[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
Blog:[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
Stop! Ibra time![/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to split the critics despite making a stunning start to the campaign. [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
Richard Godden[/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
wonders what more the super Swede has to do to get the recognition he deserves[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]
Inter may have had by far the strongest squad in Serie A last term – indeed, they do this time around too – but their Scudetto bid would have failed without the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The former Ajax ace has what ITV executives and teenage girls would call the X-Factor, which is the ability to turn a game in a split second with a moment of magic.
This has become more apparent in the early part of the season as the Nerazzurri have stuttered to the top of the Italian top flight despite playing anything but their best football. Half of their 14-goal League haul has come from their Swedish superstar, while he has also weighed in with some crucial assists. In short, his form has been nothing less than sublime.
Despite the statistics now backing up what most calcio fans already know – that the 26-year-old is a fantastic footballer – the jury is still out on Ibrahimovic among fans and pundits from outside the peninsula. Why? Well, according to Andy Gray and his cronies at Sky Sports, it’s because he’s moody. Yet these are the same people who are constantly drooling over Wayne Rooney, despite the Manchester United striker perfecting the scowl in the same way that Derek Zoolander mastered Blue Steel.
It’s lazy punditry at its best – or should that be worst – and, quite frankly, I’m getting fed up of it. I remember talking to James Richardson a few years ago after Juventus had hammered Roma at the Stadio Olimpico and he was full of praise for the lanky hitman. What everyone’s favourite presenter was most impressed with seemed to be Ibra’s ability to control any sort of ball to him, whether it was into his feet or just hoofed clear to him out of defence.
The most similar player in that aspect of the game is Didier Drogba, a forward who is as highly-regarded as any in England at the moment. Yet the Ivorian, who is coveted by Milan, doesn’t have the same skill level as Inter’s No 8. He scores plenty, but rarely are they entirely of his own making. Ibra often resembles a one-man band with some of the goals he scores, which Gray and Co would realise if they bothered to watch more than just Inter’s European Cup highlights.
The Ballon d’Or might be a step too far for Zlatan this year given the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka in the Champions League, but if he continues in the same manner as he did against PSV on Tuesday night then it won’t be long before he is crowned as the King of Europe. Perhaps then people will start giving him the credit which his stunning ability undoubtedly deserves[/FONT]
---
Suprisingly this is from Channel 4 , good on em
#10
