Very true.
Rival fans suddenly started rating Ronaldo highly the second he left.
Heck, they even did that with Danny Freakin Welbeck.
If Pogba was to ever leave us, he would be lavished with praise non-stop.
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Very true.
Rival fans suddenly started rating Ronaldo highly the second he left.
Heck, they even did that with Danny Freakin Welbeck.
If Pogba was to ever leave us, he would be lavished with praise non-stop.
But even worse, some of these are United fans
He has these moments where he switches into this mode and it's usually not working. Needs to stay calm, work for the team and trust in his teammates. I thought Rooney in his later stages with us had also these moments where he tried to be everywhere and not only his game suffered as a result but the entire team. I feel it's great that Pogba wants to be the go to guy but he needs to be more calm about it and not try to force it.
I watched the France game. In France. The punters in the bar I was in were as frustrated with Pog as any United fan has ever been since we signed him! Kante passed the ball far better than him. Which speaks volumes.
Happens all the time to be fair. I mean look at the way some pundits lauded Tony Pulis for making Jonny Evans the great defender he is today.
Was poor against Luxemburg. The entire French team played like a bunch of individuals.
Its amazing how some national teams can have a great group of individuals yet fail to play any sort of cohesive football. However whenever Brazil have a great group of individuals it leads to some fabulous team play.
IMO. Kante &a Pogba in midfield 2 is the problem. In other games, it doesn't stood out like a sore thumb but the sign was always there. Either one having frustrating game, but never both have on par great game together.
IMO, it's due the fact that both players are the type need to stand out to do their thing. They ain't the type to take a quiet role. It's similar to the feeling of having Lampard and Gerard in the same midfield despite, there is no question in both players' quality.
What I believe the key in this conflicting partnership is Kante's one dimensional style. For example, Kante looked energetic breaking up play in second half vs Lux. but he was flawed in a team trying to break down a bus. There were many instance, he passed too soon to the crossers, whom understandably would get pressed on ball thus rushed thing further, leaving the front men less time to work to lose their markers/getting into good positions. I mentioned this because this is one aspect is what Busquet is not fully understood by many fans. Busquet passing for majority of time looks very ordinary, but his role is important in that his passing is very kind for teammates. He usually doesn't miss the rhythm (pass too soon or too late). Kante simply tried to pass the ball quickly to a supposed free teammate, while at the same time leaving the other players with little time to get into position to become passing option. In the second half, there were so many times, Kante ignored the central area and primarily & predictably get the ball out wide. Other times he won the ball in central area and immediately passed it while the central players ain't ready, thus losing the ball right away. This is unkind ball for teammates, I am trying to make the point.
Kante ain't suited to play a patient game breaking a bus parking tactic. You know shtf when you start seeing Kante in supposed primary deeper defensive role having many touches on the ball. He congests his team own space by pushing up unnecessarily while at times, not provide passing option for his CBs. I know it's more of Koscielny brainfart, but one of his mispass in second half was due to Kante in bad position in my book.
Back to Pogba, there is no doubt about immatured/inexperienced aspect in his game. He can still easily lose his head thus affecting his overall performance. However, he has ability to help the team in this type of game with the right tactic. Deschamps IMO had a blunder this game as he ended up not building the tactic around Pogba best ability but used Pogba toward the end in Fellaini role when Giroud got taken off while having Kante running the midfield the wrong way against a deep defending team.
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When don't they play as individuals? Seems for all the talent they have they cannot gel cohesively at all.
Pogba's performance aside, he's not the only one to blame, did everything but Mbappe, the most expensive player in the world had a really poor game. Basically he seemed not bothered at all. Shocking how Coman had a nod over Martial.
Deschamps needs to start play 3 pronged midfield, drop Giroud and get the best out of Pogba. Get in Rabiot or Matuidi to do the simple things.
Deschamps needs to start play 3 pronged midfield, drop Giroud and get the best out of Pogba. Get in Rabiot or Matuidi to do the simple things.
It was Luxembourg, for feck's sake. The lad just thought of it as an opportunity to add a clips to his end of season youtube compilation.
By and large, I'm happy with his growing maturity. He is still prone to the odd bit of showboating just for the sake of it, but sometimes you've got to allow him his indulgences. A game against one of the worst teams he'll ever face - that's one such occasion.
By and large, I'm happy with his growing maturity. He is still prone to the odd bit of showboating just for the sake of it, but sometimes you've got to allow him his indulgences. A game against one of the worst teams he'll ever face - that's one such occasion.
Great post. I cannot disagree with it. It doesn't help that Deschamps is a bit clueless tactically tbh.
I agree with the Rabiot inclusion. He must be the only true CM who can pass it simply to the open man long and short, without taking stupid risks. He needs to start.
I think France should partner Pogba with Rabiot. Kante as well if they want to go 433. Mbappe, Griezmann, Dembele up top.
You can't allow his indulgence in a world cup qualifier. If this was a friendly, or France were up 2-0 at least, then it's understandable but the arrogance, the nonchalance, and the dumb decisions he made are why he's still not considered the best central midfielder. It's very possible that Pogba never quite gets past that stage because the problem is not in his skills/talent/physical abilities, it's between his ears and what goes on up there. I think he's a very intelligent player who plays like a dummy more times than he should, he's not a little kid anymore and performances like he had against Luxembourg bum me out because I feel it sets him back.
