[Varun]

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.

Don't make me laugh Pogue, your initial reply made it quite clear how deeply you've managed to "analyse" his roles at both clubs. I hope for your sake you've not watched too many full games of his at Juve because if you have, it's quite amazing how clueless one can be.

 

[Minimalist]

Play Herrera and Blind beside him (or any two lads who can actually perform well with the ball at their feet) and let's see.

So far he's largely playing with Rooney and Fellaini. Neither are up to the mark regardless of their efforts. And no, I'm not removing his own responsibility for his performances but it's bound to be tough out with those partners in midfield.

 

[Adam-Utd]

It can't be easy playing in a 2 man midfield with zero movement ahead of you most the time.

I watched a good period of that 2nd half with 2 strikers and 2 wide men just standing there looking at him with their backs to goal. No wonder he keeps trying to do it all himself. Doesn't help that all our wide players want to get into the box instead of keeping the width at times.

 

[Giggs86]

So according to Caf's logic, we needed to sign a WC midfielder to play alongside our current midfielders, but once we signed that WC midfielder, we need to sign another WC midfielder to play alongside our WC midfielder.

 

[Cassidy]

So according to Caf's logic, we needed to sign a WC midfielder to play alongside our current midfielders, but once we signed that WC midfielder, we need to sign another WC midfielder to play alongside our WC midfielder.

No just play a balanced midfield. None of them have to be WC

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

He has to play better and not hold on the ball too much, but he's nowhere near the main problem.

The team isn't functioning at all. You could throw Messi in there and I think we'd even make him look bad. That's how bad the collective play is.

 

[El-Manos]

He's the least of our problems. He'll come good once we sort out our best 11 and best formation.

 

[Amadaeus]

For the price we payed for him, we should not have to need certain players to get the best out of him.

However, that seems the case at the moment. I still believe he is just unfortunate not to come out with a spectacular performance today. That shot that hit the crossbar would have given him a lot of confidence if it had went in today. As other mentioned, he is the least of our problems.

 

[Ban]

He's a proper United player already.

Already with the boring tweets of thank you for being there for us, we'll continue fighting.

 

[Giggs86]

Main thing I didn't like today (and against Feynoord) was his way of staying alongside his marker most of the time instead of making himself available for pass. It was either that or trying to dribble past 3 players only to end in no man's land with no support.
He is a great player but he needs to learn that sometimes the easy simple things are the best option. A simple one-two and making yourself available for the next pass is what leads to fluidity which eventually leads to chances in the final third. Somehow he was great at it in his first game but started to over-complicate things since.

 

[JPRouve]

For the price we payed for him, we should not have to need certain players to get the best out of him.

However, that seems the case at the moment. I still believe he is just unfortunate not to come out with a spectacular performance today. That shot that hit the crossbar would have given him a lot of confidence if it had went in today. As other mentioned, he is the least of our problems.

Pogba mainly played with Khedira, Marchisio, Vidal and Pirlo, these players formed the actual base of Juventus's midfield while Pogba was the agitator, he wasn't a crucial cog in the machinery, now he is asked to become one, he has to learn that part of the game, it's going to take time and he needs to find a partner that suits him.

 

[Amadaeus]

Pogba mainly played with Khedira, Marchisio, Vidal and Pirlo, these players formed the actual base of Juventus's midfield while Pogba was the agitator, he wasn't a crucial cog in the machinery, now he is asked to become one, he has to learn that part of the game, it's going to take time and he needs to find a partner that suits him.

Yea, I believe that part will come with experience. At the moment, he needs other efficient players around him like he had at Juventus to make him more productive. Unfortunately at United, Mourinho has yet to find that balance with the players we have. If Mourinho is unwilling to adapt his team to suit Pogba, then it is up to Pogba to alter his game so he can become a a crucial cog in our midfield.

 

[United22]

For the price we payed for him, we should not have to need certain players to get the best out of him.

However, that seems the case at the moment. I still believe he is just unfortunate not to come out with a spectacular performance today. That shot that hit the crossbar would have given him a lot of confidence if it had went in today. As other mentioned, he is the least of our problems.

That isn't his fault, he doesn't control his price tag and it isn't his fault that we bought him without knowing exactly how to use him. Whether we paid £1m or £90m for him doesn't change the fact that his best form comes in a 3 man midfield. We saw how bad he was in the Euros in a 2 man midfield, it is damn evident that he doesn't fit that role. We paid for him and we should figure out the best way to use him

 

[Devil81]

Time to cut out the silly haircuts, silly dance video's and concentrate on football.

