Suarez was serving a ban for months so had played no football. Not quite the same
Baby elephant is growing quickly in the room
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
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Suarez started his first game on Oct 25th but scored his first La Liga goal on Dec 20th. Till Feb 21st he had scored just 4 league goals in 15 games. Whatever the excuse was, that's a very slow start. Same with Modric, he didn't start well and took time before producing world class performances.
No they just press at a slower pace and aren't instructed to press and close down the opposition as fast as they can as soon as they lose possession where as many of the premier league teams will be instructed to do that. Use your common sense. Some teams stand off and play in lines, other teams press and close down the ball in numbers whenever they lose possession.
Thing is I remember Pogba being pressed and escaping a few times in that game; and the pressing did not look any less intense than your average, run of the mill premiership team would accomplish. So, using my common sense, as you so wisely advise, I have to the conclusion that it is nonsensical to claim the pressing was slow and soft.
It just seems like that sort of generalisation that comes from thinking the Europa is shittier than the EPL, never mind the fact most premiership teams that have played in it haven't impressed.
To be fair, isn't that largely because of a history of PL teams not really taking the competition seriously and resting key players in it, etc?
Perhaps, partially; but how many premiership teams have even come close to winning it? Eventually, most of them get knocked out fair and square.
Same with Bale, Neymar, Ozil etc.
I could go on about huge transfer fee players not getting into the groove right away.
Most players need settling time, world class or not. The myth is players coming to different leagues and right away picking up were they left off just because they're world class.
In most cases it's simply not true. Though I expect people to ignore this anyways so what the hell.
Not when they reach finals and keep getting beat by Sevilla.
Its difficult to argue against Pogba being one of the best, when he has already made the FIFA XI.
Di Maria was the only FIFA XI player in the EPL, when he was playing for us and I still believe he is/was a great player, who was not utilised properly.
It's early days and I hope Pogba grows into the team, but right now, I do feel that his huge transfer feee is a baby elephant. This elephant can grow or it can shrink - I have no idea which way this going to go.
He was "average" in his last EPL game, but against Fener (who were pretty bad...even Rooney looked okay against them), he was very good.
Di Maria was the only FIFA XI player in the EPL, when he was playing for us and I still believe he is/was a great player, who was not utilised properly.
It's early days and I hope Pogba grows into the team, but right now, I do feel that his huge transfer feee is a baby elephant. This elephant can grow or it can shrink - I have no idea which way this going to go.
Lets wait and see what happens tomorrow, against CFC.
He was "average" in his last EPL game, but against Fener (who were pretty bad...even Rooney looked okay against them), he was very good.
Another knee jerk thread that will be laughed at ad infinitum.
No doubt about it.
More like a fecking T-Rex at this stage...
It's hard to blame just Pogba, he'll play well when the whole team plays well. Honestly we could stick Messi in this side and he'd be tripping over his own feet after three games.
The elephant in the room is Jose Mourinho.
The little elephant must be getting another injection of growth hormone as we speak 
Ibra wont score more than 10 goals for us
Pogba can t play at a good level
Jose has past his peak
Pogba can t play at a good level
Jose has past his peak
Go away
Not awful today....Just feckin' useless and worse than poor....
I'm still waiting for the Galactco that you guys here tell me we signed ( and paid for !! )to turn up.
I'd even be happy if a half-decent player actually turned up.
This guy's got two, maximum three games left before the shit hits the fan.....
I'm still waiting for the Galactco that you guys here tell me we signed ( and paid for !! )to turn up.
I'd even be happy if a half-decent player actually turned up.
This guy's got two, maximum three games left before the shit hits the fan.....
His 2 goals disguised an average performance mid week, today he was virtually invisible.
I'm sure he'll still come good but it won't be consistently before February at the earliest. And in my view that's not acceptable given the hype and fee.
He needs to control games and inspire us to victory. Instead he's running a round like a lost boy and looks completely out of touch with football at this level.
I'm sure he'll still come good but it won't be consistently before February at the earliest. And in my view that's not acceptable given the hype and fee.
He needs to control games and inspire us to victory. Instead he's running a round like a lost boy and looks completely out of touch with football at this level.
Who were those having a go at me for saying that Pogba can't play at premier league pace and that he was only good against Fenerbache because he is given more time and space on the ball.
