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Odion Ighalo may have spent a short year at Manchester United, but his impact has not been forgotten especially with the Red Devils' current forwards misfiring
Manchester United fans are reminiscing about Odion Ighalo’s brief but memorable spell at Old Trafford, as current strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee continue to disappoint.
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The Nigerian’s hold-up play and knack for scoring in limited minutes remain a benchmark the current forwards are failing to meet.
Ighalo’s brief Old Trafford spell
Ighalo spent 12 months with the Red Devils between February 2020 and January 2021 and made the most of his sparse playing time to become a Manchester United fan favourite.
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Fulfilling his childhood dream of playing at Old Trafford, Ighalo was brought in as a bit part player, only securing 760 minutes, but he still managed to score five goals in the little time he had on the pitch.
This was especially evident in the second half of the 2019/20 season when the Nigerian striker scored in all but one of the five games that he started for the Red Devils, endearing himself to the Manchester United fans.
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It was not just his goals that caught the eye of Manchester United fans, as Ighalo was often praised for his hold-up play and ability to bring others around him into the action, something that both Hojlund and Zirkzee have been criticised for lacking.
Manchester United fans long for Ighalo days after watching Zirkzee and Hojlund
After watching both Hojlund and Zirkzee struggle to make an impact for Manchester United since joining the club, fans on the social media platform X have reminisced about better days when they had strikers the ilk of Ighalo.
One fan posted, “Brev how was Ighalo’s hold up play better than #9 [Hojlund] and #11 [Zirkzee] before adding a video of the ex-Super Eagles striker’s involvement in a goal against Manchester City.
Zirkzee has only scored a disappointing four goals in 25 matches for Manchester United, while Hojlund’s 23 goals in 63 appearances are still seen as an underperformance considering the quality he was supposed to bring to the team.
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With both striker’s massively underperforming, it is no wonder that fans of Manchester United are longing for the memory of Ighalo’s brief stint at Old Trafford.
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