It's a good thing that you guys aren't obsessed with him. 
Under Ten Hag could Pogba have been sensational?
- Thread starter TheReligion
- Start date
We all know Pogba is talented. But talent without discipline and hardwork is bad for any team. Pogba will leave a lot of space in the midfield if you play him with a single dm. So in my opinion, it was the perfect decision to let him go. The Pogba that I know would be jogging round the pitch and snowballing and just be focusing on the incoming world cup. A deep lying midfielder runs more than probably all other players in the pitch cos he has to always make himself a silsble to everyone
Pogba spends more time ‘rehabbing’ in Dubai than actually playing football these days and re-signed with Juve because it’s a far slower and far less physical league, he took a massive pay cut and didn’t get any of the biggest clubs coming in for him like he probably thought his top end talent would draw but people have seen through him and his bottom end level is far more frequent.
At Juve and France…he is in no system?
Don't under estimate what Eriksen brings to this team. Pogba may have more quality but could never have given us the Eriksen effect. You need the ball to be distributed early and in a controlled manner. Pogba won't give us that for 90mins
No.. he's overrated .. incredibly inconsistent and a crock..
The club doesnt make a lot of good decisions, but letting him go was a great one
The club doesnt make a lot of good decisions, but letting him go was a great one
Mourinho had a system yes, albeit a defensive one. I didnt say attacking ones. Solskjær also wanted to play fast football with physique and complained many times over the lack of intensity/form.
he’s 29 which is the prime age for the majority of big players, so i dont get your last sentence - as if he’d be different at another age. If your argument is that injuries are a factor now, when have they not been? He’s been in and out of all squads at United due to injury.
in all squads at United Pogba overall was too slow, too incoherent, too much about himself - that would never suit a system like Ten Hags where distribution and fast thinking is key. Look at what he’s wanted in Eriksen and De Jong - have you ever really seen that coherence with other players from Pogba at United except in small glimpses 1-2 matches in a row?
@TheReligion seems to be.It's a good thing that you guys aren't obsessed with him.
So great, they did it twice!
I was referencing what he’s done at United - honestly not sure what system France practices though.Could argue they just have great players and he plays next to Kante with the best attackers next to him. Also for a few amount of games compared to a league to get to the WC title, which probably is what you are referring to as a good example of him playing in a system.
At Juve he’s probably been in a system, but he hasn’t really rubbed shoulders with great teams albeit some teams in CL where he performed decently before he entered United. Not a big sample size imo - he’s performed great against big teams for few games here too (the City game being the prime example)
I think the real test is the biggest league in the World however. He hasn’t been perfect for France neither, just lives quite good on his reputation of winning the World Cup.
He’ll go down as one of the biggest wasted talents of this generation. May have a brilliant game or 2 but just doesn’t have the discipline on or off the field to reach his potential.
Yep, I am so glad he is gone. Even though we need more to replace him, the Club needed him gone mainly because all of the drama he seemed to have bring over the last years. (not talking about his current sad troubles)
The Pogba of a few years ago, yeah sure. A player can be coached out of bad habits. But current Pogba if we had renewed? No chance, way too injury prone.
ETH would have been able to maximise a 17-21 year old Pogba. Still young and coachable.
But ETH would have really struggled to maximise the flashy Pogba that came to us from Juve on a 100m pounds. Pogs seems to hold on to the ball for too long. And make flashy individual moves and doesn’t really track back. ETH prefers players to release ball quickly and move together as a team.
But ETH would have really struggled to maximise the flashy Pogba that came to us from Juve on a 100m pounds. Pogs seems to hold on to the ball for too long. And make flashy individual moves and doesn’t really track back. ETH prefers players to release ball quickly and move together as a team.
No. However, ETH would not have any problems to bench Paul!
There are a lot of sentiments attached with him. He left us for free, went on to become one of the world's hottest midfield prospects at Juve. Meanwhile Utd struggled to build a team with a capable midfield.It's a good thing that you guys aren't obsessed with him.
Yaya Toure was tearing up the league, a midfielder who could do it all. Pogba was viewed as a similar midfielder to Toure - athletic and technical with a decent end product.