Wow... Luxembourg or not, it's a competitive match, a qualifier for the world cup in a tight group. Definitely not the match you wanna showboat in, this wasn't charity ffs.
It can be so annoying when you know he can be a great player when he makes things more simple for himself. Trying to be the hero never works for him, he isn't Zidane nor Platini.
Staying at united with fergie would have been lot better for his game development than going to juventus with no midfeild responsiblity placed on him with the likes of vidal and pirlo and marchisio taking all those roles and letting pogba do whatever he wants to showboat his skills with complete freedom and no responsiblity of the midfeild play.
He has great skills , attributes, vision , but many times he does not perform the basics right itself which is the first job of a midfeilder and that's why fergie was Pushing him harder on the fringes of first team.
He has great skills , attributes, vision , but many times he does not perform the basics right itself which is the first job of a midfeilder and that's why fergie was Pushing him harder on the fringes of first team.
He wouldn't have had nearly as much game time though, and he was able to play in a top league at the highest level developing his skills. And I dread to think what might have happened to him under Van Gaal.
He would have played, He dint develop the basics of what makes a midfeilder absolutely world class. And he would have actually improved a lot better under LVG who has a history of developing and educating world class midfeilders in his career.
Mourinho has a job to do on him still.
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That's as misinformed a post you'll find on here. He never had that level of freedom at Juve.
What I don't get is why or how Mou disliked or didn't have any use for Loftus-Cheek while he sanctioned a mega transfer for Pogba, very similar players.
A very unique way to look at things. Take off your red tinted glasses
He would have had 1 season under Fergie if he stayed here and then a season under Moyes and two under Van Gaal.
I've got absolutely no doubts that playing week in week out alongside the likes of Vidal, Pirlo and Marchisio has done him nothing but good compared to what he would have experienced if he stayed.
Lemar, Griezmann, Lacazette, Mbappe, Kurzawa, Giroud, Sidibé Koscielny, Fekir, Coman etc where poor too. Even Kante !
France can't make a draw against Luxembourg just because of Pogba...
France can't make a draw against Luxembourg just because of Pogba...
I agree, sometimes when others around you playing like shite, you tend to do everything on your own. Resulting shite on your own performance.
Agreed. The only negative would have been under Moyes and Van Gaal. The former would probably have played him as a second striker to get on the end of endless crosses and the latter would have restricted his movement such that he'd have probably put in a transfer request.
No doubt though that his Juventus tenure developed the parts of his game that least required developing (technique, passing, movement with the ball), whilst neglecting the parts that needed developing the most (positional discipline, decision making).
He was being turned into a very good third midfielder, rather than being moulded into the best in the world as a second midfielder.
The guy is class, and would make the starting XI @ any other club in Europe. People should leave him alone, he isn't and doesn't profess to be the complete player at his age... who was? I'm loving the fact that he chose to return to Utd, and is a big part of the reason we seem to be moving in a very positive direction. the manager, club, Pogba.. other players.. all are still finding their true Man Utd 'rhythm' but we cannot keep heaping attention and critique at this young man. People talk about what he doesn't do, and what is frustrating in his game... I see all that, as with other players, whilst I also see the positive in his play.
He deals with all the attention very, very well... and that's why so many look for fault. Continually. He has the right manager to address that. This is another reason why retaining Ibra' was / is important, because he also has that star quality and confidence. I actually want to see more players at United be as confident as these two. Not neccesarily in the same way, all players are different... but I don't want a team full of players who are 'meek'. We have had that for the last few seasons, even going back to the end of SAF's reign. We need people with a Champion mentality at that club, without it, we look vulnerable. United is a Theatre, and we need performers. People don't wish to take on that mantle, then go find another club.
Paul Pogba is an absolutely cracking young player. Love watching him.
He deals with all the attention very, very well... and that's why so many look for fault. Continually. He has the right manager to address that. This is another reason why retaining Ibra' was / is important, because he also has that star quality and confidence. I actually want to see more players at United be as confident as these two. Not neccesarily in the same way, all players are different... but I don't want a team full of players who are 'meek'. We have had that for the last few seasons, even going back to the end of SAF's reign. We need people with a Champion mentality at that club, without it, we look vulnerable. United is a Theatre, and we need performers. People don't wish to take on that mantle, then go find another club.
Paul Pogba is an absolutely cracking young player. Love watching him.
Well, Pogba is/was one of the best midfielders in the world. So that's probably why. I get what you're saying about playing style but there's obviously a huge gap in ability.
Any game he plays for France would be such an occasion.
I fully agree. He already knew what the club was about, his time at Juventas was a great learning experience. Cant imagine him playing in a Cleverly/Carrick/ Fellaini midfield under Moyes. Don't want to imagine it either. I don't think that would have been the most beneficial experience somehow.
There's no huge gap in ability.
There is no huge gap in ability between Loftus-Cheek and Pogba? Not even his mother would say that.
I mean.. I'm assuming you're joking
There's a huge gap in experience but there really isn't one in ability.
What makes you think Pogba is so much more talented than Loftus-Cheek?I mean.. I'm assuming you're joking
Wow.
I also wonder why Mou DIDN'T go for Akinfewa, but for Lukaku.
Both are very similar players!
RLC has barely played at highest level, until he proves week in week out there is a big gap in their ability.
LC has one career goal and one career assist in 28 career appearances
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