I think with age catching Modric soon, Pogba much as I hate to say it will be the worlds best midfielders by the time he's 25-26. He'll be like peak Yaya Toure physically just with better workrate and mindset. I was gutted you guys got him. He's far from the finished article atm and still in the top 10, but if theres one player that to me looks 99% certain to hit his potential its Pogba. For me he has a higher ceiling than Veratti, Saul, Thiago etc... Unless some wonderkid pops out of nowhere in the next couple of years I think he'll be the new king. Up there with Neymar fighting for the Ballon d'Or despite playing such a deep role.
Top 10 midfielders (excluding #10s) in the world
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I think with age catching Modric soon, Pogba much as I hate to say it will be the worlds best midfielders by the time he's 25-26. He'll be like peak Yaya Toure physically just with better workrate and mindset. I was gutted you guys got him. He's far from the finished article atm and still in the top 10, but if theres one player that to me looks 99% certain to hit his potential its Pogba. For me he has a higher ceiling than Veratti, Saul, Thiago etc... Unless some wonderkid pops out of nowhere in the next couple of years I think he'll be the new king. Up there with Neymar fighting for the Ballon d'Or despite playing such a deep role.
Modric
Verratti
Koke
Pogba
Gundogan
Busquets
Iniesta
Weigl
Vidal
Krychowiak
Verratti
Koke
Pogba
Gundogan
Busquets
Iniesta
Weigl
Vidal
Krychowiak
Gundogan has the ability to be there but hasn't played the games imho, these next 2 seasons are huge for him. He has to prove he can stay on the pitch and player the required numbers of games. Imho he's been unlucky as opposed to suffering from chronic injuries but he has to show his back and knee are fine and can hold up to 40 games per season. Ability wise he's there or there abouts. Though I wouldn't quite put him 4th.
I hope your right as much as you hope your wrong
. But yeh I seriously think it's understated just how much a physical and technical player can add to a team. Yaya was in a class of his own for a couple of seasons and was absolutely key in your titles. Pogba absolutely has all the tools to become as good if not better than even prime Toure and I certainly don't say that lightly and if he does become that good then you'd think that would make Utd a new force to deal with (providing he stays here). The landscape of football after Messi and Ronaldo is certainly an interesting one and you might expect that there will be greater variability in the winner of Ballon d'Or award when they are gone so that could give way to players like Pogba to stake his claim.
The Matuidi picks on here
One of the most tragic players to watch. Definition of a donkey.
In no order Iniesta, Kroos, Modric, Alonso, Kante, Verratti, Pogba, Gundogan, Vidal & Thiago.
One of the most tragic players to watch. Definition of a donkey.
In no order Iniesta, Kroos, Modric, Alonso, Kante, Verratti, Pogba, Gundogan, Vidal & Thiago.
1. Modric
2. Iniesta
3. Busquets
4. Pogba
5. Kroos
6. Verratti
7. Vidal
8. Koke
9. Rakitic
10. Saul
2. Iniesta
3. Busquets
4. Pogba
5. Kroos
6. Verratti
7. Vidal
8. Koke
9. Rakitic
10. Saul
Pogba has got to be in that top ten. If Koke and Iniesta are in there, then it isn't a pure CM List.
Marchisio anyone?
Pogba WUM thread at its finest bravo
No Pogba
It wasn't a wind-up but it was meant to provoke reaction. Seen quite a few posts implying some 'United effect' that made fans rate their players lower than they would if they played for other teams. This could be an example of that being a perception issue/bias. When this sort of thread was made a year ago, Pogba just cracked the top 5/6 half the time and it wasn't outrageous for him to be left out completely.
Why no Kroos?
Pogba was already overrated, when he played for Juventus. Having him in the top 5 is fairly laughable.
- Modric
- Kroos
- Iniesta
- Busquets
- Vidal
- Pogba
- Rakitic
- Pjanic
- Gundogan
- Veratti/Thiago/Alonso/Koke/Gabi all around there
whats with the Veratti hype, what has he done apart from a 1 team league win ?
Kroos is by far the best midfielder, Kante close second
Kroos is by far the best midfielder, Kante close second
Verratti has had some real standout performances in the CL vs the likes of Barca in fairness, whereas from what I've seen Pogba has been a little underwhelming in the big CL games for Juve. Agreed though, its nonsense to suggest he's not one of the top 10 midfielders in the world.
Some interesting opinions about Pogba a year ago
Found this one surprising...found out without Vidal and Pirlo??
iirc he had an underwhelming start to last season, which was his first without Vidal and Pirlo.