We ended up signing him for a world record fee and when we were in EL. The feeling of finally getting a proper midfielder should still be a fresh memory among most posters here. The academy lad who arrived as our savior or whatsoever.
The sentiments attached with him are pretty strong and I don't blame the posters still talking about him because I think every Utd fan wanted him to flourish for us.
I'm Glad Hag wanted nothing to do with Pog.
Maybe. Considering many regards Martial and Rashford were already done over last 2 seasons, but seems to revive and shine now under ETH.
No.The kind of issue you have with Ronnie would come up with Pogba. You will not have balance in midfield, Pogba will take too many touches, linger on the ball too long and even though he is technically fantastic, I believe the cons outweigh the pros.
In a midfield two? Nope, just like he didn't succeed there with the other managers. If we dropped Bruno and played Pogba as the most attacking of a three man midfield...still no just because of the injuries. The younger Pogba probably would have succeeded in that set-up though.
I looked into it in detail a couple of years ago, and over a period of three or four years France only played Pogba in a true midfield two 4 times. All against very weak teams (two outside the top 100 ranked nations, two outside the top 50). The rest of the time they either played a three man midfield or what is listed as a two man midfield but with one of their 'wingers' being a player who normally plays as a central midfielder. It was worth noting that during the periods where Pogba was injured they were much more likely to play a proper two man midfield with true wingers on either side.
This was a couple of years ago so maybe there's been a change since then, but it was definitely true around that World Cup.
France basically always play a third central midfielder on the wing to help that midfield out.
I looked into it in detail a couple of years ago, and over a period of three or four years France only played Pogba in a true midfield two 4 times. All against very weak teams (two outside the top 100 ranked nations, two outside the top 50). The rest of the time they either played a three man midfield or what is listed as a two man midfield but with one of their 'wingers' being a player who normally plays as a central midfielder. It was worth noting that during the periods where Pogba was injured they were much more likely to play a proper two man midfield with true wingers on either side.
This was a couple of years ago so maybe there's been a change since then, but it was definitely true around that World Cup.
The ultimate "could have been" player
We needed to move on from him, we have and I'm happy with that
We needed to move on from him, we have and I'm happy with that
Is the correct answer.
Pogba——Eriksen
——Casemiro
He’d have looked pretty amazing in something like this, I imagine. In terms of style, he’d be more of a match to our overall playing style than Bruno is.
——Casemiro
He’d have looked pretty amazing in something like this, I imagine. In terms of style, he’d be more of a match to our overall playing style than Bruno is.
100% this.
Sensational headlines.
Best thing Pogba did for United was reject the contract.
Pogba stopped trying to be a footballer when he came back, he could and should have been one of the best of his generation.
Pogba stopped trying to be a footballer when he came back, he could and should have been one of the best of his generation.
Hey! We can buy him back! Has anyone thought of that? Do you think Juventus would be willing to sell?
Has to be one of the most overrated players in history. Aside from the odd short tournament - where all sorts of players have shone over the course of history - he has rarely, in his entire career, put together a whole season of consistent, top drawer performances. Did pretty well at Juve the first time around, albeit still being pretty raw for a lot of it and being heavily carried by world class partners; but aside from that, has never, ever been a consistent performer. Has a terrible fitness record too as he has aged.
He’s capable of the odd moment of brilliance, but Matty Taylor used to bang in a couple of worldies every season and then do feck all the rest of the time, and he was never exalted to the extent Pogba has been. And he used to work hard.
Pogba is one of the laziest footballers I have ever watched play. He consistently faffed about, dwelling on the ball, and as a result never ever did the simple things well. Which should be every midfielders bread and butter. It’s all very well being able to pull off the spectacular from time to time, but 90% of a midfielders game has to be working for the team and doing the simple things as flawlessly as possible, so the team and the system can thrive. Pogba could never do that, because he’s just not a very good footballer. I say that because having the basic football IQ of when to keep it simple, release it quickly, cover for your teammates, and close down opponents, are just as fundamental - but much less revered - than spraying 50 yard cross field balls or making defence splitting passes. In fact, in the modern game, if you are only going to do one part of the game, you better make it the former, because the high tempo and relentless pressing which is essential to modern success, has no room for luxury passengers. Which is exactly what Pogba is.
