Yep, with Rooney the one with the most freedom, Fellaini the one holding and Pogba sitting back circulating the ball to Rooney and Co to do the business. Ideally, you'd have Pogba in Rooney's role, Herrera/Fellaini in Pogba's role and Carrick in Fellaini's role.
6
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 51
- Goals
- 9
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 10
- Status
Yep, with Rooney the one with the most freedom, Fellaini the one holding and Pogba sitting back circulating the ball to Rooney and Co to do the business. Ideally, you'd have Pogba in Rooney's role, Herrera/Fellaini in Pogba's role and Carrick in Fellaini's role.
I wanted to see if Pogue's head exploded mainly. It is terrible, pretty sure everyone agrees no? But you can't say we didn't put Pogba in the position he needed to be or that he is used to. Fellaini was streets ahead of the other two in terms of doing his job.
Makes sense
Can't believe some posters are beginning to agree with Glaston's statement about how Pogba would need to prove himself in Spurs' midfield. 
He has started quite poor but no way will be this poor for the whole season.
He has started quite poor but no way will be this poor for the whole season.Can't believe some posters are beginning to agree with Glaston's statement about how Pogba would need to prove himself in Spurs' midfield.
Which player started out poor and came out on top in recent signings?
Again none of them are going to dictate from deep so you have a problem with that combination. Maybe Herrera could
No it isn't. I said none of them are going to dictate from deep. Pogba fixes a lot of problems but that doesn't change the fact that not having someone in the side who can control from deep (whether that is Blind at CB, or in midfield, or Carrick or Bastian or maybe even Herrera) will cause us problems
Didn't Shaw start out a bit underwhelming in 14/15? Wasn't Blind underwhelming as well in 14/15?
Yeah, but they weren't the best performers of the season were they?
You are pissing against the wind.
OK, there is another football maxim:
In defeat, the best player is the one who wasn't in the squad.
The fact is that Pogba played with various players in midfield and he was terrible. If he needs a particular partner to shine ... who knows, it may be true, it may be not.
He played with different players but in the same system, with the same instructions, the same gameplan, the same philosophy.
Yes and it's irritating as hell. People simply ignore what role he actually played at Juve that made us spend what we did and refuse to see how different it is to what he's being asked to do here. No, feck all that, a player must be able to perform to the same level regardless of role, system etc.
Not sure what you mean here. My point isn't even really specific to Pogba. I don't see how as a team we can function properly without a single player who can control the game from a deep area. Thats the point I am making.
The first sensense of that post is fictitious nonsense and typical of the insane deductive leaps made to blame someone, anyone, other than Pogba himself for his bad performances.
Fellaini was the one and only CM whose role was restricted, as he was screening the defence. Rooney and Pogba had as much freedom as each other to get forward. Blows my mind that people could have watched our last two games and still think Pogba's not being played in his preferred position. It's getting delusional at this stage. Some kind of group hysteria.
It's not surprising, I tried to explain the same thing with France and when we were linked with him. And even when you ignore the different roles, Pogba is overrated, people see him way better than he actually is.
I don't rate him highly, I never have, even during the media fallout laughing at us for letting him go, everytime I've seen him over 4 years he's had no real measure on the games i'm watching.
It's clear he needs to have limited defensive responsibilities, so that has to be corrected for one.
He's not a leading man, he's a top supporting actor, which you could argue why the feck would you pay so much for a secondary figure but whatever here we are.
Put him in a position that suits or he's going to struggle all season, hes not good enough in 2 man midfield, he's casual as feck off the ball.
It's clear he needs to have limited defensive responsibilities, so that has to be corrected for one.
He's not a leading man, he's a top supporting actor, which you could argue why the feck would you pay so much for a secondary figure but whatever here we are.
Put him in a position that suits or he's going to struggle all season, hes not good enough in 2 man midfield, he's casual as feck off the ball.
It's not surprising because its irrelevant. He played on the left of a midfield three in the first half today and was rubbish, he played in a three against Feyenoord and was rubbish and played in a three in the second half against City and was rubbish.
He's just not playing very well; there's no need to worry about it yet, but theres also no need to dress it up to be something it isn't.
You were still advocating the incredible fee's for him due to his potential to become great.
Mourinho is trying everything to accomodate him too. Advanced role in midfield three? Check. Different partners? Check. Nothinmore he can do at this stage.
EDIT Mata or Mikhi in Rooney's position today worth a try i suppose. Although that's not a natural position for either of them.
EDIT Mata or Mikhi in Rooney's position today worth a try i suppose. Although that's not a natural position for either of them.
He looked great against Southampton playing in the exact same setup. Just needs to up his game.
Pogba has the ability to win games on his own. He is every bit as talented as KDB. Even today he had the monstrous shot that cannoned off the bar. I think he drifts too much into the fringes of games at the moment. He needs to be given a clear role in the team, which to me is pressing high up the pitch and driving forward with the ball.
But at the moment he seems to have complete freedom to be wherever he wants, which leaves us woefully exposed at times in midfield (particularly annoying when he is somewhere stupid like the left wing). But I agree with you that he cannot be used in a 2 man midfield. We need Herrera and Fellaini behind him. And even then, he needs to be told not to stray too far from his position.
Good post.
Ironically, against Southampton, his role was closer to being in a two man midfield than he was today.
Wasn't the same setup tbh, but yes he was very good
Steve Gerrard would be the archetype.
No, I said that he wasn't world class, that he was overrated, that the fee was stupid but that I still wanted the player because I like him and I like to watch him play. From the moment United adamantly want to buy him for that fee there is nothing else to do than accept the fee.
Here is what I said about him:
Don't quite see the all action Gerrard comparisson, he's currently more cake boy Toure, capeable of brilliance but only selectively. (Age)
Agreed...the problem is at Juventus he played with players around him with more skill than the ones he's playing with now.....
yeah, one game, when both herrera and especially schneiderlin haven't seen much football. let them have a run.
Blows my mind too that you could have watched pogba actually play for Juve in full games instead of just highlights and yet think his role is similar here but meh.
As for the first part, I fully understand you not getting it at all. No surprises there and that doesn't blow my mind at all.
Oh yes, for sure. He's definitely overrated due to the insane moments he's had for Juve and tbf, he hasn't even performed to a level he's capable of here yet. Should get better with games.
And you got it just about spot on, Pogba was overpriced and we're using him wrongly. Seems to be a bit of a habit with today's Utd. We had a side that played well last season and then LvG changed it all just for the sake of doing so. mourinho has just got it all wrong where Pogba is concerned.
He also played a lot better, as an individual. Still early days, of course.
His performance in our team in not the problem
If you're as incapable of analysing positions/roles as you seem to be when watching United, then I think it's safe to ignore your thoughts on Juventus too.
You were dead right.
I do think the lack of pre-season with new team mates hasn't helped, so yes..early days. I mean it can't be easy for a manager to integrate a new 'star player', regardless of how much he knows about him, into a team of players who even the manager is getting to know on the whole. Bound to take a few ups and downs along the way. Here's hoping....
Playmaking in tight spaces is Pogba's specialty. Holding off a defender or two before gliding away from them to set up an attack is his greatest asset. He also has the invention and unpredictability to create chances. He just needs the discipline to stay in position and conserve his energy for when he needs it to run at players. He also needs cover behind him.
- Status