Where do people get this rubbish from? It's like you've managed to avoid watching their games and just imagined how France play based on their team sheets.
6
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 42
- Goals
- 6
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 9
- Status
Where do people get this rubbish from? It's like you've managed to avoid watching their games and just imagined how France play based on their team sheets.
Some here speak about him like they know him. "He doesn't care, he's lazy" etc. There's no helping some of you. I don't understand how you can have personal opinions about a player.
Apart from Mourinho. Everyone that has worked with him to a man have nothing but good things to say about him. However, Joe Public on the caf says he's a disgrace.
Apart from Mourinho. Everyone that has worked with him to a man have nothing but good things to say about him. However, Joe Public on the caf says he's a disgrace.
The funny thing is he's coming off the back of his most consistent season here till date but people are neck deep their biases.
This. They always want it to feet in the half space so they can dribble. Whenever Rashford was running off the shoulder it’s worked. We don’t do it nearly enough.
Any midfielder we would sign is a downgrade. Just how it is.
We have a conundrum imo. Pogba is best in a 3 but Bruno is played almost as a SS. Pogba or no Pogba, I would want us to go to a 3 man midfield.
It will only be disappointing if the club doesn't improve after/if he leaves. Ideally we'd keep our best players of course
I think the way to get the best Pogba at United, is to appeal to the other clubs in the PL to stop chasing him and closing him down when he receives the ball. When he is given all the room and time that he needs to control the ball, look up and pick out his pass, then he's at his best.
This is not to bash Pogba, but the main difference playing for France and Untied, is pretty much that.
You need several quality outlets so that he cant simply be marked out of the game. Also I think he needs a specialist ball winning mid next to him and looks okay in a mid 2 with Fred usually. Having 2 creative outlets in him and Bruno has produced our best football, when one is missing we are a far worse team.
To get all of our best players on the pitch, we need someone that can play with Pogba and Bruno in midfield. Get that man and we're golden. If not though, we'll be back to playing McFred in big games with Pogba likely on the bench or on the wing, neither of which makes sense.
We should be putting big money on a top level DM. It’s makes so much sense it’s absurd.
I don't see much difference in the way Pogba plays for France as CM or when he play as one of 2 holding CMs in United, when Pogba plays as a CM, he is not a dynamic midfielder, he is not a high energy type, he picks the ball looks for a run and plays a forward pass, if the pass is not on, he would pass around with CBs/FBs/CMs and keep ball possession until the pass is on, if he is pressed, there is a risk of him losing the ball, he can also dribble and get out of a tight situation, when the team moves forward he would lurk around the 18 yards area to attempt a shot or pass it again and keep the momentum forward on, or sometimes attack the box, he is not strong defensively but he would do his bit to defend and attempt to tackle or intercept but often he would commit fouls too. so in my eyes, I do not see a different player at all, Pogba did not surprise me with his performances in Euro 2020.
His performance vs Portugal last night was similar to how he plays for us when deployed in a midfield 2 behind Bruno, the difference is France has Mbappe & Benzema, 2 world class forwards, and a Griezmann who has a free role within the team and pops up everywhere, in United, he would have a Bruno who would play as AM with license to roam freely, and we got 3 forward attackers, the difference is in France instead of 3 forward attackers they play with 2 attackers + AM and 3 CMs, where in United, its 3 attackers + AM (so a front 4 as we usually call it) and that leaves only 2 to play the holding CM role.
So, all in all, Pogba plays for France is really the same way (meaning he would do the same things) as he would play for United, of course there are differences between France & United formations and tactics, but even with those differences, I do not see a very different Pogba.
His performance vs Portugal last night was similar to how he plays for us when deployed in a midfield 2 behind Bruno, the difference is France has Mbappe & Benzema, 2 world class forwards, and a Griezmann who has a free role within the team and pops up everywhere, in United, he would have a Bruno who would play as AM with license to roam freely, and we got 3 forward attackers, the difference is in France instead of 3 forward attackers they play with 2 attackers + AM and 3 CMs, where in United, its 3 attackers + AM (so a front 4 as we usually call it) and that leaves only 2 to play the holding CM role.
So, all in all, Pogba plays for France is really the same way (meaning he would do the same things) as he would play for United, of course there are differences between France & United formations and tactics, but even with those differences, I do not see a very different Pogba.
and another one for the ignore list
Is your first exchange with someone in person that rude also? Don't bother replying I won't see it
There ain't a single player in the history of football who wouldn't benefit from more time and space
It’s pretty easy for him to say when he’s not costing them 5 soft goals a season and talking about leaving every international break for the last 4 years. Also we clearly do appreciate him at United, to the tune of 90 million (and the 300k a week which is probably more than the whole Palace midfield makes or more than they’ve spent on transfers in a few seasons combined) the hype is almost unbearable today. If he was committed enough and fit often enough we wouldn’t have had to sign Bruno to play his best position. End of story.
