Should we consider selling Pogba?

There was a 20-25 minute stretch in second half that seemed like he was trying to sabotage the team. Forget the penalty, some of the passes he made were comical beyond belief.
 
Give it 12 months and we'll be having the same conversations about Van De Beek and dare I say it Bruno Fernandes. Players that are clearly world class just seem to lose it when they come here.

That is perhaps down to coaching but also the lack of wider planning and structure that saw us sign some of them in the first place.
 
Last edited:
Give it 12 months and we'll be having the same conversations about Van De Beek and dare I say it Bruno Fernandes. Players that are clearly world class just seem to lose it when they come here.

That is perhaps down to coaching but also the lack of wider planning and structure that saw us sign sign of them in the first place.
First thing, neither is world class yet.

Second thing, imo it's primarily down to the mentality of a player when it comes to this. Ibra for example. So I don't think we'd have this kind of conversation with Bruno. And VDB as well I think. Both look like the typical driven, determined, hard working one.
 
So basically, Arteta has figured out that by nullifying Bruno and PP we are going to do a square root of feck all, especially as Martial was not even on the bench. What was Ole's counter fecking plan? Was there not a strategy in place to let some of our other players exploit the gaps in Arsenal's formation as they had to man-mark two of our midfielders?

Totally agree with this, it was so evident yesterday, I recall el Neny man-marking Fernandes, even following him to the touch line next to AWB. It doesn't take a genius to put two players to man-mark our most effective players but for Ole to spot this and not to change anything was plain stupid.
 
The title should be changed to Should We Consider Keeping Pogba. Has he got compromising pictures of Woodward or something?
 
Give it 12 months and we'll be having the same conversations about Van De Beek and dare I say it Bruno Fernandes. Players that are clearly world class just seem to lose it when they come here.

That is perhaps down to coaching but also the lack of wider planning and structure that saw us sign some of them in the first place.
I don’t believe so because they are better team/unit players so at least they keep the shape/balance of the team
 
At this point he’s a good impact sub and could prove to be a game changer for us. He’s a talented player but I dont know if it’s a fitness thing or his heads not in it.

He would never accept that role, nor would Riaola, the fallout from that would be just as Jose described it ... a virus. He's better off leaving. Being talented isn't enough, attitude is equally important.
 
I think we have to sell Pogba. He's too inconsistent. He's an expensive world cup winner, a player of that class should be upping the ante if we're not playing well, not following the lacklustre display. It feels like he'll be a good player in games we do OK in, but will seem to disappear into nothing if it's a game like yesterday vs Arsenal.
There was a game at Old Trafford, I forget which, he could have had a scoring opportunity if he'd been a tiny bit sharper. But he looked like he wasn't trying. It's hard to describe how poor a moment it was for me. I really can't think of having seen a player just not try before in such a way. Making an effort & not succeeding is acceptable, not making an effort is not. It was an emblematic moment of his motivation for me, or lack of it. Something isn't right but I want to be proved wrong about it. But the reality feels like if we're going to compete we need players who want to play for us.

From what I hear, stuff has changed at United, there is a strategy with signings and the club has a clearer direction. Pogba's signing is a bit of a throwback to how we were before and I feel a signing we wouldn't make now.

Bringing in Fernandes has shown what a player with skill who puts in a shift can be like. IT would probably be different if Pogba wasn't such an expensive assett, I suppose that's the sad thing. But we can't have a team full of £90mill players and on average his performance are below what is needed or expected.
 
Think it probably is time for United to admit this hasn't worked as well as expected. For the longest time I think Pogba could be defended by arguing that he was talented player who was poorly coached by Mourinho, but it's been 4 years now and nothing's really progressed or changed. Fernandes has been at United for less than a quarter of the time and he's had more of an impact. Now you've got VDB, it might be time to start phasing Pogba out. You've got more talented players, more effective players, and more committed players all in his position. His best position (#10) isn't really in your plans anymore - it certainly used to be, and I remember at the start of Ole's time as manager that Pogba was on a real hot streak. But you need more than the occasional hot streak really, especially when he's keeping new players out of the side.
 
I agree, I was just asking @OneUnited24 what they thought we should do with him. They said they didn’t think he should be sold. He certainly shouldn’t be in our starting lineup in current form. I’d stick VDB above him now.
VDB has to play. The team looks better when he is on the pitch.
 
Looks like he has very few defenders on here, he was a disgrace again yesterday. The most overrated player of all time, this is his 5th season at the club and he's been a complete failure.
 
i do not think we can sell him.

the teams that would want him cant afford the fee or wages and the teams that can afford the fee and wages dont want them

I think any funds Real have available will be used on Mbappe. Maybe PSG could use that money to fund a deal for Pogba, not sure he would want to go there but as you say after that the clubs that would want him can't afford him.
 
The number of arguments that have been made for this guy is amazing really.

