Different circumstances. This a sport, where physical qualities are extremely important, a 10% drop in performance can turn a top player into an average player (ie Newcastle). Most work places can function at a high level while being unwell.
6
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 37
- Goals
- 6
- Assists
- 16
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Different circumstances. This a sport, where physical qualities are extremely important, a 10% drop in performance can turn a top player into an average player (ie Newcastle). Most work places can function at a high level while being unwell.
I think you're being naive there but I hope I am wrong, hopefully he starts playing well soon. Last decent performance from him was New Years Day.
If we sign another world class midfielder in the summer then i wouldn't be sad too see the back of him,i hate all the baggage with him off feild and the stupid dances he does 
Not really id be gutted to lose him,just needs to get his head straight and ceack on
Not really id be gutted to lose him,just needs to get his head straight and ceack on
We can not say for sure but I really don't think Pogba is 'ill'.
Mourinho has got the formation wrong so is frustrated as he can't get the best out of Pogba who we all know is best in a three where he can roam where he likes.
He excelled at Juve in a 4-3-3 or 3-1-4-2, alongside Khadeira, with Pirlo or Marchesio behind them. United just aren't play the right formation to bring out his best. He was brilliant at Goodison in a midfield 3 (as were Martial and Lingaard without Lukaku.
Mourinho has been inconsistent in claiming his formation was 433 with Lingard in midfield in a game where it certainly did not look like a 433.
Mourinho's overly conservative and rigid style of play, which once brought him great success, is now outdated and failing against premier league teams whose own defences are generally much better organised than they used to be and the number of PL teams who play very conservatively with a low block has increased. Mourinho's previous success as a defensive minded coach is arguably a contributing factor to this new reality.
At Chelsea Mourinho's tactic of going long to a Drogba or Diego Costa player is no longer effective and Lukaku is not suited to play such a role.
Mourinho needs to adapt his rigid playing style and stop blaming his players for not performing in an outdated formation and style that they are not suited to. PL teams tend to sit back and park the bus more these days and attacking coaching requires far more fluency, guile and dynamic movement, patterns of play which set traps for the defence which can then be exploited by further patterns of play. Guardiola, Klopp and Pochettino know how to do this which is why their teams are so fluid in attack. It takes lots of time on the training pitch to get players to work together as a dynamic flow, to anticipate where their movement will happen and to get in the right positions at the right time, opening up space for each other. The whole team from defenders to Lukaku need to attack. Smalling and Jones look incapable but unless they are coached in a modern style United will never catch up.
It seems more and more apparent that Mourinho does not know how to coach this style which is why Utd's attacking is often so laborious and guileless. We have the players who are talented enough Bailly, Shaw, Matic, Mata, Lingard, Pogba, Rashford, Martial and Lukaku but they play as strangers in a dinosaur system that doesnt get anywhere near the best out of them. This is entirely a coaching issue and Mourinho's blaming of Pogba is cowardly and yes it could backfire big time on him. I hope it doesnt but in all reality United's dismal performamces are not down to Pogba.
United's problems are down to Mourinho's own stubborness and failure to adapt his style to the bus parking tactics that, ironically enough, he himself introduced to the premier league.
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He needs a good chants the tune of supercalafragalistic
Oh United have a midfield star and his name is Paul Pogba
Even with his silly hair he is a great footballer
He passes shoots and scores the goals and we fecking adore him
United have a midfield star and his name is Paul Pogba
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh repeat
Start singing and then we have No more sick Pogba simples
Oh United have a midfield star and his name is Paul Pogba
Even with his silly hair he is a great footballer
He passes shoots and scores the goals and we fecking adore him
United have a midfield star and his name is Paul Pogba
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh repeat
Start singing and then we have No more sick Pogba simples
Hyperbole around this kid is frightening. Granted he brings s lot on himself through self promotion. But what a talent and already what a player anyone saying otherwise is just out for me.
Why is it so hard to believe he's actually sick?
So who's lying then.
Let me guess, Mourinho?
Tell us what you feel about him, honestly.
Jesus Christ....
You know, he is a human?
This thread. 
As a personality I find Jose very entertaining. I don't mind in the slightest that he tells a white lie to protect Pogba.
He has been a superb manager too but he has fallen behind the times.
