Reports today suggest that the Eto and Ibrahimovic deals are virtually done, all that is left is for the contract to be signed. I cannot help thinking that Inter Milan has got the most of what is good out of this deal.
Barcelona are sacrificing a double Champions League winner and 40 million euros for the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a vastly over-rated player in my opinion. I just cannot understand why Pep Guardiola is that eager to move Eto out of the Nou Camp.
I do think that Ibrahimovic is not the 1st choice target for Pep and Barca. They failed to sign the much coveted David Villa from Valencia and thus have turned their attention to Ibrahimovic, just when Eto is being linked to Inter at the same time.
We all understand and know that Eto is a little bit of a primma-donna off the pitch and is not particularly well liked in the Barca dressing room, however you cannot argue his contributions to FC Barcelona over the past few season.
Eto’s goal ration is particularly impressive, notching a goal in every 2.5 games during his early days at Mallorca. For a player that started his trade and never made his mark at Real Madrid, Eto was transferred to the Nou Camp in 2004 and his goal ration at Barca is a goal in every 1.4 games, simply amazing!!!
Every successful team needs a deadly striker, particularly one that can get near the 30 goal a season mark every year. Eto has done so in 3 of his 5 season at the Nou Camp. Notching 29 goals in 2004/05 debut season, he followed that up with 32 goals the following season, winning the Pichichi; the golden boot award in the Liga in the process. That season, Barca conquered Arsenal in Paris to win the Champions League and not surprisingly, Eto was among the scorers.
The following 2 season was disrupted by injuries; however he still managed to keep up his goal ratio. Last season, he scored 34 goals and that includes a vital goal in the Champions League Final against Man Utd. Eto is currently the all time top scorer in the prestigious African Nations Cup and is one of the top 10 all time goal scorers for Barca despite just 5 seasons at the Nou Camp.
Ibrahimovic’s goal ratio, though still pretty impressive is no where near Eto’s. For Barca, I do feel that they are losing a lot more than just the goals that Eto bangs in. All soccer observers will notice that Eto provides great work ethic, a significant factor for success for a team playing total football like Barca.
In the Champions League Final in Rome, he was moved to the right after his early goal and he was ever willing to work hard for the team and track back and help out with the defending, That was part of the reason why Wayne Rooney was so ineffective in that game. Eto truly epitomizes the old cliché, “defending starts from the front”.
On the other hand, Ibrahimovic often has a laid back nature to his game and I do feel his performances in crucial games have been woeful. Although scoring loads for Internazionale in the Serie A, his record in the Champions League is truly woeful. When the crucial matches in the knock out stages come along, he has often under performed. His record of ZERO goals in the knock out stages after many attempts speaks for itself. This is also part of the reason why Inter has not been doing well in the Champions League.
Wind the clock back to February and let’s analyse the game at Old Trafford between Inter and Man Utd. Ibrahimovic missed at least 3 golden chances in the game, including a header in the six yard box where he managed to place the ball onto the crossbar when it seems easier to score. His often nonchalant and aloof outlook seems to suggest that he is simply not motivated for the bigger games.
Which is why I think the move to Barca will truly shows if he is over-rated. If he cannot do well in the Barca side playing such wonderful soccer, then he is truly mot worth a mention when it comes to the “great players” category.
On the other hand, I think Eto has already sealed his stature in the game and will do really well for Inter Milan. His experience in the Champions League will be crucial for Inter’s chances, particularly as they are desperate to do well in Europe.
Despite Jose Mourinho’s claims that Ibrahimovic is in his eyes the best striker around, I do think he is just being diplomatic and saying the right things in public. He was saying the same things about Didier Drogba when he was managing Chelsea. Deep down, I do think he will be delighted to have a player of Eto’s caliber in his squad. He will also have 40 million Euros for further transfers. A great bit of business for Internazionale, as Massimo Moratti claimed correctly.
For a player at the prime of his career at the age of 28, Ibrahimovic must now move out of his shadows and show that he can really conquer the world and start performing in the crucial matches and not go hiding anymore. For a player who has shown he is capable of scoring great goals, he must now fulfill his potential and move on to the next stage.
If he fails to do so, Ibrahimovic’s fans might have to eat their words and accept he is simply over-rated. However, the biggest loser could be Pep Guardiola who might live to regret his decision at not trying to convince Samuel Eto to remain at Barca.
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In my next post, i will explore in depth the chances of Liverpool in the Premier League this season.
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