1) Isn't suited to 4-2-3-1
2) Isn't a DM
3) Isn't a CAM
4) Play him on the left side of 4-3-3. Spoiler alert, we already tried and he was still fecking shit
5) Mourinho is bullying him
6) He's unfit
7) He's back from injury
8) He was injured 6 months ago
9) He won the world cup
10) He had coronavirus
11) A player of his skillset shouldn't be forced to track back. Judging by today's defending, I would agree :lol:
12) He needs better players around him to thrive. He can't do it all by himself
13) He's a workhorse (wtf)
14) Ole doesn't know how to use him (oh but he seemed like he did when he first came, what changed?)


A plethora of arguments I've seen made for this guy.

15) He was out of breath
16) He was man-marked
 
VDB has to play. The team looks better when he is on the pitch.

I agree but there is also an argument for us to settle with Fred, McT and Bruno. While I'm not saying that's a world class MF by any standards, some of our best performances have been with those three.
 
I agree but there is also an argument for us to settle with Fred, McT and Bruno. While I'm not saying that's a world class MF by any standards, some of our best performances have been with those three.
Agreed. Pogba has been poor for us when starting games. His decision making is shocking at times. Gives the ball away far too easily and defensively has been terrible.
 
i do not think we can sell him.

the teams that would want him cant afford the fee or wages and the teams that can afford the fee and wages dont want them
The club need to sell him in the summer to make any money on him. I fear he will be getting a new contract
 
Looks like he has very few defenders on here, he was a disgrace again yesterday. The most overrated player of all time, this is his 5th season at the club and he's been a complete failure.

What is the point in defending him? Total 'froth in the mouth' overreactions when it is about Pogba. Media, Mourinho and people repeating after pundits have made sure a normal reaction isnt possible from quite a few posters here. Then there is a group (of mostly older people) that hate Pogba because his off field social media stuff, his agent, his hair and dancing so no normal conversation can be held with those either. The most positive reaction involving Pogba coming out of that group was "i might not like him but i hope he gets well" as a reaction to Pogba having covid.

Your post just proves the point of overreaction. You call him the most overrated player of all time and a complete failure while before Bruno arrived Pogba has been our best player. Not that there was much competition during that period... but still, he was the best player.

Last season he got his injury and missed a lot (oh wait - he faked that injury. Anyhow whatever it was, he didnt play) and when he came back he was playing okay. Not amazing but okay.

So far this season he has been horrible. Only against Leipzig he was good, when he came on against PSG he was good and he did fine when coming on against Newcaatle. Otherwise he performed not good at all this season.

Apart from those three games he has been bad this season but since he signed he has always been (at the very least one of) the best players. He had his bad moments but always created atleast something special. A moment of magic, a pass that sometimes was turned into an assist or a he scored a goal. For some reason he isnt doing that anymore though. Maybe it is tactics, maybe he regressed as a player or maybe he is with his head in Madrid? The result is the same, he isnt having his moments anymore.

Did he become the savior that people expected him to be? The one to lead Manchester United back to glory and titles... no, he didnt meet those unrealistic expectations. You cant expect that from a midfielder, not even from a 100m midfielder.

You can be disappointed in him but calling him the most overrated player of all time and complete failure just shows you arent objective at all. So exactly what is the point of defending Pogba on this forum against people that have a clear bias against him?

Would you even be able to explain or defend your statement of him being the most overrated of all time and a complete failure?
 
He’s a luxury player on his day, and I still rate him highly as a footballer, but it’s very clear to me that we will be a much better and balanced side without him. Ole has already dropped him this season, anyone that thinks he won’t make the big decision regarding Pogba may be in for a surprise. He’ll lose his place to VdB by Christmas, and we’ll sell him next summer if we get an acceptable offer. We might have a Veron situation here, where Pogba plays more (and better) in Europe than in the league.
 
What is the point in defending him? Total 'froth in the mouth' overreactions when it is about Pogba. Media, Mourinho and people repeating after pundits have made sure a normal reaction isnt possible from quite a few posters here. Then there is a group (of mostly older people) that hate Pogba because his off field social media stuff, his agent, his hair and dancing so no normal conversation can be held with those either. The most positive reaction involving Pogba coming out of that group was "i might not like him but i hope he gets well" as a reaction to Pogba having covid.

Your post just proves the point of overreaction. You call him the most overrated player of all time and a complete failure while before Bruno arrived Pogba has been our best player. Not that there was much competition during that period... but still, he was the best player.

Last season he got his injury and missed a lot (oh wait - he faked that injury. Anyhow whatever it was, he didnt play) and when he came back he was playing okay. Not amazing but okay.

So far this season he has been horrible. Only against Leipzig he was good, when he came on against PSG he was good and he did fine when coming on against Newcaatle. Otherwise he performed not good at all this season.

Apart from those three games he has been bad this season but since he signed he has always been (at the very least one of) the best players. He had his bad moments but always created atleast something special. A moment of magic, a pass that sometimes was turned into an assist or a he scored a goal. For some reason he isnt doing that anymore though. Maybe it is tactics, maybe he regressed as a player or maybe he is with his head in Madrid? The result is the same, he isnt having his moments anymore.

