He's a world class midfielder. He would walk into pretty much any team (which is what defines "world class"). Problem is that people these days obsess over hard stats and forget that midfielders were never judged by hard stats such as goals, "assists" (what the hell is an assist anyway), direct tackles etc. A player can make 90% of his passes, but there is nothing in those stats suggesting how difficult those passes were or how, like Pogba, he constantly had to make those passes under pressure from two or three players.
Pogba out for 4 to 6 weeks | No Megathreads
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) look forward to a new life under Ruben Amorim. What system will we be playing? What players will impress? and how will it all go? We also say goodbye to Ruud Van Nistelrooy and review United's 3-0 win at home against Leicester City.
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He's a world class midfielder. He would walk into pretty much any team (which is what defines "world class"). Problem is that people these days obsess over hard stats and forget that midfielders were never judged by hard stats such as goals, "assists" (what the hell is an assist anyway), direct tackles etc. A player can make 90% of his passes, but there is nothing in those stats suggesting how difficult those passes were or how, like Pogba, he constantly had to make those passes under pressure from two or three players.
He is actually the only world class player we have in our squad. We have several top quality players, but none of them come close to Pogba's quality.
We miss him so much and it is becoming more obvious in the last few games. Our football is just awful without him, especially when Martial is rotated, we have 0 creativity and excitement in our team.
We miss him so much and it is becoming more obvious in the last few games. Our football is just awful without him, especially when Martial is rotated, we have 0 creativity and excitement in our team.
DDG?
Dont try to fill in my argument for that please.
It really isnt the stats, because statistically he actually is very good.
But bullying Crystal Palace and Swansea etc doesnt make you a world class player imo, it's the matches vs elite for United, France that make me not rank him there yet.
Ability wise he is one of the best or the best mifielder around. But he plays so immature, slowing down play at crucial moments (albeit speeding us up a lot too), missing the right concentration and intensity in his game. Once he matures he can become the best midfielder there is.
A short sprint. Still think it'll be weeks before he is back.
We werent playing well when he was fit either. West Ham, Burton, Crystal Palace and CSKA are the only convincing displays over 90 mins this season I think. 3 actually when he wasnt playing.
I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.
If you think we're a better team without him then say so but if you feel we're a better unit with him then ave the courage to admit it not point to whatever perceived failings
The point im making is that we werent good with him as well, so I dont know why people think he'll be our saviour when he comes back. As if we were playing great stuff when he was fit.
He'll surely strengthen us and we will play a bit better likely and create more chances.
Apart from the game where we were good with him. You know, the ones we kept winning four nil?
Isn't this the same video from a few days ago?
Weird to post it again but at a later date as if it's new.
Seems there's an intentional effort by him and the club to keep his status a mystery.
We werent playing too well in them. Bar the West Ham game when we were great and excited throughout. We actually struggled a bit in those games but we finished them of brilliantly and Pogba was part of that. Although it gives a very skewed perception that we were actually dominant and playong excellent throughout the game, which wasnt really the case sadly.
I agree. Pogba helps, but he's not some magical cure. All our attacking players need to improve. One big problem I see with our players is that too many of them want the ball to feet. Not enough of them are willing to make the runs into space. They need to Attack the Space.
Although, tbf they did try to do this more in the Benfica game, but the timings not quite there yet.
Not really. I might have replied to you but I'm also addressing other points made in this thread. As to your issues with maturity, it's the manner in which European midfielders approach the game. They don't rush it like English mids and prefer to be more calculating. Matic does that, probably why he and Pogba have such a great understanding. I personally don't have any problem with his intensity. I think "intensity: is overrated. The best midfielders such as Scholes, Zidane, Pirlo, Xavi, Busquests were/are never intense. Infact everytime Scholes tried to be more intense he would always mistime his tackles. I only need intensity from my wingers and forwards, but need my mids to be calculating and read the game well.
With intensity I dont mean really like running around like Henderson, but quick and fierceful decision making, imposing yourself on the game, no slacking and lacking, playing at your best during the majority of the match. Pogba still plays a lot in phases I feel.
Seems to me we've been quite bad since he went missing. But that's not so much because he's world class (although he may well be) but because having a big annoying bastard in that part of the park is how Jose has set us up. Hence loosing Fellaini as his backup is also a problem.
Pogba happens to be tall but his style of play is very far from being a 'big annoying bastard'...
Tbf that precisely describes how I felt about him after last season’s visit to Anfield
lol. what????
Ha ha, fair!Tbf that precisely describes how I felt about him after last season’s visit to Anfield
Yes! I wish we'd signed Ricky Lambert instead
Hope that video is old. "Still in Florida" would suggest he's not started playing with the ball.
Any reason he had to go to Miami and not say Portugal or Spain for warm weather recovery/training?
Be pleasantly surprised if he's back before the international break.
I feel this is a bit like when people wondered if TomCats baby was real or not. A cloud of mystery surrounding the situation.
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Have you been to Miami?
yes i have its lovely but he could have done that stuff closer to home
There’s another international break? Didn’t we just have one?
This video is from last week/sunday at latest. He is further along than this.
This is one of the strangest injuries to one of our players I can honestly remember.
Excellent.
Any chance for Spurs ?
Nah they can't afford him!
I don't know what are you talking about, our performances were shite after he was injured, while we were the most impressive/dominate team in the league when he was playing earlier this season.
If I had a choice to rehab in where I live and Miami knowing I'd have the best service either way, I'd book that ticket in a heartbeat. But I guess you have a point, maybe he just has something going on in Miami that makes him comfortable.
He has a bird in Miami, that's why he took the opportunity to go there probably
I just want the emoji to return so he can do some skillz during a game and get this "boring football" tag monkey removed from our back.
No we werent. Unless you believed we actually were great vs Stoke, Swansea, Leicester over 90 mins. Which we werent, we finished the game brilliantly in the last 20 mins when they were looking for a goal, but no we werent great. We had similar or better performances vs Basel, CSKA, Crystal Palace, Burton, Everton after he got injured. So its no biased argument or anything. We just havent been great altogether performance wise but we are being very clinical and are playing from an excellent defensive organisation.
Admittedly we were excellent vs West Ham and so was Pogba.
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