After struggling to maintain his form, Shinji Kagawa admits mental frustration has taken over him. Bought by Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2012 from Borussia Dortmund for €17 million, the Japanese midfielder hasn’t made an impact for a season-and-a-half. Last season, he participated in 26 games for Manchester United and in this season, he has featured just 18 times, mostly as a substitute.
According to Goal.com, in his interview for SkyPerfecTV, Kagawa stated that the main reason he is irritated is the fact that he hasn’t scored any goals this season. He also admitted that he is pressuring himself to score every time he is on the pitch, but apparently this is a big burden for him.
Kagawa also said a couple of words about the knock-out phase of the Champions League. In this season, he participated in 5 out of 6 matches in the Champions League and stated the club must go one step further than the previous season. Last year, they were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Round of 16 phase, but now, Kagawa wants to eliminate Olympiakos and book a place among the eight best clubs in Europe.
Kagawa also said that he would like to be drawn with his former club and go to either Signal Iduna Park or to “Camp Nou”. For his old club, he was speaking in superlative and for reigning La Liga Champions, Barcelona, he stated that it would be “a dream come true” to play against his idol, Iniesta.
However, the situation is not ideal for the Japanese international. Injuries, vast competition, and playing outside of his natural position has caused him to give performances under his potential. The arrival of Juan Mata is another difficulty for Kagawa, but one thing is sure – with the addition of the Champions League matches (thus, fixture congestion), Kagawa will surely get a chance to play and impress Moyes. A good display in the following weeks may also earn him much needed pitch time in the Premier League, which will be important for both the player and the Japanese national squad ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.