Like I've already said he's had a massive influence on how premier league teams set up against the big boys.
Having said that I think he has to prove himself more adaptable in today's premier league and in Europe too if we really want to challenge.
In order to counter the tightly organised, 'park the bus' defence of lesser teams and the fluency and high press that many of today's better teams apply, Mou needs to get more creative.
Overly conservative and rigid defence and hoping for a moment of individual brilliance on the counter is just not good enough today, not only against the top teams but against lesser opposition too.
We looked shyte again today in the first half, outplayed by Huddersfield Town ffs! He is simply not getting enough out of a great squad and it's his outdated tactics and formation that's the problem. He needs to adapt, to change his style of play. But unfortunately he does not look as if he can adapt and his frustration is taken out on Pogba. It will be a crucial period for Mourinho coming up, if he can not become more creative, more fluent in attack he will be viewed as the latest in United's list of post Ferguson managerial failures.
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No way he suddenly gets sick the morning of a cup tie and is back in full training the next day. Too much of a coincidence this happens the same week as the recent "issues". I'm not buying it for a second. I know everybody wants to assume the best here but its just not credible. I hope I'm way off but I very much doubt it.
You're way off.
Really ? Because I think it happened before to almost everyone of us in our day life.
And you know this how exactly?
No way for you also to know what's happening, so stop being paranoid, saying we should sell him because he pulled a sickie (hate that word). Training and playing the game few days before a big CL game is quite different. We also don't know in what capacity did he train.
How do you know he's not ill exactly?
You can literally get ill on any given day. It's also been reported that he was unwell previously.
Don't agree.
Can it be better? Sure.
Do we play every game with rigid defence and hoping for a individual brilliance? No.
For a team which doesn't play fluently in attack and whatnot we sure as hell scored a nice amount of goals. Also for now he's doing good so we have yet to see if he'll be the latest on the list of managerial failures as you say.
And don't see how he has taken his frustration on Pogba?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...letes-Manchester-United-training-session.html
Paul Pogba completes training session with Manchester United just 24 hours after being declared too sick to play and is set to feature against Sevilla.
Paul Pogba completes training session with Manchester United just 24 hours after being declared too sick to play and is set to feature against Sevilla.
I would be shocked if Pogba doesn't play Vs Sevilla, considering our options it would be suicide for Jose to not play him
On the left side as a number 8 in a 4-3-3?
There is something I don't get about Jose's comments of this "number 8" in the 4-3-3. Wasn't the whole idea to give only and only Pogba more freedom? So how does it work with only Matic playing as a "number 6", whilst both PP and McTominay were supposed to be 8s? Are Pogba and McTominay seriously supposed to have the same roles, same instructions and same freedom?
He seemed like he was joking in the interview, just winding up the reporters.
Okay, but in general how do you actually see this formation working and what type of specific roles does each midfielder have, so that Pogba can flourish?
I think one has to hold and keep a disciplined position 100% of the times and the other also needs to have strong defensive qualities, whilst offering movement off the ball, strong engine, excellent passing ability and a will to get stuck in (I'm excluding Pogba as it's obvious he gets the most free and advanced role of the 3).
You do realise number 8 is a position, not a role? Both being 8s doesn't mean anything more than them both being central midfielders.
I'm not sure we can make a 4-3-3 work and get the best out of Pogba with our current personnel, maybe if Carrick was younger we'd have a shot. With what we currently have it'd make most sense to have Carrick sitting deepest, intercepting and controlling the tempo of the game in the role he played last season which gave Herrera and Pogba more offensive freedom. Biggest issue with that is that he's only just back from a long term injury and we can't really rely on him to be up to scratch physically.
Matic would need to play in the disciplined role you mentioned, he'd go in front of Carrick and behind Pogba in a hypothetical scenario. In reality it probably wouldn't work, as I said previously Carrick is cracking on a bit and I'm not sure he has the legs, if he doesn't then Matic's job becomes a lot harder because he would need to do the defending for two people instead of just Pogba.
