[izzydiggler]

It's pretty clear that he's nowhere near as good as billed. 'World class' and 'Generational talent' I've seen written on here...laughably inaccurate.

I think he's a good player with a lot of talent but no matter which position he plays, there are much better players in the PL than him...it's not even remotely close. Id keep him but he's a squad player, who should only play due to form.

 

[Tosicsleftpeg]

Kouyate has him in his pocket last night, the bit where he tried to dribble past him and was then tackled leading to pogba Vs noble basically summed the night up for him.

Crap performance from the team very boring to watch.

 

[Lawman]

He is the only one trying to link things in attack and make things happen but is getting no help at all. Lingard and Sanchez both wanted the ball to feet and had no interest in staying in the box or making runs beyond the west Ham back line. Pogba can't pass if the players upfront aren't making themselves available can he? He was reduced to speculative efforts from distance but when there's no movement ahead of you what are you supposed to do? I'd rather have someone who takes shots rather than keep passing sideways and passing on the responsibility. Pogba never hides on the pitch which is why I don't criticize him. I only get angry when he overplays in dangerous areas but as long as we are in the attacking third I don't care what he does if players don't give him options or make runs.

I agree with a lot of this.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It's pretty clear that he's nowhere near as good as billed. 'World class' and 'Generational talent' I've seen written on here...laughably inaccurate.

I think he's a good player with a lot of talent but no matter which position he plays, there are much better players in the PL than him...it's not even remotely close. Id keep him but he's a squad player, who should only play due to form.

I’m coming to the same conclusion. He gets harshly criticised because of his fee. He’s not a terrible player. He’s actually quite good. He’s not a great player though. Not even close.

 

[Kostov]

He and some fans think he is much better than he really is. He has world class talent, but also has the brain of a potato.

 

[TheForgottenOne]

He is the only one trying to link things in attack and make things happen but is getting no help at all. Lingard and Sanchez both wanted the ball to feet and had no interest in staying in the box or making runs beyond the west Ham back line. Pogba can't pass if the players upfront aren't making themselves available can he? He was reduced to speculative efforts from distance but when there's no movement ahead of you what are you supposed to do? I'd rather have someone who takes shots rather than keep passing sideways and passing on the responsibility. Pogba never hides on the pitch which is why I don't criticize him. I only get angry when he overplays in dangerous areas but as long as we are in the attacking third I don't care what he does if players don't give him options or make runs.

Absolutely agree. You can't do anything when no one up front is available or when they are all so static that they are easily covered.

I was so excited with the idea of having Martial, Rashford, Sanchez and Lukaku up front. I would have thought they would be able to roam around, switching positions and make defenders crazy. Reality is so much different though.

I believe Pogba gets bored in matches like this. That is a bit of a mentality problem, but I can understand it a bit. This man can play great passes, open up play over a great length, dribble and link up in a great manner, but he can't do it alone.

The big question is if it is the players up fro the their fault, or is it Mourinho who can't get them to work. So much talent there, but nothing comes out of it. Of course, a great midfielder to partner with Pogba would be needed as well. Players like McTominay offer nothing.

 

[GM K]

Pogba is more of an entertainer, a showman, a play to the gallery guy. He is big on how he is perceived and focused on creating a powerful personal brand. You can see that in his attention to hair cuts, his social media activities and his football. This is why he tends to overcomplicate and attempt 'wow' moves regularly.
What Pogba is not, is a leader on the pitch. He is not a 'general' or a dictator or, if you prefer, a talisman. He is not that best or main player on the pitch who inspires championship winning team performances. Unfortunately this is what the club, the fans and the manager expect him to be at United. It is even what the press, pundits and opposition fans expect him to be. I believe this is one of the major problems the United team has.

To get the best out of Pogba, we may need to deploy the Juventus model. Fill the team with leaders and match winners. Let Pogba be just one of the stars. He seems to have had his best periods in football when surrounded by leaders like Chiellini, Bonnucci, Pirlo, Vidal, Buffon, Marchisio, Evra, Tevez etc. Players who can rally the troops and or change games almost single handedly. If we want to keep him, this might be the only model that will work.

