This is not the touch map you'd expect of a left winger:
If somebody told you it was for a LCM in a midfield 3, you'd believe them.
If somebody told you it was for a LCM in a midfield 3, you'd believe them.
Pogba is not a left winger
- Thread starter noodlehair
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss three 1-1 draws.
The first got us knocked out of the FA Cup, the next puts us in a good position in our Round of 16 Europa League game, and the latest was an actual decent performance against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
All hopes for the season now rest on the Europa League - does Amorim have the squad to win it?
Cracking game today, but...
What i cant get my head around is; if his best position is a left sided player who has license to roam, does that mean he is only suited playing against the "lesser" teams? If we were playing one of the top 4, would we want more discipline and someone who is prepared to sacrifice for the good of the team, or can he also perform that role?
What i cant get my head around is; if his best position is a left sided player who has license to roam, does that mean he is only suited playing against the "lesser" teams? If we were playing one of the top 4, would we want more discipline and someone who is prepared to sacrifice for the good of the team, or can he also perform that role?
He has license to roam, same as Bruno.
Which is why it didn’t help that one time Fred and McTominay bombed forward leaving the whole pitch free for Leeds midfielders.
Which is why it didn’t help that one time Fred and McTominay bombed forward leaving the whole pitch free for Leeds midfielders.
This Pogba is brilliant. We just need to see it more often.
He got 4 assists today. He got 3 in the whole of last season.
He got 4 assists today. He got 3 in the whole of last season.
He’s not a wide playmaker, he’s a wide inside central left playmidler
LCM to me is in a 3. That's his position. Usually number 8s in that formation can roam etc
I've always disagree with the thought some have that he is a 10.
Why did it take us so long to play him there
Simple name is better. Wide playmaker and advanced playmaker.
See that’s where I disagree, I don’t think he should be considered part of the midfield unit. The midfield unit has defensive responsibility and Pogba has proven time and time again that he can’t be trusted. He lets the team down time and time again from that position.
He is an absolutely sublime playmaker though, a world class architect and you can give him the freedom to do that if you play him from wide and let him come inside as he sees fit. He takes up the spot of one of your attackers and you still have a functioning midfield doing the work in the centre but he’s unlocked and can run the game from wide and occupy central areas if he sees fit.
Zidane used to start on the left for Real Madrid but he never played like a left Winger
The only problem is his outputs arent as strong as Bruno's since the latter has been at the club, and i think (although havent got the stats to back it up) Bruno works harder for the team, which is why i assume Bruno will always be one of the first names on the teamsheet, whereas i can see Pogba being sacrificed in certain games.
i think someone in some thread mentioned KdB's role as also being pogba's best and that's right. Starts in the centre, drifts wide, trying to deliver killer passes from wherever there is space.
e - Iniesta and Zidane played similar roles sometimes.
Is that right? Didnt know that tbh, always thought he played central, interesting.
scholes for England as well
Who would you bench for him if Rashford/Martial are good and firing? (Let’s include Sancho in that list too now)
That’s the issue I was just about to raise in this thread.
What I don’t understand is how will we keep Pogba happy during the course of the season once everyone is back?
He obviously won’t play on the LW this frequently and if as Ole has mentioned, he’s given freedom to roam, then he obviously can’t play through the middle either.
The only way I see him staying/we keeping him is we are genuinely going to switch playing to 4-3-3. He’ll play left of a midfield 3 and he’ll get more-than-usual support from our LB and LW whenever needed.
Hardly the best example, actually biggest example of a nation wasting a talent
Figo kept width on their right side and Zidane had Roberto Carlos bombing forward on the left so he linked up very well with him. He drifted all over the place, came inside, did his playmaking and also would go back close to the flank when helping out Carlos for defensive duties.
This role isn't new and it certainly suits Pogba and Man Utd at the moment.
Pogba isn't a left winger and he doesn't play left wing for United in possession. He was very good withthe ball today obviously with the 4 assists but we also saw the defensive issues with the Ayling goal where he just let him run free. That's why he can't really play in our midfield
This formation with McFred behind Pogba and Bruno in a free role gives us the best balance in midfield (and the team in general), but it also means there's space for only 2 of Sancho, Rashford, Cavani, Greenwood and Martial...
I do not think most people think he is a left winger either. I am sure neither Ole nor do Pogba think he is.
