"Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a big miss for Manchester United. He would not have had what has happened in the last five or six weeks. He would've gone in there and he would've started to dig players out."
Saturday 22 December 2018 18:10, UK
Paul Merson believes Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a big miss for Jose Mourinho at Manchester United this season.
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Ibrahimovic, who signed a new contract with LA Galaxy that will see the striker return for the 2019 MLS season as a 'designated player' earlier this week, left Old Trafford for Los Angeles last March.
The former Sweden international spent almost two seasons at United. He made a big impact in his first year, scoring 28 goals in all competitions to earn a new one-year deal. However, the 37-year-old was plagued by injuries last season, making just seven appearances before United agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect.
Following Mourinho's sacking at Old Trafford, Merson thinks Ibrahimovic's departure left a huge void in the United dressing room.
"Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a big miss for Manchester United," Merson told The Debate.
"He was one of those players that Mourinho had in the dressing room where you didn't need to keep on listening to the manager's voice, and he would've picked players out."
Mourinho was sacked by United on Tuesday morning following a string of poor results which culminated in Sunday's 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.
Merson believes Ibrahimovic's strong character could have helped Mourinho in the dressing room in a similar way to how Roy Keane helped Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Zlatan would not have had what has happened in the last five or six weeks," he said.
"He would not have had some of the results, being 2-0 down at Southampton and being absolutely run ragged by Liverpool. People will say they were trying, but let's be honest, they got battered. It was embarrassing.
"I think Zlatan would've gone in there and he would've started to dig players out and years ago you would've seen the same with Roy Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Ferguson would've sat back and Keane would've come in and started to pick people out. Peter Schmeichel would've been going mad along with the other experienced players. They would've then all calmed down and Sir Alex Ferguson would've had his say."