My thoughts are that we can't really make it work without a player like Carrick or a very good defensive-minded B2B type midfielder. Sadly these kid of players don't exactly grow on trees. Looking at the best teams who play 4-3-3s elsewhere in the world they play with a midfielder who can control the tempo and midfielders who can do the dirty work;
City play Fernandinho, Silva and De Bruyne with obviously Fernandinho doing the dirty work. Barca have Busquettes at the base with Rakitic/Coutinho and Iniesta in front of him. Real Madrid have Casemiro whilst also having Kroos and Modric to dictate the tempo. All extremely mobile midfielders capable of just about everything defensively whilst offering good ability to transition the play to attack, turning into space and passing are all key to this role. We currently have one player like that and it's Pogba. Matic is mobile and solid defensively but unproven/untested in controlling the tempo and Carrick is very good at controlling the tempo but is quite immobile.
What we really need this summer is someone in the ilk of a Casemiro/Busquettes (who are fairly different players) and possibly stick Matic there as a pure DM or we could go for a controlling player like Kroos/Verratti although they'd be unattainable, maybe we could have a go at trying to sign Weigl but I don't really know how he's getting on at the moment.
A bit worrying, in the no smoke without fire kind of way. We are, honestly, playing dire football and it can push players out of their way. It is a long time since I saw Pogba having real fun at United, and what’s football for an artist if there’s no fun?
Pogba, like Martial, is a player that would obviously thrive at another club if the setup was different. Will be difficult to take him off our hands though, contract and all. The problem is his scumball agent of course, he always has an interest to sell players on.
Pogba, like Martial, is a player that would obviously thrive at another club if the setup was different. Will be difficult to take him off our hands though, contract and all. The problem is his scumball agent of course, he always has an interest to sell players on.
No, that's what fans cooked up in their head.
Pogba has never been a fluid midfielder like Ozil or Silva; he has always worked under strict tactical instructions both at Juventus and United. Playing in a midfield 3 gives Pogba a different type of workload and provides him with different attacking and defending combinations.
Pogba covers virtually all the pitch at United (he has licence to roam already) but it looks like Pogba doesn't suit that type of role. Rather he is best when he has a small part of the pitch to cover that he can dominate with his technique and physicality. 4-3-3 allows Pogba to cover the left vertical side in front of Matic. Whereas 4-2-3-1 requires Pogba to cover the whole horizontal plane in front of Matic.
Pogba no matter the talent is not working hard enough, is it to much to ask to make your runs, cover your ground and do the job you are asked to do. He´s lingering about and does not seem interested. I like him as a player, talentwise but he really has to step up. There is no room for passengers in a top football team, and playing with 2 or 3 in midfield is perhaps not the real reason. Lack of work ethic and commitment is perhaps the real problem. I´m glad Mourinho took him off in these 2 games as he was having a stinker in both. I expect a top player to give his all in the basic aspects of the game and now Pogba has to show his true self, will he toughen up and show the talent he has or will he continue to play like a primadonna not interested in doing what needs to be done?
Pulls a sickie? Pretty sure the doctors told Jose he wasn’t ready to play you numpties.
Some of these posts are ridiculous. Wanting him sold so they can get another shiny new toy in the summer. They’d get on that players back too.
Pogba isn’t the only reason for his poor form recently. He had a brilliant game vs Everton in a more advanced role and then suddenly is asked to play deeper in the next game. Jose is equally as to blame for not getting the best out of him.
Some of these posts are ridiculous. Wanting him sold so they can get another shiny new toy in the summer. They’d get on that players back too.
Pogba isn’t the only reason for his poor form recently. He had a brilliant game vs Everton in a more advanced role and then suddenly is asked to play deeper in the next game. Jose is equally as to blame for not getting the best out of him.
Poor Pogba, being asked to play in a certain way by his manager. How dare he? Why not let Pogba decide himself when and where to play. A player simply follows what is expected of him and does a professional job. That includes running about like you care, win your tackles, mark your man and not sulking when you have not been able to do the job you were asked to do.
Hererra has been injured for a few weeks so playing a midfield 3 means Carrick (who has just come back from a long lay-out and is retiring) or Mctominay (a kid).
He made a compromise by utilizing Lingard in a deeper role who was quite good throughout January.
Virtually all the evidence shows that this is a dip in form and performance, and has very little to do with his tactical instructions. The only game where the tactical instructions may have hindered Pogba was against Tottenham; but he was pretty bad at doing the basics in that. He certainly doesn't require two water carriers to perform against Newcastle.