Last edited:
McFred wouldn't start for any other top 5 side ( Spurs aren't a serious outfit) or top club around Europe yet we bash and hound one of the best midfielders in the world for not being able to always make it work in that set up.
Outside of with Matic for 15-20 odd matches and Herrera at his peak, we haven't had quality overall midfield play since Fergie
Bruno seemingly doesn't for PortugalThere ain't a single player in the history of football who wouldn't benefit from more time and space
I don't think he has more space with Portugal, he seems to be generally stuck in congested areas.
The biggest problem is our entire midfield lacks short passing ability. @Adisa pointed it out in another thread - despite being two of the best creative players around, Fernandes and Pogba are really quite bad short passers. Fred's weight of pass is too erratic, and McTominay just lacks the basics with it, honestly. Stuff like manipulating your body quickly to make a short pass, making the pass under pressure etc.
Our entire team is great at transitional, counter attacking, long ball football, but really do struggle at zipping it about very quickly against packed defences.
Utd the establishment does appreciate him but Utd the fans such as yourself, clearly don't. It's pretty telling that a professional from another club said what Townsend said and you're responding to it with hyperbole.
5 soft goals given away per season?
He's not even on 300k. And wanting to leave is something he's spoken about in only one international break.
So on the face of the evidence, you are clearly not speaking objectively, unlike Townsend who is an actual professional, one who plays against Pogba, and has no reason to speak subjectively.
Interestingly, Townsend isnt the only professional who's been waxing lyrical about Pogba last night.
Ranger's Joe Aribo tweeted how he could watch him play all day.
Why do professionals including those who play in the position hold him in such high esteem, but you insist hes unbearably hyped?
I didn’t speak about him being half arsed, I said if I turned up to work half arsed. So a ridiculous attempt at a come back there! And when was he individually boo’d by our fans? And is that an excuse for him underperforming?
You’re the one trying to justify him not performing, he’s a highly paid professional footballer, who was signed for a record sum. So are the fans not entitled to feel a bit short changed by him? He can and should be performing better for United.
I don't want him to be like Kante. I want him to not be a passenger off the ball, that's all in it.
So people aren’t allowed to form opinions on players? Pointless having discussion forums if that’s the case?
That old chestnut
About as old as denying people having an opinion.... Or maybe not that old as internet forums have only been around during my lifetime...That old chestnut
Only reason you mentioned you turning up to work half arsed was to make some comparison to Pogba, was it not? Which is why I said what I said.
If that was not your intention, then there was no reason for you say that at all. So no, not a ridiculous attempt at a come back at all. Either you said it to try and make it seem as though Pogba turns up to work half arsed despite what he gets paid, or you just said it for no reason.
Here's when he was boo'd: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/paul-pogba-reacts-furious-man-15475272
And I'm defending a player who is unfairly criticised in the squad when most others can only dream of doing half of what he does. Can he do more? Sure but he's probably one of the last players i'd expect more from. McFred & Dan James being top of the list, Lindelof & Matic not being too far behind, Rashford & Martial afterwards etc. Pogba is towards the bottom of that list if that's how you want to categorise our players as far as i'm concerned.
Finally what he's paid is irrelevant and it is such a poor comeback in debates like this because it so often demonstrates is a lack of knowledge about why footballers get paid the sums they do (not saying I agree with it, I would personally put at a cap at 250k) both in terms of economics, but also the break down of player contracts. These claims about x player earning 350k a week is often times false because that 350k is the maximum they would earn if they achieve whatever personal bonuses & quotas that have negotiated as part of their individual contract talks with the club.
People act like he's some mug who can't create a space for himself.
His dribbling stats for a midfielder has always been very high. I do though admit that aspect of his game has regressed a bit after his injury in 2019.
His dribbling stats for a midfielder has always been very high. I do though admit that aspect of his game has regressed a bit after his injury in 2019.
He’s absolutely right.
He’s on 290 per week, still more than the whole palace midfield combined. Every season he gives away penalties or gets punished in the middle of the pitch taking too long on the ball or gets pressed close to goal with the same outcome. How are you even debating it? It’s like this stuff never happened every time he has a good game for France. You’re arguing semantics here. He’s come out through his agent and family many many times and he’s also personally said he wanted to leave at least once on live tv and probably constantly to anyone who will listen in private. What more evidence do you need to prove the player is unsettled?
