Who's the player that makes us 'tick'?

We're used to seeing football teams being dictated by a great player that makes everything work. In years past it was Robson, then Keane, then Scholes for us, Xavi for Barca, Zidane for Real.

Who makes this current United side tick? Who needs to play? Who gets the rest of the team playing well?

Pogba. When he plays well the whole team plays well.

If he's having an off day we look useless.

/thread

I don’t think we really “tick”, therefore there isn’t a specific player I can name.
Which is also why I completely disagree with the argument that in most seasons we would’ve been in a title race or could’ve won a title, we are not a title winning team, there is absolutely no consistency in the team and we don’t go on “title winning runs”, yet (I hope).

De Gea makes us tick.

Pogba. Hence why we don't most of the time.

We are pretty much entirely reliant on Pogba for that at the moment. Hopefully we'll be bringing somebody else in over the transfer window to take over the main role, and allow Pogba to focus on his own game instead of relying on him making the team 'tick'.

After Scholes it was mainly Carrick and now it should be Pogba but generally we are not set up to have a player make us 'tick' anymore. The team has to play on the front foot as a whole and play in an attacking style and then you start to find players who make the team 'tick'. These players don't exist in defensive minded teams. Look at the players mentioned in the OP. All played in free flowing attacking teams. You couldn't get near them. Now everytime Pogba gets the ball he is surrounded by 2/3 players and gets the ball nicked off him because players aren't giving him options on the ball. Nobody enjoys watching us play anymore and that's the sad thing. We hardly control games so how can you expect someone to make us 'tick'?

Pogba for sure. I expect Sanchez to also give us some of that next season. And Fellaini - haven't seen our fans as worked up as when he's on the field.

Tick or thick?

We havent got someone who is consistant enough to make us tick. Mourinho might get lucky and bring in the player who will do that, but if we are relying one one player its not very encouraging. What if he gets injured? Realistically we need 3-4 players to start playing consistantly good in the attacking part of the pitch.

No one.
If there was one player who would make us tick, we would be playing consistent football. Almost all outfield players, including Pogba, are inconsistent. You never know which one will turn up on a given day

No-one. That's the sort of player our midfield needs.

DeGea

It should be Pogba but very often (too often) it isn't. Half the time Matic is doing his job which isn't what he was bought for.

We don't have one. That's the problem.

Supposed to be Pogba but we don't see it consistently enough.

Matic, quite obviously. Pogba doesn't make us tick at all. He's been far too much of a luxury player (so far) to be counted as the central cog.

Fellaini.

Not quite as stupid as it seems on first glance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_theory

Alternative universe Luka Modric who signed here from Spurs?

Matic makes us tick more than Pogba does.

I'm not even sure Pogba should be expected to do that as I've never seen anything from him to suggest he's that sort of player. Though if that's what we're trying to get him to do then it might help explain why we often look like we're not ticking at all.

We dont tick.. No fluidity what so ever ..

The answer is not Pogba. That's what we will find out in the summer

Matic. Pogba when on form can provide a winning moment, but the keys of our midfield are in Matic hands.

Spot on, unfortunately.

The player that comes to mind is Pogba. Although difficult to single out any specific player in the current squad. But isn't that a typical Mourinho non-feature? Looking at his previous teams maybe difficult to single out individual players who've had prominent roles.

No one in the current team.

No one and certainly not Matic. Matic performs a certain function and he's generally done well but saying he makes us tick is absolutes madness.

Pogba when he's in the mood.

i think we have never been the same since Scholes left to be honest. But then there aren't too many players of that mould left in football, I guess we could maybe pinch Kroos or Modric from Madrid if they are restructuring in the summer?

Obviously Pogba....When he plays well,we play well...

Agreed.

Can anyone name a really good performance from the last couple of seasons in which Mata didn’t start? Because I’m struggling.

Conversely, we’ve had some decent performances without Pogba IMO.

Don't you remember, he left after Moyes took over and made him watch videos on Jack Rodwell

Pogba? Come on, he was dire for about half a season. We definitely need a midfield metronome but unfortunately we're lacking that player at the moment.

It's a good thing that Jose has recognized that and we'd be looking at this position in the Summer.

Matic or Mata makes us "tick" much more than Pogba ever did.

Probably Mata. Part of every game which we've played well. can't recall any game where we've dominated the opposition and he hasn't played

Yaya Tourettes? Sorry... that's tic.

I think it is a sign of how disjointed we are when Pogba fails to turn up that Matic is the more dominant of the two, that should not be the case for a guy who is basically there to 'keep it simple'.

Lukaku