LA Galaxy Struggles: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Unhappy

It seems the honeymoon is already over for the LA Galaxy and their charismatic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Galaxy have lost four out of the last five games and Ibrahimovic has only scored one goal after a scintillating two-goal performance in his debut.

Ibrahimovic was quoted after the Galaxy’s latest loss this past weekend to the Houston Dynamo:

“It is very irritating because after five minutes we conceded already a goal like that and we are chasing goals, which is not normal,” Ibrahimovic said. “We cannot concede like that. It shouldn’t be normal. It’s not good, it is not good.

Ibrahimovic isn’t wrong when he questions the Galaxy’s defense. So far this season the Galaxy have given up 16 goals and are at -4 goal differential. The Galaxy have given up the first goal in five of their last six games a main problem that Ibrahimovic alludes to.

LA Galaxy forwards Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ola Kamara during practice | Photo by Juan Contreras for LA Soccer Nation | March 30, 2018

No one can question Ibrahimovic’s efforts since joining the team a pre-season and three games after the season began, Ibrahimovic is the team leader in goals and assists.

Perhaps Ibrahimovic is tired of carrying the workload and that is why he lashed out against the efforts of his teammates. Although Ibrahimovic contradicted this again being quoted:

“We can either wake up or continue like this, but if we continue like this, we don’t want the same objective — we don’t want to win. Either I wake up, and I take care of it, or we all wake up.”

If Ibrahamovic is waiting for his teammates to wake up it hasn’t happened so far. The Galaxy’s misfortunes despite the big splash of his arrival is threatening to derail a season that had some promise when his signing was announced.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic displaying his LA Galaxy jersey at his press conference | Photo by Juan Contreras for LA Soccer Nation | March 30, 2018

It doesn’t help that in this inaugural season LAFC has finally started playing games in Los Angeles and while the Galaxy have struggled, media attention has been focused on LAFC and their so-far successful season. The Galaxy may be away from the spotlight right now but if they continue to struggle and LAFC contends for a playoff spot while playing a fast paced game as they have been, then the pressure to make changes could come fast.

“We can either wake up or continue like this.”https://t.co/ZhGbxOiL5u

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) May 7, 2018

For Ibrahimovic to be able to voice his opinion despite just a short stint with the team, might endanger some of the people he is complaining about. Coach Sigi Schmid is most likely on the hot seat, his tactics are being questioned as the team struggles and if he is going to be questioned by the team’s biggest star, his days may be numbered.

When Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived in Los Angeles he said “your welcome.” He may now be saying more than that, and if he’s not heard it will be bad news for the team.

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