Modric > Kroos
And I'm a massive Verratti fan. He's bossed Chelseas midfields and more than held his own against Barca/Madrids in the UCL. Was a massive miss for PSG against City in the UCL knockout and for Italy at the Euro.
So young and so talented. Maybe I'm a bit biased, but I'd have him top 3 with Modric, Verratti & Busquets. (Not sure if Iniesta should be considered a 8 or 10).
No way is Kroos better than Modric, just watching Real on a weekly basis shows how far ahead Modric is, as for Kante better than Modric that's just mad.
1 Pogba
2 Verratti
3 Modric
4 Iniesta
5 Busquets
6 Wilshere
7 Gundogan
8 Hamsik
9 Thiago
10 Isco
2 Verratti
3 Modric
4 Iniesta
5 Busquets
6 Wilshere
7 Gundogan
8 Hamsik
9 Thiago
10 Isco
In your mind maybe, Dybala and him basically drove Juve to the title. Don't totally blame you though, you're still stuck in his early season form last season when the whole team was struggling to adjust to not having Vidal, Pirlo and Tevez.
Don't take the bait lads
I was suggesting why the previous' quoted poster might've worded it as 'found out without Pirlo and Vidal' in November 2015.
I'd rank the top cms in this order. Bear in mind the top cms are very close in ability imo.
1. Kroos
2. Modric
3. Iniesta
4. Pogba
5. Rakitic
6. Vidal
7. Busquets
8. Koke
9. Veratti
10. Pjanic
Honourable mentions: Kante, Krychowiak, Matuidi, Marchisio, Gundogan
1. Kroos
2. Modric
3. Iniesta
4. Pogba
5. Rakitic
6. Vidal
7. Busquets
8. Koke
9. Veratti
10. Pjanic
Honourable mentions: Kante, Krychowiak, Matuidi, Marchisio, Gundogan
Dembele
Kante
Modric
Verratti
Wilshere
Henderson
Pogba
Fellaini
Drinkwater
Kroos
Kante
Modric
Verratti
Wilshere
Henderson
Pogba
Fellaini
Drinkwater
Kroos
You say a year ago.A player can come on leaps and bounds in a year. This is the year he got in the world Xi.Pogba is easily in the top ten midfielders in the world.I'm beginning to question your knowledge in football Barca,Real and United all wanted him as well as every team in Europe if they could get him. He is World class and is in the top 5 midfielders in the world.
And if you watched Seria A football you'd know he was in the form of his life near the end of last season for juventus.
If we were to stick to pure CM I don't think there is a substantive enough list so broadening it out to include DMs/CM/AMs I would choose the following..
1. Modric
2. Verratti
3. Iniesta
4. Vidal
5. Busquets
6. Kroos
7. Pogba
8. Saul
9. Rakitic
10. Koke
1. Modric
2. Verratti
3. Iniesta
4. Vidal
5. Busquets
6. Kroos
7. Pogba
8. Saul
9. Rakitic
10. Koke
Is OP trying to make a point that Pogba is a #10?
In terms of CM play, Marchisio is better than Pogba imo....
Or at least during their time together at Juvenuts.
Or at least during their time together at Juvenuts.
I can't believe how underrated Pogba is to some here. Have you even seen him?
1. Iniesta
2. Pogba
3. Modric
4. Busquets
5. Kroos
6. Verratti
7. Rakitic
8. Vidal
9. Thiago
10. Kante
1. Iniesta
2. Pogba
3. Modric
4. Busquets
5. Kroos
6. Verratti
7. Rakitic
8. Vidal
9. Thiago
10. Kante
Accepting that Iniesta isn't really somebody that would play in a 2 in the middle of the park I'm surprised how many people don't have Modric as the best, IMHO he's currently in a completely different level to anybody else. His touch, use of the ball and the way he dictates games and tempo is exceptional, he was very good at Spurs but the last 3 or 4 years at Real he's been nothing short of outstanding.
Debatable. Kroos is the far more efficient player, as I think. Modric is the flashy type who dribbles more, that seems to skew people's perception.
Anyway
Dele
Dier
Dembele
Eriksen
.
.
.
.
.
The rest
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it's Dier, oh and now days Dele, but you're on the right track.
Corrected. And thanks for your approval
No worries, could have had Harry Winks at number 5 though!
How did the world's 3rd or 4th best CM get on today?
I know your probably just jabbing but the reality is he struggled today as did everyone particularly first half. I think he held the ball with his strength better than most today but we just didn't have the support and city out pressed and out competed us. I'd have liked him to do more but it's a hard league and there will be more highs and lows for everyone, Pogba included.