Pogba can't handle the current United scenario where he is being expected to provide leadership and be the talisman. Maybe he can grow into it, who knows? But there are certainly no guarantees and if we want to wait for him to become what we expect, we must not complain when the evolution process is not as quick as we desire. Otherwise, sell him now.

 

[togg]

I’m coming to the same conclusion. He gets harshly criticised because of his fee. He’s not a terrible player. He’s actually quite good. He’s not a great player though. Not even close.

Plus I don't think he has the mentality to be consistently 'quite good'. He's probably going to be good and poor in equal doses. He appears to be very much a 'mood' player which certainly makes a managers decision to play him or not more tricky. However, he has an agent that would in no way accept a squad player role for him.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He has zero movement upfront. When Pogba has the ball his first insticts are to look up for a forward run. It's no coincidence he and Zlatan worked really well together, as Zlatan made really well timed forward runs.

People are quite blind to the fact that our team movement is shocking badly, it's all played infront of the defence and he's given zero room to work in.

If our forwards actually made runs behind the defensive line and stretched teams he would look and play so much better.

If we did sell him to PSG he would become an absolute star with Mbappe and Neymar making runs for him.

 

[Sunny Jim]

People are quite blind to the fact that our team movement is shocking badly, it's all played infront of the defence and he's given zero room to work in.

If our forwards actually made runs behind the defensive line and stretched teams he would look and play so much better.

I think by now, everybody is aware that our off the ball movement is poor (non-existent) and we don't do any attacking drills.

 

[Adam-Utd]

I think by now, everybody is aware that our off the ball movement is poor (non-existent) and we don't do any attacking drills.

I would expect so, but people don't take into account how that poor movement would effect players.

Watch the game last night and tell me how many times Sanchez/Lingard or anybody else made a run behind the defence for a ball over the top or a pass between the lines.

I think Mctominay made a run once in the first half. Every other time they just drop back into midfield trying to play 1,2 passes. Lingard managed a few long range shots like this but it's not enough.

The midfield just gets stifled, Pogba doesn't like keeping it simple we know that. He is capable of the sublime if the team is working well properly.

If we had De Bruyne in this team he would look no better.

 

[Ole90+3]

He has zero movement upfront. When Pogba has the ball his first insticts are to look up for a forward run. It's no coincidence he and Zlatan worked really well together, as Zlatan made really well timed forward runs.

People are quite blind to the fact that our team movement is shocking badly, it's all played infront of the defence and he's given zero room to work in.

If our forwards actually made runs behind the defensive line and stretched teams he would look and play so much better.

If we did sell him to PSG he would become an absolute star with Mbappe and Neymar making runs for him.

This is the key for me. Been harping on about it for the past 18 months. It makes you wonder what the hell the players are being coached between matches. Surely that is 101 tactical training.

 

[Smores]

He has zero movement upfront. When Pogba has the ball his first insticts are to look up for a forward run. It's no coincidence he and Zlatan worked really well together, as Zlatan made really well timed forward runs.

People are quite blind to the fact that our team movement is shocking badly, it's all played infront of the defence and he's given zero room to work in.

If our forwards actually made runs behind the defensive line and stretched teams he would look and play so much better.

If we did sell him to PSG he would become an absolute star with Mbappe and Neymar making runs for him.

Absolutely no one is blind to this, its just not relevant to most of the criticism. What your saying does not excuse his laziness on the ball at times last night or his lack of movement. Like with Rooney people invent a catch all excuse to argue against a point nobody has made.

There were times when he passed the ball to a man close to him and then stood still. That happened repeatedly in a 5 min window towards end of first half. He just gets tired and lazy, as someone above said he's very much a mood player and accusations of immaturity are very valif. Keane would murder him if he'd played alongside him.

 

[Stacks]

He has zero movement upfront. When Pogba has the ball his first insticts are to look up for a forward run. It's no coincidence he and Zlatan worked really well together, as Zlatan made really well timed forward runs.

People are quite blind to the fact that our team movement is shocking badly, it's all played infront of the defence and he's given zero room to work in.

If our forwards actually made runs behind the defensive line and stretched teams he would look and play so much better.

If we did sell him to PSG he would become an absolute star with Mbappe and Neymar making runs for him.

like for France?

