Does anybody in the world actually know, with certainty, how good or bad Zlatan Ibrahimovic, set to become the fulcrum of the mighty Barcelona attack, actually is? He polarises opinion more than a speech by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Certainly there will have been a few million eyebrows raised by the news that Barca have decided to trade in the tried and tested, but increasingly tetchy and disruptive, Samuel Eto'o for big Ibra. And have thrown a cool 35 million euros into the bargain. When you consider that Man City were willing to pay 25mil for the Cameroon striker, who came second in the European Golden Boot standings last season, and whose goals per game ratio is staggering for a striker in Europe's top leagues, that is a lot of lolly to throw at the Swede with a not-very-Swedish name.
In Italy, and particularly at Internazionale, they seemed to think Zlatan was a bit of a god. Certainly, in style, he appears to be the dream centre forward; 6ft 3in, built like a tank and powerful in the air, yet with outstanding feet, blistering pace, and an ability to glide past defences. 52 league goals in 3 seasons at the San Siro is pretty solid considering Serie A appears to have an allergy to attacking play these days.
But mention his name in a conversation about the world's top players, and you get met with more contempt than if you had been caught in bed with Susan Boyle.
Admittedly, we don't see him week in, week out, since Gazzetta Football Italia is long dead, but when recalling his appearances in the Champions' League and in a Sweden shirt, good performances seem thin on the ground indeed. I can't remember which World Cup it was (maybe 2006?) but Martin O'Neill, punditing for the BBC, slaughtered him for being lazy, and called him "the most over-rated player in the world". Not that many would disagree, I think. Just like Dimitar Berbatov, the words "languid" and "lackadaisical" quickly attach to Ibra like a limpet.
It's not exactly easy to see exactly how he will fit into a Blaugrana attack based on pace and speed either; while he definitely has these qualities, we too often see him getting the ball with his back to goal, slowing down the play. Can we really expect to see him drifting wide a la his predecessor, leaving space for Henry and Messi to drive inside?
I'm a big fan of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I think Josep Guardiola should have been as well. For all his faults, Eto'o is pretty damn lethal, and if you think, at 28, he might be past his best, Ibra is a grand total of 7 months younger.
Hmm. We shall see.
L.
1 comment:
Consider the following, though;
- Inter are not a particularly good team, playing in a league that is currently uninspiring
- Zlatan has been their standout player and his goals have carried them, at times
- Who needs effort when you're playing with Messi, Henry and Iniesta?
- Eto'o is fed up, greedy and out of contract next year
It's definitely a big gamble though.
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