FEW Manchester United fans would have been excited at the prospect of a former Watford striker coming on loan from China a week ago, but needs must since United were short up front even before Marcus Rashford’s injury.
It wasn’t like they could push Paul Pogba higher since he’s long been injured too, while Anthony Martial has looked as comfortable in the central attacking role as a man standing on one leg top of the Eiffel Tower holding a large umbrella in a storm. Mason Greenwood has a great future ahead of him, but as he showed when barely impacting on the game in last week’s Manchester derby, he’s got much to learn.
After not signing Erling Haaland at the start of the window, United needed a striker and they got one before the deadline after negotiations to bring Josh King hit an impasse. United spoke to Odion Ighalo’s agent for the first time a few days before the window closed as they wanted – make that needed – to have several options. ;
Very impressed with Odion Ighalo after watching his interview. You’ve no idea how much I want this man to succeed at this club, considering how many fans and pundits have already written him off.
— Josh (@ManUnitedMedia) February 5, 2020
The signing, announced just before the deadline, was sneered at by some, a further sign of how the mighty have fallen as if United had never signed players like Bebe, Mame Diouf or William Prunier in their pomp.
True, it went against United’s recruitment policy. Age meant there was no way he was being highlighted among the best 8,000 centre forwards United should be signing this summer, but it helped address a short-term injury issue. And it stacked up in other ways.
Ighalo has Premier League experience, he scored 40 goals in 100 appearances for Watford and 131 in 322 games overall in his career. A six-month loan, with no option to buy from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, was available, and he was a Manchester United fan too. A United fan prepared to take a pay cut to leave China. Added to that, his wife and family were living in Manchester, as was his agent.
And so the deal was done when many United fans went into the final week of the transfer window thinking their club wouldn’t sign anyone. They signed Bruno Fernandes and Ighalo. Chelsea wanted a striker. They didn’t get one. Ighalo turned down another Premier League club which he could play against very soon.
I didn’t know what to make of the signing since I didn’t know enough of the player, but I knew United had to do something and they did. There’s a strong former MUFC colony at Watford: Tom Cleverley, Daniel Welbeck and the chief executive Scott Duxbury is a United fan from Manchester. Danny Webber and Jimmy Davis both played for Watford too.
Odion Ighalo wasn't letting anything get in the way of his dream move to United ⏳ pic.twitter.com/T6z2KNCbfs
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 5, 2020
I got a message soon after the signing from someone who filled me in about what Igahlo could bring to Old Trafford.
“United are getting a great striker and a class bloke off the field,” he messaged. “Plus there’s a belting song for his name (To Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’, Watford fans sang ‘Ighalo! O!. “Always believe in your soul! You've got the power to know, you're indestructible! Ighalo”).
“He’s one of the best finishers Watford have ever had – certainly in the Prem. Fact is he banged goals in at AFCON 2019 (where he was top scorer with five goals) and that Barcelona reportedly wanted him this time last year speaks of his record (They did but went for Kevin-Prince Boateng instead). His form and goals did dry up with us but the team was getting worse too. In theory, in a better side, he will score goals. He’ll get a decent reception when Watford come up next month – at least until he scores.”
And scoring is something United are struggling to do right now. Goalless in the last three league games against Liverpool, Burnley and Wolves, United need them from somewhere. This season has been a rocky one and it hasn’t been good enough, but it remains alive. United are in the FA Cup with a winnable away game at Derby County and the Europa League with a tie against Bruges.
And while their league form has been awful with only one win so far this year, they can’t give up. The two new signings should help, the injury list surely can’t get worse and the winter break should bring relief for a squad where attacking players like Dan James look fatigued.
Ighalo’s enthusiasm upon signing was welcomed. He came across as a lifelong fan of the club, he talked of dreams coming true and photos surfaced of him wearing a United kit as a kid. None of that will do any harm, while China is no longer a place where players go to retire for a final pay windfall.
My visit to Old Trafford back in 2013 as fan and now I will be playing in Old Trafford God is the greatest pic.twitter.com/BDW6v2Cxm8
— Odion Jude Ighalo (@ighalojude) February 5, 2020
Paulinho did very well for Barcelona when he came from China. And Ighalo only went to China because that’s where Watford wanted him to go when he had offers from Crystal Palace and West Brom because a Chinese club was willing to pay the most.
Ighalo was a success in all of his three seasons in China and though that league is a far lower level than the Premier League, United fans will be right behind him. What other choice do they have for their new number 25? He might become a cult hero, he might flop but right now I’d rather have him on United’s books than not.
And what of Shenua, given the same lack of consideration that Molde were by many United fans when they took their manager? Their player will get game time (hopefully) ahead of their league season and they’ll receive money ahead of the salary cap.
If I learned anything from Bruno Fernandes’ debut it was that while he wanted to shoot from distance at every opportunity, he had no effective foil in front of him – nor do United take enough shots in the box. Could Ighalo be that man to provide the foil? He described himself as “very fast, skilful and strong.” He’s strong, he scores, he can play as a lone striker. Bring him on.
