Jose Mourinho warned rivals to forget Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s age and claimed that the striker is at the peak of his powers after he hit the third goal in a commanding victory against Bournemouth. I have to take one player to make my last change and I have to take the smallest one.
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When asked if he had been nervous before his first Premier League clash as United boss, Mourinho replied: “To be honest, before the match a little bit, yes, but to have that feeling is normal”.
With that in mind, Mourinho, who brought Ibrahimovic to United on a free transfer after he left Paris Saint Germain, has been encouraged by the way the former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward has quickly emerged as a talismanic figure in the Old Trafford dressing room.
“The Golden Ball was there but it was always going to two guys with a better political entourage”. “It’s incredible how this man never won the Golden Ball”.
That set the stage for the latest memorable moment in Ibrahimovic’s glittering career as the Swedish forward netted with a fine strike to mark his Premier League debut in the same goalscoring style he celebrated his maiden appearances in Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the Champions League. “Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, these are the guys that are with him on the table”.
Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved a penalty by Theo Walcott, who then beat him two minutes later with the opening goal. The 34-year-old certainly doesn’t seem 34, according to Mourinho. “We prepared really well for the game and knew they would press us high with intensity in those first 15 to 20 minutes, so we had to have control”.
Speaking on Manchester’s targets, the coach stressed: “I don’t think they need a statement”.
“I try to do my job and help my team”.
In the next match Mourinho is likely to welcome world-record sigining Paul Pogba into the starting XI.
“Pogba is very good, he’s a phenomenal player”, said Mourinho.
Ibrahimovic admitted it is not always easy to adapt to a new league, so he was happy to get off to a winning and scoring start in England.
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But Ivorian defender Eric Bailly made his Premier League debut and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was introduced for the last quarter of an hour as the first Armenian to appear in the cosmopolitan league. He’s played in different leagues throughout Europe and scored in all of them and I’ve no doubt he’ll continue to score for us’. “That’s why we have such a good squad”.
