Ignore the blah, blah, blah - the Paul Pogba thread

Pogba hurt? (Wasn't able to watch the game today.). No surprise. We've been running him down too hard. Then hammys happen.

 

The international break could actually work in our favor for this one. If it's just a pinch/tweak, he'll miss Boro, but won't play for France and has an outside chance at WBA. Let's keep our fingers crossed. 2wks can make him a world of good...

 

we're better off with Fellaini playing anyways

 

Our season is over.

 

Good time for him to take a break with the internationals coming around.

 

It is also funny to see people coming up with same frustrations with Pogba as if they are new.

@johno and I used to argue about this way back when he was playing for our reserves and there were extensive discussions about this in the summer as well.

As was mentioned then, his ball carrying spike alone isn't enough @SyedZada

Pogba has always been a midfielder that needs to be carried, much like Gerrard for example. In the right setup and we do not have it now, he will add value.

 

Really hope France doesn't do the bullshit where they make him come along. Let him chill.

 

It appears that Pogba will be out throughout the upcoming international break as expected.

www.bbc.com/sport/football/39299065

This really is the best case scenario under the circumstances and will give Pogs the much needed break he needs.

 

Pogba could have double figures in assists this season tho. If people finished chances. Same for goals if he he didn't hit the post. A great deal is being made of his poor play. It is what it is. Noise.

 

If there's any real improvement in Paul Pogba's all-round game since he was strutting his stuff and show-boating in our Reserve team i'm yet to see it, and considering he's now a nailed on starter for France, and his successful spell @ Juventus that's quite staggering.

 

Perhaps that is proof that our usage of him simply hasn't been optimal then? What a strange concept? I know that for some, his fee means he should be able to be a janitor or a security guard at Old Trafford, but the truth is, at least for the time being, he needs to regularly be put in a position where we can get the very best of him, which simply hasn't been the case so far.
Don't think it is a coincidence either that his best spell with United this season, clearly has been when we've gone with a 3 men midfield and thus he was allowed to play in his favorite position, in a role he's truly comfortable with.
I don't argue that in time, more should be expected of him in terms of the development of his game, but for now, let's just work wth the guy. And in the process, help ourselves...

 

I think it's fair to conclude that Pogba is a better player now than when he was in the reserves at OT.

As for the fee, United overpaid but it's long past time to get over that. As Ashur rightly says, to get the most out of Pogba we want to go to a mid 3. For now, we just have to grind away until the overriding goal of the season has been realized. Jose understands the work that needs to be done this summer to strengthen the squad.

 

Keane
Scholes

Pogba

Kanchelskis
Saha
Giggs

That'd work.....

 

Really, taking it you watched him as a Reserve player, how is he now a better player ?

 

How can it even be compared in the first place tbh? Pogba at youth level and with the Reserves was man vs boys stuff most of the time as far as he was concerned. Which was precisely the reason most United fans back then was desperate for him to get opportunities with the first team, which he never really got unfortunately as we know.
Pretty sure that Pogba has grown as a player in his time with Juve. A period of time where he was extremely successful and managed to become one of the most sought after young players in the planet. And oh yeah, he just turned 24...

 

Guessing that most of the United fans who went into "thanks for winning us 12 Premier League titles Sir Alex, but you don't know what you're doing" mode when he didn't play Pogba against Blackburn Rovers obviously weren't aware that Paul Pogba had played most of that season in the Reserves wide-right then.

 

Is that really relevant when SAF actually chose to play Rafa in CM for that game? Pogba could have played up front or at CB for the Reserves, the point still remains that he probably was still the better choice and that game was a good opportunity to actually give him a shot.
Or are you one of those guys who believes that SAF never did anything wrong (especially towards the end of his United) career because of all he's accomplished for the club?
I have tremendous love and respect for the man and he walks on water for me as well to a degree, but bottom line, he's still a man and he's made some mistakes of his own. He all but admitted anyway later, that his handling of Pogba was far from ideal...

 

I can appreciate insanity on a footy forum but to double down on the assertion that a France international starter today is no better today than when we was a United reserve player five years ago takes insanity to a new extreme.

As Ashur can attest, no one can ever forget the shambolic decision by Ferguson to start Rafael over Pogba on that fateful night against Blackburn.

 

In hindsight Ryan Tunnicliffe might have been a better choice than Rafael, or Park, what with him being disciplined enough unlike Paul(still applies), and playing in a midfield two in the reserves at the time.

The only thing i've seen SAF say about Pogbagate is that if he'd known he was going to follow through with his threat to leave he wouldn't have picked him in the first place.

 

Hilarious seeing Duncan Castles attempt to blame Pogba's hamstring on the bus/plane snafu as opposed to his utter lack of rotation.

 

Surely the contentious decision by SAF was to start Rafael over Andersonsonson in midfield on that fateful AFTERNOON against Blackburn, and not Pogba

 

The "Mouthpiece" making such claims: what a surprise, lol... Something that many noticed, Pogba being tired, for quite a few games now. What happened yesterday s hardly a surprise. But if we're going to be honest, it couldn't have happened at a better time. Those enforced breaks to 3 vital players on the team may serve the team very well for the end of the season that will simply be brutal.
Jose can complain all he wants, but big picture wise, there's a silver lining here.

 

I completely agree and there is history on that subject, a history which is best not exhumed here. There is blood in the water on that particular subject. One poster here knows of what I speak.

But I don't see the connection between the erroneous claim that Pogba has not improved since he was 18 and the astute observation that Ferguson sealed Pogba's fate on the night he decided to start Rafael over him.

The reality is this: Pogba has not lived up to the hype associated with his 90m fee, although until very recently he put in consistently solid performances for us. As for now, he's hit a wall and needed the break from football he's getting right now. A very conveniently timed break from football.

 

If you get 5 minutes can you explain, preferably in layman terms, how Paul Pogba has improved since his days in the United reserves cos i'm just not seeing it, thanks in advance