Some of it was admittedly a bit harsh, but I still stand by the overall opinion - Pogba didn't start to shine until Marchisio and Khedira's formed a more coherent unit as the season wore on (like Pirlo and Vidal before them), and Dybala sparked the team into life up front. To expand a bit upon that: Pogba is not a foundational midfield player (yet), and that's a big factor when we talk about the best midfielders around. He's admittedly a better player now than he was a year ago, going by his second-half-of-the-season performances for Juventus, but I'm still not sure he's going to crack the Top 4 - at this moment in time, I'd take Modrić, Kroos (who's evolved over the past year), Busquets, Vidal over him for sure; and maybe a couple more - like a fully fit Verratti. That isn't to say he isn't worth the money we paid for him, mind. Because that amount represented the player we thought he can develop into (he's still developing and younger than those players - who're in or around their peak), not the one he is right now. From a United-centric viewpoint, at this moment in time, he's not a world class double pivot midfielder, even though he's been thrust into that role. He'd do much better alongside someone who can control the game, and maybe even a defensive box-to-box - who will liberate Pogba to an extent.
If you have a good base - one that is functionally sound (especially a good distributor - like Pirlo for Juventus or peak Carrick for United), you can plug Pogba in midfield, and he'll bring a lot of extra qualities to the team - particularly in the transition from midfield to the final third - which is his specialty. But he hasn't shown the ability to be a foundational central midfield player on a consistent basis. And that bothers me, because when you talk of some of the great midfielders from recent years, they were the building blocks for the midfield - people who could control the momentum of games on their own and were 'active' for 90 mins in almost every game (which someone like a Modrić does on a consistent basis). Now, given Pogba's age and talent, he could develop into that type of player, but he isn't that player right now, and he wasn't that player a year ago - which is what counts, because anything more than that is projection, rather than a reflection of his track record/current level.
And frankly, sometimes I get the feeling that he's very good when it's a men vs boys match (where he qualitatively better than the opposition players and can motor through at will with his unique combination of athleticism and technique), but drops down a level or two against midfielders that can match him in terms of quality, and have greater control over the proceedings of the game - that has a blunting effect on him. Might come across as a lazy comparison, but he's a bit like Yaya Touré in that regard. Yaya steamrolled a lot of teams, but I always thought he was a bit naive, and even in top form, he wasn't a great midfielder against European clubs with top midfielders of their own (who could control games and limit his influence). I'd rate an all-action control based midfielder like Bastian over Yaya, even though he didn't provide as many highlight moments, and didn't score as many goals, and wasn't as much of a specimen, and wasn't rated higher for certain periods by award committees (eg. Yaya was 12th in both 2012 and 2013 in terms of the Ballon D'Or listing, while Schweinsteiger was N/A and 17th).
As an aside, the reason Verratti (injury aside) deserves to be higher than Pogba is that he is a foundational midfielder player at a comparable age - not as flamboyant or decisive in terms of end product; but he can function as the architect, he can go box-to-box, boasts fantastic close range technique, and is a very gritty player despite his small frame. In terms of skillset - he's like a combination of Schweinsteiger and Xavi. And he seemingly raises his level in the Champions League - vs Barcelona 2012 (especially the 2-2 at Camp Nou), vs Mourinho's Chelsea in 2013 (where he mastered the proceedings), vs Barcelona in 2014 (again very influential) - off the top of my head. Win or lose, he's rarely a peripheral figure in games, and you'd be hard pressed to name better big game performances (on a comparable scale) from Pogba. I'd also take a fully fit and in-form Thiago over Pogba in terms of potential (though he hasn't been fully fit and in-form for a consistent period for a while now, so it's kind of a moot point). Those two are the best young midfielders in European football in terms of potential, IMO, with Verratti being the more consistently proven player of the duo. Don't expect many to agree with that, though. Which is fair enough, I guess, since it's subjective anyway, with arbitrary emphasis on certain qualities.
Modric
Kroos
Busquets
Veratti
Gundogan
Koke
Pogba
Rakitic
Pjanic
Vidal
Matuidi being on lists is hilarious. He's a dog (runs around a lot) limited technical ability and doesn't stand out from a tactical perspective. Can't believe he's in peoples top 10's.
Kroos
Busquets
Veratti
Gundogan
Koke
Pogba
Rakitic
Pjanic
Vidal
Matuidi being on lists is hilarious. He's a dog (runs around a lot) limited technical ability and doesn't stand out from a tactical perspective. Can't believe he's in peoples top 10's.