So no, while it’s a romantic notion to imagine that Ten Hag could have somehow taken this player with great natural physical gifts and high technical ability, and suddenly coached him into being a viable modern midfielder who married work rate and tactical acumen to his natural gifts, the history and evidence suggests that it is exactly that….a romantic notion.
He’s capable of the odd moment of brilliance, but Matty Taylor used to bang in a couple of worldies every season and then do feck all the rest of the time, and he was never exalted to the extent Pogba has been. And he used to work hard.
Pogba is one of the laziest footballers I have ever watched play. He consistently faffed about, dwelling on the ball, and as a result never ever did the simple things well. Which should be every midfielders bread and butter. It’s all very well being able to pull off the spectacular from time to time, but 90% of a midfielders game has to be working for the team and doing the simple things as flawlessly as possible, so the team and the system can thrive. Pogba could never do that, because he’s just not a very good footballer. I say that because having the basic football IQ of when to keep it simple, release it quickly, cover for your teammates, and close down opponents, are just as fundamental - but much less revered - than spraying 50 yard cross field balls or making defence splitting passes. In fact, in the modern game, if you are only going to do one part of the game, you better make it the former, because the high tempo and relentless pressing which is essential to modern success, has no room for luxury passengers. Which is exactly what Pogba is.
So no, while it’s a romantic notion to imagine that Ten Hag could have somehow taken this player with great natural physical gifts and high technical ability, and suddenly coached him into being a viable modern midfielder who married work rate and tactical acumen to his natural gifts, the history and evidence suggests that it is exactly that….a romantic notion.
Nah.
Maybe he would start good but his negatives sides would soon emerge nevertheless, not to mention few months in his fat bastard of an agent would talk shit in the media.
Maybe he would start good but his negatives sides would soon emerge nevertheless, not to mention few months in his fat bastard of an agent would talk shit in the media.
If he was fit, I'm sure he would have done well and used by ETH. Problem is he's injury prone and ETH can't fix that so it really wouldn't matter.
With regards to the part I bolded, I do not think it was only a reluctance from Pogba to do things quickly/release on first touch, he did indeed at times dwell on the ball but I think sometimes, the issue was more on availability of an option to pass to first time rather than him just dwelling on the ball.
On the topic though, it is really hard to determine, but assuming Pogba is fit and not injured a lot, there is a chance he might thrive in Ten Hag's system, but that would require Pogba to significantly improve the defensive side of his game if he is to play alongside Casemiro and behind Eriksen/Bruno, and he might do well if Ten Hag goes for a Midfield 3 setup where Casemiro is the DM, Fred is the B2B with his energy and pressing and Pogba is the attacking #8 on the left side of a midfield 3.
But it is as you said, we are just speculating here.
I doubt it. ETH loves intensity in and out of possession, keeping shape, and structured movement off the ball. I don't think Pogba would've thrived at all
Not this nonsense again Him leaving was the best thing to happen for us in years, such an overrated player.
Him leaving was the best thing to happen for us in years, such an overrated player.Obviously not, he was too stubborn to adapt to the PL football and he only cared about himself.
Let
It
Go
It
Go
Pogba and Donny. All they need is a perfect manager and a perfect system that suits them. Then they will be gods
He would look phenomenal on the treatment table.
No.
The fantasy solutions to an effective Pogba continue even after he's left?
He’s physically not up to it anymore. Injuries have slowly broken him down season by season - and last season, he was just not up to PL standard of fitness. So we could have had some good moments where he did good things with the ball, but it would be almost impossible to build a synergy between the unit as Pogba would find himself the odd one out with running ability off the ball, which would break the structure of the team.
There was a time here where Pogba could have gone on to become the best around. His first few seasons were good, but it just didn’t work from there on, the team had no identity, and when it started to get one, it evolved in a different way to one that suited him. By the end, his fitness made it hard for him to fit into any top level PL structure though.
There was a time here where Pogba could have gone on to become the best around. His first few seasons were good, but it just didn’t work from there on, the team had no identity, and when it started to get one, it evolved in a different way to one that suited him. By the end, his fitness made it hard for him to fit into any top level PL structure though.