 

[Kostov]

Something that I can not get out of my head, is how unintelligent he seems very often when defending. How he defends and how he presses the opponent, fecking dreadful.

 

[Adam-Utd]

like for France?

Pretty sure his last performance against Russia he got an assist for Mbappe did he not? Ran the show as usual also.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

Kouyate has him in his pocket last night, the bit where he tried to dribble past him and was then tackled leading to pogba Vs noble basically summed the night up for him.

Crap performance from the team very boring to watch.

He was all over Pogba for sure - Moyes definitely had him man mark Paul. However, Kouyate was playing like a prick the whole game - more like a nuisance than anything else. His stupidity almost led to him injuring himself quite badly - fortunately, the fall wasn't as dangerous as it first seemed.

I liked Pogba's performance, though. Not a lot worked for him yesterday but he was constantly involved and trying to create opportunities for himself and the rest of the team. All we need is a little more consistency from him and we'll see the brilliant player he's capable of becoming.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Absolutely no one is blind to this, its just not relevant to most of the criticism. What your saying does not excuse his laziness on the ball at times last night or his lack of movement. Like with Rooney people invent a catch all excuse to argue against a point nobody has made.

There were times when he passed the ball to a man close to him and then stood still. That happened repeatedly in a 5 min window towards end of first half. He just gets tired and lazy, as someone above said he's very much a mood player and accusations of immaturity are very valif. Keane would murder him if he'd played alongside him.

He's not perfect obviously, but no wonder he's got the hump playing with this team.

It's no surprise that we see the best of him when games get stretched, when it's slow and chess like he struggles. We need to play at a much faster tempo (we have the players to do it) but Jose is just far too cautious for that.

Flair players can be inconsistent, but you need them in the team to make magic happen. I just get very frustrated with fans calling him rubbish and useless when they haven't got a clue. Our team doesn't play good football and there's a reason we struggle to score goals.

We'll end up selling our most creative players and become a boring robotic team.

 

[Stacks]

Pretty sure his last performance against Russia he got an assist for Mbappe did he not? Ran the show as usual also.

you clearly did not watch the match. Yes he did get an assist and a goal I believe. Ask the French lads on here as to whether he "runs the show" for France or if that is even usual for him to do so. Your a bit delusional.

 

[NinjaFletch]

He's not perfect obviously, but no wonder he's got the hump playing with this team.

It's no surprise that we see the best of him when games get stretched, when it's slow and chess like he struggles. We need to play at a much faster tempo (we have the players to do it) but Jose is just far too cautious for that.

Flair players can be inconsistent, but you need them in the team to make magic happen. I just get very frustrated with fans calling him rubbish and useless when they haven't got a clue. Our team doesn't play good football and there's a reason we struggle to score goals.

We'll end up selling our most creative players and become a boring robotic team.

Why is it that all the excuses for Pogba always try to argue that somehow he can't be blamed for not playing well because he has some grievance with the team/manager/club that means he isn't putting the effort in?

I'm always baffled with the idea that 'he isn't trying' is actually seen as a defence of him. I can forgive poor form, but if the reason he has been indifferent since January has been a lack of effort then every single fan should be demanding he be fecked off in the summer. It's inexcusable for players not to try, and it's baffling to see that thrown up as being a defence for Pogba somehow.

At least Pogba's recent identical performances in a three man midfield have put to bed the idea that somehow sacrificing an attacking player to accommodate Pogba is a magic wand that will fix all the problems with him.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Absolutely no one is blind to this, its just not relevant to most of the criticism. What your saying does not excuse his laziness on the ball at times last night or his lack of movement. Like with Rooney people invent a catch all excuse to argue against a point nobody has made.

There were times when he passed the ball to a man close to him and then stood still. That happened repeatedly in a 5 min window towards end of first half. He just gets tired and lazy, as someone above said he's very much a mood player and accusations of immaturity are very valif. Keane would murder him if he'd played alongside him.

That’s fecking infuriating to watch. And ironic when people are trying to defend his performances by blaming a lack of movement from other players. Lack of off the ball movement in general (did he make any runs into the opposition box last night?) is one of Pogba’s biggest flaws.