Cavani, Martial, Greenwood, Rashford, Pogba, Bruno, Sancho. Seven players rotating amongst four positions, whichever three players miss out will be the ones most often coming off the bench. Pogba would also of course get some games in central midfield, although I hope not too many. They'd all end up getting plenty of games while hopefully not having to be run into the ground like we have with Bruno and Rashford previously.
The worry is that, especially with the likes of Lingard, James and Mata still around, how will the youngsters like Amad, Hannibal, Shoretire and Elanga get any type of gametime at all?
I think starting Pog's on the left wing is where we've seen his best football at United
So what if it doesn't make sense.
So what if it doesn't make sense.
Same defensive issues exist wherever he plays but that's why it's important we have two midfield workhorses.
As long as McFred give us the best version of themselves I think the balance is really good.
I've never really liked Shaw and Rashford as a combo. Always felt in the oppositions half they're on each others toes a bit.
Of course its upto Pogba to stay fit and give us a full season of high quality. He looked gassed around 70mins so that needs sorting.
Haven't watched the game but probably played there same as last year, not as a winger but some kind of left midfielder with license to roam. Once everybody will be back we might see 4-3-3 with Pogba in midfield.
Ole said post match he’d told him to go wherever he wanted so it makes a bit more sense. Shaw is why he can be so free (and Leeds system!) might be more focused on the left against more defensive opponentsThis is not the touch map you'd expect of a left winger:
If somebody told you it was for a LCM in a midfield 3, you'd believe them.
He obviously will be a starter at such form, regardless of who else is available. And exact position is less relevant, given we have some fluidity in attack anyway.
It reminded me of Ole’s first season after Mou got fired. I believe Pogba played on the left then and went on an absolute world class run of assists and goals.
I remember him been exactly like he was yesterday and if we can get that version of Pogba consistently the guy is up there with anyone in world football right now.
I remember him been exactly like he was yesterday and if we can get that version of Pogba consistently the guy is up there with anyone in world football right now.
Not that i disagree with the latter but you missed the point of the former
I see no problem with this . Rotate them in Matches, They arent going to be all fit at the same time all season either and pick the best combos for the bigger matches. I would also say rotate Mcfred for Donny & Matic and also Varane / Maguire/ Lidelof rotation . Strength in Depth
He has played this role last season in a lot of big games and played them well. He had a great game against Liverpool on the left, against AC Milan from the bench as well. Against city too iirc.
I agree. He is a #8/10 hybrid, like KdB/Grealish/Iniesta etc. He is wasted at CM and isnt really a natural #10 like Bruno either. He plays best as the attacking #8 in a 4-3-3 or as a false #8/wide playmaker in a 4-2-3-1. He is basically playing the role Mata usually plays for us from the right. Grealish plays similarly for Aston Villa. If you see Pogba's heatmap, he was basically playing as an attacking #8 from the left.
So in that sense he is not a left winger, but rather a playmaker from the left.
As many others have said, based on his performances there Pogba's best position is coming in from the left.
The least defensive responsbilities he has the better. He has zero defensive awareness, its so easy to run off him.
Playing in the final 3rd of the pitch we'll see the best of him.
The least defensive responsbilities he has the better. He has zero defensive awareness, its so easy to run off him.
Playing in the final 3rd of the pitch we'll see the best of him.
I think he is a left wing more than a right wing as his football approach is more liberal rather than being conservative.
pogba is best deployed in a celestial roam. it is the only formation that can get the best out of him. forcing him into one of the banks of a rigid mig really limits his impact on the game. he just doesn’t generate the same amount of traction from there.
I actually think Bruno is a #8/10 hybrid too. His work rate is immense, and the fluidity that our attack had yesterday meant that the positional interchange worked well defensively too. We often saw Bruno or Mason defending the left or right side.
I love Pogba in this role and we've seen him play in it before as well. He's sublime with more licence to roam.
I can see that. Bruno did play in a 4-3-3 for Sporting CP, but I think he is probably the best pure #10 in the world right now. That extra freedom really "unlocks" him.
I see Pogba has transcended.
We've learned our lesson last season (what to do and what not to do with Pogba). But it feels like reinventing the wheel, we've been trying to force him into midfield for too long - and he never was a driving force from the deep, especially with heavy defensive duties.
5 assists in first 2 games.
We changed his position back to the double pivot to accomodate.... Dan James.
Anyone got an explanation as to why?
We changed his position back to the double pivot to accomodate.... Dan James.
Anyone got an explanation as to why?