SINCE 2005, the idea that Manchester United miss Roy Keane will not go away. Every time the team struggles, the name of their former captain is brought up, pundits, fans and neutrals alike convinced that the fiery character of the Ireland international could break the storm clouds that loom over Old Trafford.
His shadow has not been diminished over that time, and even the current manager has lamented the absence of such a commanding presence in his dressing room. “I played with Keano,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said at a fan event in Perth last month. “I think any manager in the world would say, ‘I would love to have one who is that type of leader’.”
While a midfielder like Keane who can control matches by sheer force of will no longer exists, it seems Solskjaer’s quest for a warrior on the field and in the dressing room might be answered. A number of reports in England and Italy insist that United are close to a deal with Juventus striker Mario Mandžukić, initially as part of the Paulo Dybala-Romelu Lukaku exchange but now in a stand-alone move that would see him sign a three-year contract.
He might not play the same position, but there is little doubt that the 33-year-old embodies many of the qualities that made Keane such a pivotal figure in Manchester during his heyday. The potential move has already been dismissed, Mandžukić’s modest goal tally during his time in Turin being used to question what he would bring to the United side should he arrive.
The Croatia international has netted 44 times in 162 games for the Old Lady, yet to distil his contribution down to merely those numbers is to miss the point entirely. It is not very often that a player becomes completely beloved by the Curva Sud at Juventus Stadium, but Mandžukić won them over quickly, the Ultras making their admiration public with a huge banner paying tribute to the striker back in 2017.
Proclaiming him “a warrior among men” it was a great honour for Mandžukić, who struggled to explain what the gesture meant to him. “It’s difficult to describe the emotion I felt at that moment,” he told Sky Italia shortly afterwards. “I didn’t expect it, and I was surprised by the size of that coreografia!”
Yet it was richly deserved. Coming at a time when then-Coach Max Allegri had been deploying him as a left winger, the battling spirit of the former Atletico Madrid man came fully to the fore, terrorising full-backs as he took advantage of the mismatch his new role produced. Time after time, he would pin an undersized defender at the far post, nodding home the simplest of headers as he overpowered his would-be markers.
That continued this past season when he returned to a more familiar position in the centre, but often found himself switching places with Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portuguese star roamed all across the front line. Mandžukić’s haul of nine goals was only bettered by CR7’s 23, while he also chipped in with six assists, many of them headers he cushioned into the path of those around him, just as he has done so many times for Croatia.
Perhaps his best performance of 2018/19 came in a win over Napoli, scoring one trademark header and one tap-in, his entire 90 minutes spent dominating anyone who got in his way. But in addition to the brace of goals, it was the relentless harassment he inflicted on the opposition whenever Juve lost the ball, registering three tackles, an interception and two clearances along the way.
Furthermore, it was not uncommon to see Mandžukić impart his wisdom on Juve’s young attacking players either, whether it was screaming at Federico Bernardeschi or putting an arm around Moise Kean. He seems to have a sound understanding of when to yell and when to encourage, knowing how to cajole the best from his inexperienced team-mates, while also being the first to defend them whenever tempers flared on the field.
Sinisa Mihajlovic: “At the end of the game, Ibrahima wanted to wait for Mandzukic to face him but, knowing Mandzukic, I advised him not to & I took him away.” pic.twitter.com/suiNYPeUnl
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) February 27, 2019
Those who have watched his career progress are all too aware of what to expect, Bologna boss Sinisa Mihajlovic even warning one of his own players off when he wanted to confront the Juve man back in February. Mandžukić had spent the game bullying Ibrahima Mbaye, and the 24-year-old could not rein in his temper after the final whistle.
“At the end of the game, Ibrahima wanted to wait for Mandžukić to face him but, knowing Mandžukić, I advised him not to & I took him away,” Mihajolovic told Sky Italia shortly after the final whistle. “Apart from anything else, Mario is one who loves this kind of situation!”
He does, actively relishing the confrontation and confident in his ability to get under the skin of opponents while pushing his team-mates to never give less than total commitment. "Maybe I'm too emotional in my reactions, especially when I feel my team or I have been hard done by,” Mandžukić told Marca back in 2015. “That happens in the heat of the battle thought, where everyone must fight for their team, giving 100%.”
Doesn’t that sound familiar, and doesn't Mario Mandžukić seem to be exactly what Manchester United lack?