It's plain to see he cannot perform when pressured on the ball or when the pace of the game increases. He needs time on the ball to think and most premier league teams will have nabbed it off you or closed you down within that time. I really hope he can adjust but maybe Fergie was right about him and maybe this is why he wasn't deemed ready when he was on the fringes of our first team years ago.
It's plain to see he cannot perform when pressured on the ball or when the pace of the game increases. He needs time on the ball to think and most premier league teams will have nabbed it off you or closed you down within that time. I really hope he can adjust but maybe Fergie was right about him and maybe this is why he wasn't deemed ready when he was on the fringes of our first team years ago.
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Hate to say it but he's been completely anonymous or worse in nearly every game for us so far. I really, really hope it's just down to his age and the transition from Serie A to the Premier League but have a nagging voice at the back of my head reminding me of how the Di Maria experiment went.
What I don't understand is why he isn't playing the game he was playing so effectively at Juventus. For them he was running through the centre of the pitch with the ball like Yaya Toure was when he first came to the country, but with more skill. For us he just seems to play the simple pass and try to get into a position to hit a shot from 35 yards all the time.
We need midfielders who can beat a man, not a poor imitation of Frank Lampard.
What I don't understand is why he isn't playing the game he was playing so effectively at Juventus. For them he was running through the centre of the pitch with the ball like Yaya Toure was when he first came to the country, but with more skill. For us he just seems to play the simple pass and try to get into a position to hit a shot from 35 yards all the time.
We need midfielders who can beat a man, not a poor imitation of Frank Lampard.
Many players learn their foundational skills and habits between the ages of 18-22. Pogba habituated his foundational skills in the slower and less physically demanding Italian Serie A at a very influenceable period in his career.
The obvious problem is Serie A is a very different footballing philosophy to the English Premier League; every single overseas player comments on how fast and physical they find it.
Mourinho's recently said he expected a transition so hopefully Pogba is simply adjusting and all will eventually be well, or his habits and skills are set for life and he wont ever make the impact.
I hope beyond hope its not the latter. But I do think I was right to point raise this issue: it is concerning.
You don't even know what you're talking about. Pogba's main strength is his ability to play short quick passes in tight spaces. I bet you never regularly watched Pogba play at Juventus.
What Pogba was able to do at Juventus is irrelevant and not indicative of what he'll be able to achieve on the EPL. The footballing style and speed are so different.
Eg: It looks to us that he dithers on the ball, thinking he has more time than he has. In fact all he is doing os playing like he did in Italy, when he did have more time on the ball because the game is slower and very few teams employ a speedy pressing game.
There are many players who came from other leagues (developed in other leagues) and had fantastic careers in PL.
can you name some from Italy? who adjusted at the very highest levels?
Zola
Alexis Sanchez. You're right that its not an abundance of them in the PL though.
Is that simply that not many top players moved from Italy to the PL?
I mean to do this properly, you would need to compare the proportion of like for like transfers from other leagues, then observe that the proportion from Italy was significantly lower than others to come to the conclusion those that move from Italy fail to adjust.
I think it is as much a pile of bollocks as I have seen on the Caf.
He's got a good point, though....
What point has he?
Yeah could be, idk. A sneaky little bias against Italians based on our history perhaps, e.g. Veron, Taibi, Rossi - all disappointments for us.
I think the PL has bought more players from the Bundesliga and La Liga the past 10 years, but it is based on my memory. Especially on the top levels. But I agree why is not an easy question to answer
You should get out more then!
If I'm wrong, then we've been completely hoodwinked by Juventus as Pogba has been utterly average so far because he is that: a very average player
For sure I often wonder what I could do with the time I spend on here. Could be worse, though: there are those, based on post count per day, who clearly need a life; never mind getting out more.
Anyhow, I digress. The point of this reply:
Sorry to tell you, but a pile of bollocks is a pile of bollocks whether in or outdoors.
What Donkeyfish said - not an abundance of Italian players have made it in the EPL....
Desailly, Vieira, Henry, Zola, Di Canio, Di Matteo, Alexis Sanchez, Ravanell, Coutinho, Bergkamp, Petrescu and ancient versions of Davids, Gullit and Cambiasso. All played in Italy before coming to England and all were good to brilliant over here.
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