 

[K2K]

Time to cut out the silly haircuts, silly dance video's and concentrate on football.

This is one of the most silly arguments seen on football forums.
Its quite lazy too.

 

[K2K]

For the price we payed for him, we should not have to need certain players to get the best out of him.

However, that seems the case at the moment. I still believe he is just unfortunate not to come out with a spectacular performance today. That shot that hit the crossbar would have given him a lot of confidence if it had went in today. As other mentioned, he is the least of our problems.

When you buy such a talent you setup the team to get the best out of him.

That's what Real did with Ronaldo with Benzema and co being the foil to allow him to shine.
We have failed to do this with all 4 of our record signings.Berbatov,Mata and Di Mariaand now this.

We are team that is much worse than the sum of its parts.

 

[ThanksBoss26]

Carrick, Herrera and Pogba is what I'd like to see.

That should give him more of a platform at least.

 

[Vanya]

In my opinion he was at fault for Watfords second goal not Shaw. He was waiting for Fellaini to get goal side of the attacker and take up a defensive position instead of doing it himself. Because of that Fellaini has to leave zuniga. Even then, when fellaini chased down the attacker Pogba wasnt fast or attentive enough to block the pull back to Zuniga.

So far his defensive performances have been disappointing. Whats the point of playing in midfield if youre not interested in defending your heart out.

I think he needs to play in a 4-4-2 as a Left side attacking playmaker (with Herrera and Carrick/Blind playing the two in the middle).
That way he would be able to drift in to influence the game and be harder to mark. He anyway naturally likes that position. Moreover having two forwards like Rashford and Zlatan to aim at up top could help him show his creative side.

 

[nick2004]

Carrick, Herrera and Pogba is what I'd like to see.

That should give him more of a platform at least.

Why not Schneiderlin, Herrera and Pogba???

 

[Full bodied red]

Too many people on here making the same excuses for him that we've seen on the Depay thread. He's young; he needs to 'grow into' the EPL; too much expectation too soon; short of confidence; the rest of the team aren't playing well; etc, etc....

I've seen almost every match he's played the past three years - at Juve and for the French NT.

He's OK, no doubt about that, and won't be as shit a signing as Depay has turned out to be.

But he's playing at almost exactly the same level for us, this season, as he played for Juve and France the past three years - no better, no worse.

A galactico he isn't...Never has been and probably never will be...

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Why not Schneiderlin, Herrera and Pogba???

Lacks a player who can dictate from deep.

 

[Cassidy]

Too many people on here making the same excuses for him that we've seen on the Depay thread. He's young; he needs to 'grow into' the EPL; too much expectation too soon; short of confidence; the rest of the team aren't playing well; etc, etc....

I've seen almost every match he's played the past three years - at Juve and for the French NT.

He's OK, no doubt about that, and won't be as shit a signing as Depay has turned out to be.

But he's playing at almost exactly the same level for us, this season, as he played for Juve and France the past three years - no better, no worse.

A galactico he isn't...Never has been and probably never will be...

Complete rubbish

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

This is one of the most silly arguments seen on football forums.
Its quite lazy too.

Yep. Truly awful.

 

[nick2004]

Lacks a player who can dictate from deep.

And that is Carrick?

A player who many in this forum wanted released in the summer?

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

And that is Carrick?

A player who many in this forum wanted released in the summer?

Yes Carrick is that player, but unfortunately can't rely on him consistently anymore.

We need a midfielder who can dictate from deep. Should be the number 1 priority in 2017.

 

[Full bodied red]

Complete rubbish

So he's playing better or worse, then ?

 

[hirotan69er]

Complete rubbish

Why? I've been following Juventus every year and I can see that Pogba is doing exactly what he's been doing at Juventus. I can see that he needs to make an adjustment and fit into the team by playing for the team.

 

[Cassidy]

So he's playing better or worse, then ?

He has clearly been worse for us so far except the first game

 

[Cassidy]

Why? I've been following Juventus every year and I can see that Pogba is doing exactly what he's been doing at Juventus. I can see that he needs to make an adjustment and fit into the team by playing for the team.

I agree with that, but his overall performance for us so far except the first game has been worse that it was at Juve overall last season.