Did he become the savior that people expected him to be? The one to lead Manchester United back to glory and titles... no, he didnt meet those unrealistic expectations. You cant expect that from a midfielder, not even from a 100m midfielder.

You can be disappointed in him but calling him the most overrated player of all time and complete failure just shows you arent objective at all. So exactly what is the point of defending Pogba on this forum against people that have a clear bias against him?

Would you even be able to explain or defend your statement of him being the most overrated of all time and a complete failure?
I think many have been very patiently waiting for Pogba to deliver the goods on a consistent basis for us. I would disagree that he has been our best player pre-Bruno. Far too inconsistent. I think the term 'over-rated' at this stage is fairly accurate considering all that has transpired since he joined United. The 'most over-rated'? Maybe that is up for debate but it's not far off.
 
I wonder where all his fanboys disappeared to who hammered me for saying he must have realized he is not as good as he thinks he is? I know he is not that old, but when he was younger, his athletic ability allowed him the freedom to move around the pitch and be a cherry on top of a cake type of player, but now he has lost that ability and is slow, gets caught with the ball too often, and is simply not up for a battle. Making a good pass once in a match is simply not worthy of a player signed for that amount.

There is only 1 team stupid enough to pay anywhere close to the fee we paid Juve, and that is PSG. Real Madrid won't even sniff at that price, even if Zidane begged the real hierarchy to sign him.

Now watch Woody give him a nice long extension. We're basically stuck with him.
 
There was a 20-25 minute stretch in second half that seemed like he was trying to sabotage the team. Forget the penalty, some of the passes he made were comical beyond belief.
Similar to the Spurs match.
 
I have always maintained the stance that he is a squad player/substitute at best. He has talent in spades, but is severely lacking in footballing intelligence, decision making, mentality, defensive contribution. He reminds me of Ozil in many ways. A luxury player
I have always described him as an Ozil. Can be great with other excellent players but cannot be the best player in your team. I recall Ozil was outstanding in the world cup win and lead the tournament in assists but was so/so with Arsenal and had occasional games where he reminded us of his quality, just not regular enough
 
I have always described him as an Ozil. Can be great with other excellent players but cannot be the best player in your team. I recall Ozil was outstanding in the world cup win and lead the tournament in assists but was so/so with Arsenal and had occasional games where he reminded us of his quality, just not regular enough

really harsh on Ozil.

Really, really harsh
 
I wonder where all his fanboys disappeared to who hammered me for saying he must have realized he is not as good as he thinks he is? I know he is not that old, but when he was younger, his athletic ability allowed him the freedom to move around the pitch and be a cherry on top of a cake type of player, but now he has lost that ability and is slow, gets caught with the ball too often, and is simply not up for a battle. Making a good pass once in a match is simply not worthy of a player signed for that amount.

There is only 1 team stupid enough to pay anywhere close to the fee we paid Juve, and that is PSG. Real Madrid won't even sniff at that price, even if Zidane begged the real hierarchy to sign him.

Now watch Woody give him a nice long extension. We're basically stuck with him.
Would PSG even buy him? They've been making some weird cheap signings as if they are no longer the money club we know them for
 
He must be one of the most disappointing high profile signings in the modern era.
 
He should have been sold ages ago and that still doesn't change. Hopefully someone puts in a bid in January. If not, then definitely sell him in the summer. I was never a fan of his but hoped for the best when we signed him. But my first thought was "SAF never would have made this signing"...
 
So basically, Arteta has figured out that by nullifying Bruno and PP we are going to do a square root of feck all, especially as Martial was not even on the bench. What was Ole's counter fecking plan? Was there not a strategy in place to let some of our other players exploit the gaps in Arsenal's formation as they had to man-mark two of our midfielders?

I don't understand why we didn't take one of Fred/Scotty off for VDB, give them 3 players to man-mark.
 
He should have been sold ages ago and that still doesn't change. Hopefully someone puts in a bid in January. If not, then definitely sell him in the summer. I was never a fan of his but hoped for the best when we signed him. But my first thought was "SAF never would have made this signing"...
Can't see anyone offering actual money for him. Although swap deals are very rare I think that is something we should be looking at. The ego of Pogba, Raiola and Woodward wouldn't entertain bids of around 30/40 million which is closer to his true value. Madrid and Barca wouldn't touch him, doubt Juve will either. His options are very limited and I think he knows it.
 
He's a bench player for us, no doubt. He cannot be trusted for a full game anymore which is astonishing.

Would love to sell him if we will actually spend the money to help the squad in the same window.
 
I don't understand why we didn't take one of Fred/Scotty off for VDB, give them 3 players to man-mark.
Well even with matic it only took 7 minutes for them to score. With vdb it would have been easier for them.
 
Our big problem is that without Matic we've got no-one who can pass through the press. De Gea can't do it, the full-backs can't do it, the centre-backs already have a striker on top of them anyway... so unless Matic plays, we just can't get out of our own half.

If Pogba wants to go, we should aim to get 70 million for him and sign a Thiago/Jorginho-type player. The midfield would look so much more balanced then.