Ibrahimovic, the mercurial Swedish striker, scored a pair of first-half goals to power Mourinho’s Red Devils to their third win in as many tries on the young season – a 2-0 victory over Southampton in front of a joyous Old Trafford crowd.
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Mourinho had not meant to use Pogba for the full 90 minutes but saw no reason to call an early end to his happy homecoming.
“It was great: my debut and we won, so I am very happy for that”. I came here to win, that is what I always wanted. “That is all we can do”.
Paul Pogba also made his first United appearance since his world record move from Juventus.
Pogba’s last competitive game was for France in the European Championship final against Portugal on July 10.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho before the start of the match.
“It looked like it was all set up for you to score”, Shreeves said to Pogba, before Ibrahimovic interested with the words: “Pass the ball”. “We have to build a certain organization around but he has to play free”.
One of the players many believed wouldn’t even make it into Mourinho’s squad this season is Marounae Fellaini. He needs the freedom he had.
– In fact, Manchester United have not lost a league home game after leading at half-time since May 1984 (1-2 vs Ipswich).
He also proved an alert presence in defensive positions and drew roars of approval from the home fans midway through the second half by skilfully spinning away from two opponents in midfield. Paul is back at his home, but still not with this team [before]. “It is hard to train well and when they don’t train well I have a reason not to select and they go downhill”.
But he was on the scoresheet just seven minutes later as Rooney whipped in a gorgeous cross for the towering striker, who rose above the defence at the far post to head the home side into the lead.
However, there was plenty of evidence to suggest that Mourinho was right to spend so much money to bring Pogba back to Old Trafford.
Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have only been teammates for Manchester United for a couple of weeks, but the two superstar summer signings have already struck up an endearing bromance.
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That honour fell to Ibrahimovic, who got his head on the end of a pinpoint Wayne Rooney cross in the 36th minute to give United a 1-0 lead and continue his rich vein of goalscoring form.