Deny it to yourself all you want. You want to believe the player is happy and productive and it’s our fault he can’t play like he does for France. He’s been injured for 450 days for a start so any time he hits form he’s then out for a few weeks or months. He’s just not a good reliable fit for us as a leader or for the PL in general as a box to box. As a whole package it’s been a bust for the money spent. We’ve also already spent an awful lot of money buying midfielders to “free him” and it hasn’t worked. He’s not a PL box to box and Bruno has taken over his attacking midfield spot. Play him on the left or set up with 3 in midfield, by all means, but he’s never going to do it in a 2. Not any 2.
Last edited:
He was hauled off after a poor performance last game. He’s the same inconsistent player for France as he is for United - capable of fantastic, world class moments. You’d swear he never makes an assist for us the way people are talking in here.
He isn't as dynamic as he used to be, at least that's what I feel because he doesn't change direction as quickly as he used to, he looks like the old version of Yaya Touré.
You can take a truth and turn it into a lie with hyperbole.
You said he gives away 5 soft goals a season. Would be interesting to know which 5 these were for last season and the season before.
Of course we all rememebr the two penalties he's given away, and the one two times last season he got pressed and dispossesed, leading to a goal (one of which was Matic's fault). That leaves you with 6 soft goals to account for across the past two seasons.
Why resort to such baseless hyperbole?
To be fair active professionals rarely talk down against their fellow professionals plus Pogba is a far bigger player than Townsend who has achieved far more than he has so hes not really in a position to be critical of him if you really think about it. Its mostly retired players who dig people out.
I agree. He was fantastic this season gone. People seem to be forgetting it due to the Europa Final defeat and constant rumours about his departure.
He can still get rid of his marker from time to time but not as effortless as he used to do when he so often left the defender clearly lagging behind.
Of course I'm making a comparison with his former self. By the way I hope that he realizes it and plays more like a deep lying playmaker because the closer he gets to his 30s, the least he will be able to play as a box to box, he is reaching a point where he needs to rely more on his technique and keep the game in front of him and avoid up and down sequences of play.
Why deny that his languid play and attitude on the pitch costs us on many more than one or two occasions a season? Thats hyperbole. That’s just his style that you seem to admire so much. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to change. Why deny that his constant wishing away isn’t a good thing for the club to be associated with or for his teammates to constantly be listening to? He’s also injured every season for months so that’s far from ideal right? Why deny the club have already tried almost everything to get the best out of him (formations, transfers, changing the manager) but at the end of the day he’s not reliable over the course of a full season for how long now? Like you’d swear the truth was under our noses the whole time but we were too dumb to realise it.
If Pogba was ever going to be a top class PL box to box he’d be one by now and he’s not. He might be a top PL attacking midfielder but Bruno has that spot because Pogba couldn’t be any clearer about wanting to leave and he was always getting injured. I genuinely like him as player. He’s fun to watch but he’s not and never will be a PL box to box in a 2 which is what we need him to be unless we scrap Bruno and go with a 3 in the middle with two workers behind. I wish Ole had rotated Bruno with Pogba and went 3 in the middle for some games but that’s Ole. He drives me almost as mad as Pogba does.
We also can’t have forwards like Rashford and Greenwood who don’t press and then Pogba jogging around behind them. It’s majorly lacking in intensity and work rate and that’s already the biggest problem we have against the aggressive low block teams that want to counter us.
Last edited:
Amen
You indeed stated his heart wasn’t in it, due to him being victimised by some fans and some other crap. So what did you mean by that? As it looks a tad like you’re trying to divert away from your post!
If you’re talking about wanting more from player, why are you wanting more limited players, who run themselves into the ground to do more? Seems a tad odd to expect players to become more skilled by doing more? Pretty sure McTommy will never have the skillset of Pogba no matter how hard he works? So maybe you need to clarify your point.
And your final point, his wage and transfer fee are very relevant. If you don’t see that, then maybe it’s you who has the issue, or you’re just making things up that I’ve posted, that I actually haven’t.
Yes because there have been posts in the thread stating how he doesn't play for us like he plays for france, and he has more passion playing for the NT etc so I made a tongue in cheek comment. I don't actually believe he doesn't care about us, and I don't believe there's a difference between the quality of his performance for France between what he provides for us.
My point is clear. Limited players who only provide hard work for us need to do more, the likes of Dan James & McFred suffer when it comes to things like chance creation, passing ability, goals scored (McTominay is probably exempt) yet we expect Pogba to do all of this to a world class level (which he often does) and on top of that have the work rate to run around the entire pitch all game like a mad man, and provide defensive stability. It's ridiculous.
There are about 5-7 players in our first XI who I currently expect more from, before Pogba.
His wage and transfer fee aren't relevant at all. It's not your money, it's not my money and he isn't bankrupting the club. Everybody who actually understands why the likes of Pogba get paid the amounts they get paid understand this argument very clearly. I have no issue and I have no reason to make things up.
- Status