 

[BusbyMalone]

It's hard to envision him becoming the world class player that many people seem to think he is. At the risk of playing armchair psychologist, he also doesn't seem happy at all. There's very little joy to his game. Now he's not the only one to be fair (most of the team is pretty joyless to watch), but considering he's supposed to be the one that dictates the tempo of the game and be our star player it's a bit worrying.

 

[Bobski]

you clearly did not watch the match. Yes he did get an assist and a goal I believe. Ask the French lads on here as to whether he "runs the show" for France or if that is even usual for him to do so. Your a bit delusional.

Yes, he is the best in the world when you are not watching the games and only go off highlights.

 

[Adam-Utd]

you clearly did not watch the match. Yes he did get an assist and a goal I believe. Ask the French lads on here as to whether he "runs the show" for France or if that is even usual for him to do so. Your a bit delusional.

I did watch the match and clearly you didn't so thanks for that. Let me guess you're another fan that thinks he should have a haircut and stop dancing also

 

[kouroux]

Pretty sure his last performance against Russia he got an assist for Mbappe did he not? Ran the show as usual also.

"As usual " ? It was like the first time in eons

 

[Canagel]

That’s fecking infuriating to watch. And ironic when people are trying to defend his performances by blaming a lack of movement from other players. Lack of off the ball movement in general (did he make any runs into the opposition box last night?) is one of Pogba’s biggest flaws.

But when he is the only one capable of making and getting on the end of those passes then we have a problem. If he goes into the box who will supply him? It's not like he's got Pirlo or Busquets behind him is it? He ventured into the box once I think and Valencia put an OK cross in there but that's it. He's the sole source of any creativity in this team and when that's the case it's so much easier to stop him. If players aren't making runs behind the defence or making themselves available for passes in between the lines other teams can get touch tight to him and shut him down. So many times he picks the ball in midfield looks, waits, sometimes gestures furiously for somebody to move and nothing is happening. By this moment there are 2/3 players surrounding him, the ball is nicked and our players are just stood there like statues. Midfield is always the busiest area on the pitch and the most difficult to find spaces in but when the attacking players do their job and occupy defenders spaces open up in midfield and thats where Pogba comes into his own and starts to boss things.

 

[Adam-Utd]

"As usual " ? It was like the first time in eons

Bossed the game against England too, but I confess I don't watch France every game.

Anyway my point is France have attackers that actually run forward and make space, he seems to play more like himself when playing with those players.

 

[JK-27]

Pogba is a world class talent. Technical ability, pace, power, strength. The problem that I see is he thinks he can take on the world on his own. He just isn't playing a team game anymore, it's the Pogba show. He needs to get back to the basics.

 

[PepsiCola]

Imagine the lad under Pep.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

But when he is the only one capable of making and getting on the end of those passes then we have a problem. If he goes into the box who will supply him? It's not like he's got Pirlo or Busquets behind him is it? He ventured into the box once I think and Valencia put an OK cross in there but that's it. He's the sole source of any creativity in this team and when that's the case it's so much easier to stop him. If players aren't making runs behind the defence or making themselves available for passes in between the lines other teams can get touch tight to him and shut him down. So many times he picks the ball in midfield looks, waits, sometimes gestures furiously for somebody to move and nothing is happening. By this moment there are 2/3 players surrounding him, the ball is nicked and our players are just stood there like statues. Midfield is always the busiest area on the pitch and the most difficult to find spaces in but when the attacking players do their job and occupy defenders spaces open up in midfield and thats where Pogba comes into his own and starts to boss things.

His team-mates. His two goals against City were created by Herrera and Sanchez, both of whom played last night. Also, as you just pointed out, Valencia put one on his head the one and only time he did get in the opposition box.

 

[kouroux]

Bossed the game against England too, but I confess I don't watch France every game.

Anyway my point is France have attackers that actually run forward and make space, he seems to play more like himself when playing with those players.

Trust me when I tell you he is just as frustrating as he is at Man Utd.

 

[el3mel]

He's getting too many excuses for my liking. I used to give him similar excuses last season but it's at a moment you stop this and start thinking it's his problem. If he needs the full team at top gear and top players to perform then he's not world class and not a player we should build he team on then.