What are you going on about deciding where he plays?
You wouldn’t put Kante as a number 10 would you? It’s up to the manager to play the players in their correct position. If they don’t then you won’t see the best out of him. Pogba as a deeper midfield never worked. Even for France in the Euros he looked average there because you are taking away something from his game.
So you have no problem with the lack of effort he shows? He can be the best player on the field when he wants to but he just does not want to do the basic work like tracking back and cover your ground. Mourinho asked him to do a certain job and when he did not to that he was hauled off. Strutting around and not giving it all you´ve got is just not acceptable. Regarding this Kante question I´m sure Kante would do his best and give effort if he was asked to play as a number 10. Pogba in a midfield 3 still has to do his defensive work, you do not see the city players like Bruyne not giving all their effort do you?
Tbh, I put that comment just because I thought the way Jose said it was hilarious.
On a serious note and in theory when talking about the formation, in the centre, you have a holding, defensive midfielder whose job is to break the opposition play, get the ball and set up the attack. Ideally, you want positionally aware, disciplined, mobile player with a good/solid passing ability. Matic can play that. Other two in the centre-midfield from either side are basically all-round midfielder, who should be able both to attack and defend at the same time. Now, naturally one of the midfielders can have a more free role than the other because of his characteristics. Think of Iniesta on the left and Rakitić on the right for Barcelona. But, imo, that right midfielder should also bring a serious or at least some attacking threat to the opposition. Think of Vidal for Juventus. So, McTominay would not be your type of midfielder for that position.
I can see us pulling it off with Herrera as a right-sided midfielder who will do the dirty work and who would provide support for the attack. Under the condition that he is on form and not the version we have seen most time this season.
So, I also have my doubts if we do have the right personnel atm to play it the right way and think that people who expect it to solve our problems could end up disappointed. Not only that midfield is the problem and requires Herrera in top form, but Lukaku also needs to be on top of his game, as ideally, you want your striker to have the ability to hold the ball until the rest of the squad joins. Also, I'm not sure in case Sanchez maintains on the left wing, will that side function properly in a pair with Pogba considering that both like free role when they play. We could easily have defensive problems on that side and both going in each other way.
It should work if we can get Herrera in top form and Sanchez performing his job from the right giving more balance to the team imho. Or I'm wrong and Sanchez/Pogba will gel perfectly.
But, we didn't try the formation very often, Herrera is not performing this year and I don't think Sanchez/Pogba partnership on the same side of the attack is an ideal one. So, have my doubts.
How any one seriously think that Pogba is being played 'out of position' because he isn't in a midfield 3 is beyond me. He is a midfielder, and there are certain things all midfielders must do regardless of where they are. It's completely absurd to suggest that a players best position is not actually his position, but his position within a specific tactical setup. More importantly, if Pogba needs such a specific setup to thrive then he isn't worth playing in his specific position because his skillset is so limited and he is a system player rather than a player with quality on his own.
Top players have game intelligence, that allows them to adapt their game to suit the team's requirements. You will never get a setup that specifically caters to you. You have to make compromises for the team because that is what is important.
I for one believe Pogba is a top player with game intelligence; because he has shown this to be the case everywhere he has been. He has been one of our standout players this season, which has mostly been in a midfield 2. He's just not in good form at the moment.
Top players have game intelligence, that allows them to adapt their game to suit the team's requirements. You will never get a setup that specifically caters to you. You have to make compromises for the team because that is what is important.
I for one believe Pogba is a top player with game intelligence; because he has shown this to be the case everywhere he has been. He has been one of our standout players this season, which has mostly been in a midfield 2. He's just not in good form at the moment.
Pogba is doing more than what many can do in a midfield 2. He has created so many chances, so he isn't a system player or average playing in midfield 2. His weakness is his defensive game and will be exposed many times as he lacks defensive concentration.
Also saying certain midfielder is better playing in midfield 3 won't make them any poor or system player, it just highlights player strength. Attack minded players like Pogba are blamed for not being defensively sound, likewise I haven't seen anyone blaming defense minded player for not able to create chances like Pogba.
Not sure why you think playing 3 in the midfield is just to bring best out of Pogba as most arguments are it gives better balance to the team as it gives arguably our best outfield player more licence to attack and have defensive stability.
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