 

[Full bodied red]

He has clearly been worse for us so far except the first game

Not too sure I'd agree with you as I don't see such an enormous difference between his performances for us and the majority of those for Juve and France over the past couple of years....

Some good things, some bad things....

Like I said, he's OK, but I think any fans on here expecting the world's most expensive player to be the world's best player are going to be hugely disappointed.

 

[Cassidy]

Not too sure I'd agree with you as I don't see such an enormous difference between his performances for us and the majority of those for Juve and France over the past couple of years....

Some good things, some bad things....

Like I said, he's OK, but I think any fans on here expecting the world's most expensive player to be the world's best player are going to be hugely disappointed.

I don't tbh, I don't think he is the best CM let alone the best player.
But his performance today was substandard as was the one midweek as was the one at City.
He put in better performances last season for Juve, yes he did have some poor games and yes he doesn't really dictate games for 90mins but his last 3 United performances have been way below his usual standard for me.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Not too sure I'd agree with you as I don't see such an enormous difference between his performances for us and the majority of those for Juve and France over the past couple of years....

Some good things, some bad things....

Like I said, he's OK, but I think any fans on here expecting the world's most expensive player to be the world's best player are going to be hugely disappointed.

Zero goals, zero assists and barely any chances created in his United career so far. He's blatantly well below par.

 

[Brwned]

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:

I think this sums it up pretty well:

Pogba influences games by doing something exceptional, he doesn't influence games with his general play, for some reason people pretend that he does the latter. If your team isn't functional Pogba won't help you much.

I'd say that makes the discussions about positions and tactics largely irrelevant, though. He just needs a solid platform to play from - the specifics of that are a lot more variable than people are suggesting, IMO.

 

[kouroux]

Zero goals, zero assists and barely any chances created in his United career so far. He's blatantly well below par.

And those are numbers but all our eyes are need to see he doesn't look like a Man Utd player at the moment. He's lost out there.

 

[RyRoc]

I think Pogba right now is an example of a "Headache Midfielder." Aaron Ramsey and later-career Yaya Toure are also members of the same species. Whatever they contribute offensively playing in a two man midfield is outweighed by their liabilities in positional discipline and defensive effort. But they aren't really suited to playing as a 10 either, since they aren't naturally comfortable drifting between the lines and playmaking in tight spaces. So the team needs to be built around them in a very specific way. Pogba is more talented than Ramsey and still young so he has a much better chance of transcending these limitations and realizing his potential. But one can reasonably ask whether its a bad idea to build a team around this kind of player (indeed, Arsenal fans have been saying this about Ramsey for a long time).

Excellent post! And quite often why Ramsey finds himself deployed on a sort of false right wing position when playing for Arsenal. Will add his best season comfortably was in 2013-14 when he had Arteta (who for 6 months was in great form) playing in a deep lying controller position which is what I think Scholes was suggesting when talking about a Kroos or Modric.

 

[Sylar]

We paid a record fee for him. It would make sense that we do the utmost to build around him and get the best out of him,. whatever that may be.

 

[Mike09]

Technically and physically he is world class. I agree on Carragher. Mentality he is a kid, he's not discipline enough to do his job even as a no 8 I believe he has the ability to be the best no 8 instead of no 10, but his mentality is too weak at the moment and he hasn't mature at all but I understand because he's still very young.

 

[Jaybomb]

Lacks a player who can dictate from deep.

That's rubbish. Leicester City won the league with Drinkwater and Kante in the middle of the park. Neither of them are "deep lying playmakers"... we're looking for excuses now when the answer is staring us right in the face - We're losing matches cause we're accomodating Rooney. Simple as that.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

That's rubbish. Leicester City won the league with Drinkwater and Kante in the middle of the park. Neither of them are "deep lying playmakers"... we're looking for excuses now when the answer is staring us right in the face - We're losing matches cause we're accomodating Rooney. Simple as that.

That's an anomaly. Vardy/Mahrez in unreal form.

But I don't disagree regarding Rooney. He should be benched ASAP.

 

[Cascarino]

That's rubbish. Leicester City won the league with Drinkwater and Kante in the middle of the park. Neither of them are "deep lying playmakers"... we're looking for excuses now when the answer is staring us right in the face - We're losing matches cause we're accomodating Rooney. Simple as that.

Leicester played counter attacking football, where they didn't really care about possession and simply transitioned from defending to attacking quickly.
Mourinho needs someone to dictate play imo because United will/should dominate most games.