If we're going to build a team around someone, he should be performing consistently week in week out at a level of 8/10 or above, a player that once he gets the ball you're sure he going to do something with it every match, either score assist or create big chance. Building a team about a player that in certain games decide it's time for shite show is a suicidal attempt.

He has been playing in a trio midfield for a 1.5 month for now and had a mixture of great games and terrible ones so this excuse at least should die. If he wants to play well he'll but he's too immature and inconsistent that he only thinks about his YouTube highlights in certain.

Sadly he looks like one of these players that are frustrating to watch on regular basis even though their youtub videos are gonna be great.

 

[Minimalist]

He's getting too many excuses for my liking. I used to give him similar excuses last season but it's at a moment you stop this and start thinking it's his problem. If he needs the full team at top gear and top players to perform then he's not world class and not a player we should build he team on then.

If we're going to build a team around someone, he should be performing consistently week in week out at a level of 8/10 or above, a player that once he gets the ball you're sure he going to do something with it every match, either score assist or create big chance. Building a team about a player that in certain games decide it's time for shite show is a suicidal attempt.

He has been playing in a trio midfield for a 1.5 month for now and had a mixture of great games and terrible ones so this excuse at least should die. If he wants to play well he'll but he's too immature and inconsistent that he only thinks about his YouTube highlights in certain.

Sadly he looks like one of these players that are frustrating to watch on regular basis even though their youtub videos are gonna be great.

This ultimately my issue. He's not always reliable. It's like Wayne Rooney for a lot of his time here frankly. Ignoring that Pogba could only dream of having Rooney's career.

Right now, I don't think he's ever going to be 'the man' in his team. He doesn't have it in him.

 

[Litch]

Creative or over complicated and wasteful?

Not sure why you buy a Lamborghini but then criticise it for looking too flash or being too fast. Trying to do what others can't is often seen as negative when it doesn't come off but when it does, it creates unforgettable moments. I remember a young lad coming to Utd that people said he was a one trick pony, self indulgent with step overs with no end product? If the Rooney overhead kick or the Beckham shot from the half way line goes into row Z, would be say why attempt it.....

Each to their own but I'm always style over substance. We finished second with a bucket load of substance which feels a little bit empty.

 

[dirkey]

Does it irritate anyone else how often he shoots from stupid locations? Has at least 2 35 yard efforts per game, usually more.

 

[Shark]

I’m genuinely not sure if he’s good enough, often enough. He’s obviously talented, but this is Manchester United, when you think of midfielders like Scholes, Keane and Carrick, you don’t only think of brilliance, but also consistentcy.

 

[Beaucoup]

I’m genuinely not sure if he’s good enough, often enough. He’s obviously talented, but this is Manchester United, when you think of midfielders like Scholes, Keane and Carrick, you don’t only think of brilliance, but also consistentcy.

Just look at the three players you’ve listed, all completely different players of which Pogba is different again, all have different strengths and weakness’s, the key is who you put next to them to complement their style, as of yet we haven’t found the ideal combination for Pogba.

 

[togg]

There is no way we should be adapting the team to accommodate Pogba. He hasn't earned that in any way and to be frank, isn't the top class player that merits that attention. We have tried all sorts of combinations and he has blown hot and cold in all of them.

 

[Litch]

Just look at the three players you’ve listed, all completely different players of which Pogba is different again, all have different strengths and weakness’s, the key is who you put next to them to complement their style, as of yet we haven’t found the ideal combination for Pogba.

Absolutely spot on. How funny that the players he mentioned at some time had the benefit of the other as a player. Not to mention a Giggs, Beckham, Stam, Rio, Vidic, RVN, Cole, Yorke and a bloody CR7. I honestly don't get how people can compare him to other Utd midfielders when they had that quality also around them. We need to be bringing quality in not lose it cause anyone that thinks he's not WC quality, despite not consistently showing it here, he will not be sold for less than 150m and I'm sure who will be playing it, it won't be for his fancy haircuts.

 

[Litch]

There is no way we should be adapting the team to accommodate Pogba. He hasn't earned that in any way and to be frank, isn't the top class player that merits that attention. We have tried all sorts of combinations and he has blown hot and cold in all of them.

Are you happy with the quality of the players around him? Are the quality of players around Modric world class? Around Iniesta world class? Around KDB world class? Trust me, it makes a difference.....