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

Pogba still can not be trusted - Souness

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/paul-pogba-set-world-cup-12677314

 

Did anyone see the filth he did near the right touchline against USA? Jeebus... that was some River Plate Tevez type footwork.

 

Yes. What did you think about his overall performance?

Boca Juniors*

 

That’s shameful of me. I didn’t see the game, I just saw the dribble. Unfortunately, at 7pm tonight I will have worked 36 hours since Friday.

 

Pogba is a complete midfielder - Deschamps

www.espn.com/soccer/france/story/3520708/france-boss-didier-deschamps-calls-paul-pogba-a-complete-midfielder?src=com

Deschamps confirmed after yesterday's match that he is very likely to start vs Australia in France's first game in Russia.
At least, he's getting complete backing from him (despite the public calls for Tolisso) and playing him in the formation that is supposed to get the best from him. There's simply no excuses for him underperforming the way he has of late.
Let's see how he responds in games that actually matter...

 

Bacary Sagna backs Pogba to have a good WC.

www.skysports.com/football/news/12025/11402173/paul-pogba-important-for-france-at-world-cup-says-bacary-sagna

 

I think SMS might be a way better fit for the Premier League regardless. Pogba seems very soft.

How can you really say this as a justification though? He went to Juventus, became a world class player, and is still figuring out the Premier League as a 25 year old after two seasons.

He clearly wasn't ready at 17. Ambition and self-confidence be damned - Paul Pogba has NOT shown the required level to justify his previous, or current, arrogance.

 

Clearly not ready at 17 is a stretch. That half he played vs Stoke suggests otherwise. He could have played a solid role in the team back then. Truth be told, there was fault on SAF's and his side both. Stubbornness and acrimonious feelings (SAF for Raiola) ultimately led to his departure from the club. His success at Juve is only further proof of his quality and what he could have brought to United, in one way or another if given an opportunity.
Pogba's current issues has nothing to do with his ability, but with what's in his head. He should have done better this past term, but another season interrupted by injury and how Mourinho chose to deploy him did not help matters, albeit does not excuse his lack of performance in the second half of the season.
Since the turn of the year, something hasn't fully clicked for him and not just with United, but as we're seeing with France as well. Not sure what it is, but he needs to get his mind right and just focus on playing to the best of his capabilities. When he does, the guy is a force that is hard to deal with. Fingers crossed, he can turn it this coming month and be the player we know he can be. But mentality is definitely the issue with him at the moment, not his ability.

 

Manu Petit believes a pissed off Pogs will prove a point at the WC.

www.football365.com/news/petit-pissed-off-pogba-will-prove-a-point

His recent interview with France Football showed anger to me. Definitely some level of frustration at the very least.
Agree with Petit that the best thing for him to do is channel those feelings and release them on the pitch. If people are voicing their disappointment in his performance, it simply is because it's a known fact he should be talked about as one of the very best right now.
Big opportunity for him on the biggest stage to make an emphatic statement and shush the critics: that's what the best do.

 

Pogba is having fun and is ignoring being the most criticised player in the world.

www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/18/paul-pogba-france-world-cup-2018-criticism

 

He's played vital parts in both French games thus far ..

 

Yep.
As far as the comment goes about how he'll play how he wants to play? Good for him. He's not a kid anymore, and doesn't need to read the Daily Mail to figure out his next moves.

 

There were issues between Mourinho and myself, but it was nothing when it's all said and done - Pogba

www.goal.com/en/news/i-have-to-accept-it-pogba-admits-to-issues-with-mourinho/859j2hf9hh3m1oaz596owaim9

Stands to reason that whatever occurred between Pogba and Mourinho were par for the course happenings between a player and a coach (especially things don't always go well).
The bottom line remains that Pogba (and by extension his relationship with Mourinho) is central to any hopes of success from United this season. He started the WC strong and him having a good tournament can only be a good thing as far as United is concerned, as it can be a catalyst for him taking his game to the next level.

