Trafford team dropped to near the middle of the rankings. A series of criticisms were aimed directly at Ibrahimovic, considering him the main cause of MU's performance crisis. The climax was after the 0-4 loss of coach Mourinho and his team to Chelsea, former MU player Gordon McQueen strongly criticized the 35-year-old player: "Ibrahimovic has not made any mark and has shown extremely poor performance. He looks like an old man playing football."

Many questions were raised, "Is Ibra's time over?", "The Swedish striker is just a name?"... When everyone was against the former PSG player, Mourinho still insisted on defending his point of view. In important matches of MU, the "special one" still placed Ibrahimovic in the attack despite public opinion calling for leaving this player on the bench. Finally, the former Chelsea coach's trust was also rewarded by his favorite student. In the last 2 rounds of the Premier League alone, Ibrahimovic scored 3 times, bringing 6 absolute points to MU (the goal that sealed the score in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace and a double against West Brom). Currently, Ibrahimovic has 11 goals in the Premier League. Mourinho's somewhat conservative decision has brought real results.

But for MU fans, in the exciting "revival" of Ibrahimovic is the worry for Martial, Rashford... Since the beginning of the season until now, the 2 young players considered the most talented, the future of the Old Trafford team has often played disappointingly. The familiar position of this duo in the past has been on the bench. Witnessing that situation, many people feel afraid for the careers of Martial and Rashford. It seems that Mourinho has not been able to overcome his inherent weakness in developing young players.

Throughout his coaching career, the “special one” has been considered a “quick-fixer” in the teams he has coached. For immediate results, Mourinho is willing to abandon the club’s potential young players. Patience is a luxury that the strategist affords them.

It is worth mentioning that both Martial and Rashford have affirmed their talent and importance at MU since last season. The French striker (Martial) came to Old Trafford from Monaco with a contract of 36 million pounds. Right in the first match to welcome the Premier League, "new Henry" scored in the "English derby" match with Liverpool. Although MU had an unsuccessful season, Martial was the most successful player of the "Red Devils" alongside goalkeeper De Gea. However, since Mourinho led MU, the striker born in 1995 suddenly lost his form miserably. The little mark that Martial left so far was a curling shot into Stoke's net in round 7.

The Martial - Rashford duo is no longer themselves this season. Photo: Internet.

Meanwhile, striker Rashford is not doing much better. Although he is still regularly used by coach Mourinho in the MU squad, the English player has not left much of an impression other than his usual aggressive playing style, and his killer instinct is no longer what it used to be.

gThe fact that he was not arranged to play in his best position is the reason why Rashford lost his sharpness and precision in finding the opponent's net. Surprisingly, a striker with extraordinary achievements: the youngest player of MU to score in his first match as a starter in the Premier League, the youngest player to score for MU in the European Cup... and considered by the famous player Ronaldo "beo" as his successor, now has only scored 2 goals (Hull City, Watford). That is quite regrettable.

Mourinho’s somewhat conservative determination has helped Ibrahimovic “revive”, but also contributed to making young, talented strikers like Martial and Rashford harmless. MU fans don’t know whether to be happier or sadder when witnessing this situation?

Thanh Hung