 

Interesting how Pogba was effective today in a midfield 2, alongside Kante. Not advocating that this is how he should be used at United. But it's proof that with the right holding mid next to him (Matic is not the right type for the record), he absolutely could.
Herrera and Pogs in a mid 2 could probably work IMO. And I hope that Mourinho was watching today as it's very clear that our slow, ponderous style is probably the direct cause of Pogba underperforming for us. The guy is a quick thinking and instinctual type of player and it's pretty cler he thrives the faster the tempo of the game is. That's precisely why Fred will be a huge help to Pogs in a mid 3 (with Matic covering them) as he'll be expected to move the ball forward pretty quickly, therefore increasing the rythmn of the game for us.

 

Pretty sure Pogba and Herrera player a few games together for a while about 15 months ago - they looked very good

 

Sorry, boys. If anyone is thinking Mourinho is watching this, thinking about changing his ways, you are crazy. It is the Mourinho way or the highway. He is not changing.

He does not think, "how can I improve Pogba?" He thinks, "if Pogba cannot do it with Matic, then he is not good enough."

 

It's the right team setup against the right side too. Having a cultured right back, Kante and Matuidi to do the running, and great intelligence ahead of of him in that front 3, all make a huge difference. And even then Pogba having one great game doesn't account for several less effective games in the same setup.

 

It just shows that under the right circumstances he can do it, that's all. It always bothered me that a player who is supposed to be special and world class, to be that limited in how he is used.
Do I want to be this deployed in that setup going forward? Once again, the answer is no: we've got Fred precisely to get the best of him, hopefully, in a 3 mids setup, but at the same time. In the correct circumstances, we should not shy away from it either and I was glad to see him perfectly able to function in a tactical setup he supposedly is not able to play in.
No arguments that the circumstances yesterday were there and benefited him greatly. But the end result is still the same and Pogba was superb yesterday. Without question the best player on the pitch with Mbappe and Kante.

 

He looked good at the start of the season in that position for us too. Got some good stats in those first 10 games. But then it went to shit when the team collectively lost its ego and self belief.

He can do it in that position occasionally but over a season he'll lose concentration, and if the rest of the team is playing badly then him being tethered to a double pivot becomes harmful as he goes rogue trying to remedy the situation, or he becomes easier to target and shut out.

 

Matuidi was playing mainly in a left sided position ahead of Pogba who played deeper and in a more central position, with Kante next to him.
The setup might have been flexible (because of Matuidi's high workrate) but Pogba was very evident where and how he was deployed right in the thick of things in the middle. While Matuidi was clearly posted ahead of him, wide left.
The bottom line remains that Pogba proved to be very effective in a different setup than a straight 4-3-3, deployed on the left (the only position he is supposedly effective in...).

 

Pogba is becoming the leader France needed, but he can become unstoppable in the right system.

www.espn.com/soccer/club/france/478/blog/post/3543453/paul-pogba-becoming-frances-leader-but-can-become-unstoppable-in-right-system

The bit about Pogs evolving into more of a leader will be welcome news from our perspective as United fans. We obviously want him to play to the best of his ability first and foremost, but in a team short of real leaders, we need him in that function as well.
He clearly has the charisma and personality for it. Mourinho has tapped into it as well, having given him the armband a few times over the past 2 seasons. At 25 though, we need him badly to get past his potential and become the player (and the man also) we hoped he would become when we brought him back to the club. It's time.

 

Exactly. Matuidi and Lingard, Kante and Matic... Similarly when France play more of a midfield box he's in the back 2, but when we play a box he needs to be more to the front. We lack the technical ability but also the energy and defensive work rate.

 

"These dreamt up theories need to stop"?
Why don't you keep quiet for once, if you're incapable of a modicum of civility (or just self control) and stop reading whatever it is you want to see. If you did actually watch the game, it was very obvious that Pogba was not deployed on the left side of a mid 3. That, is exactly what I said and I did mention that he was deployed in a more central role, which he actually was.
But you don't need to take my word for it, you simply need to take a look at the article posted above, which clearly outlines the change in formation from Deschamps after the Australia game.
There's only one thing that needs to stop indeed and it's got nothing to do with "dreamt up theories", but more with that weird obsession you have developed towards me in recent months. As you've been told just recently, your function as a mod is to diffuse conflict and not actively seek it with that diarrhea of the mouth you seem to favor...