Pogba

Maticmaker

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I would say it's more the system around him rather than the level of the individual players. At Juve he was part of a balanced midfield where he was the most attacking with a fair bit of freedom. The other two did more defensive duties and one of them was also a proper playmaker/controller to share that duty with Pogba. In other words, it was a properly functioning midfield.

With us he's spent the majority of his time playing as one of the deeper midfielders himself, and most of the time even when he's had two more defensive midfielders with him they've had no playmaking ability so he's still had to drop into that position himself. The only two times we came remotely close to replicating a similar system as he played at Juve, we did well. First with Carrick-Herrera-Pogba in 16/17 which was the best we played that season, and then the Matic-Herrera-Pogba combo that we saw on-and-off to great success (from memory after starting with two draws and a loss that combo proceeded to win 17 in a row before Herrera left).

That position is no longer available because of the signing of Bruno and how well he's done, so I personally think we should sell Pogba and reinvest that money into somebody suitable for the deeper position. But I'll always consider our use of Pogba during his first three and a half years to be utter stupidity and a failure that hurt both him and, more importantly for us of course, the team.
Spot on!
 

Leftback99

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I'd be very surprised if he signs a new deal now unless it ridiculous money. Raiola has us over a barrel with the opportunity to leave for nothing next summer.
 

George Owen

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Please go, and take Martial with you.

Enough of the frenchies stinking up the place. Enough is enough.

Hopefully we learned the lesson, and the next frenchies we go for, are those with a "No nonsense" attitude like Kante or Varane.
 

hobbers

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If we had any intelligence in the management or board we'd be fecking Raiola off and putting all that saved money on a deal for Grealish.

De Gea 2.0 here we go
 

KiD MoYeS

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He's had as much an impact as Scott McTominay to the team so much of a muchness if he signs an extension or not to be honest.
 

clarkydaz

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Surely this guy can’t be thinking about leaving twice on a free out of the same club after they spent 80 million to get him back :lol:

That is so depressing but I wouldn’t say it’s unrealistic either. It’s the type of mentality I get off of Pogba.

I really hope it doesn’t happen because this guy will be very hated if he does this to a club in my opinion.
i dont actually blame him if he does. It will be the ultimate laughing stock insult as to how the club is run, the board deserve it for all the shit theyve happily taken from Raiola. Weak, leaderless club
 

wolvored

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feck him off. Fed up of these mind games. What would he demand to stay? He would want more than De Gea I bet and were back to where we were 2-3 years ago. Players that perform 50% of the time on mega money. We can do better than him and I would bet we would get a lot more out of Grealish for half the wage
 

Nou_Camp99

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As shown previously at Juventus and more recently with his French team performances, unless we get good players around Pogba, we are not going to get the best from him. Paul is not the player who makes others play, its better players around him, that bring out his best performances. Pogba needs the likes of Pirlo, Vidal, Evra and Tevez around him to get the best out of him.
You could well be right with this.... however what does that say about him as a player then? That's hardly a glowing reference for him is it?

We've had fans blame the manager and his team mates for the last few years for his patchy form. Yet Bruno has come in under the same manager and team mates and been brilliant winning player of the year two years out of two.

Maybe just maybe the problem isn't other people. Maybe he's the problem?
 

Dve

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I'd be very surprised if he signs a new deal now unless it ridiculous money. Raiola has us over a barrel with the opportunity to leave for nothing next summer.
Depends what he´s offered elsewhere. Pogba will see what Railoa can dish up with, and decided then.
 

JPRouve

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You could well be right with this.... however what does that say about him as a player then? That's hardly a glowing reference for him is it?

We've had fans blame the manager and his team mates for the last few years for his patchy form. Yet Bruno has come in under the same manager and team mates and been brilliant winning player of the year two years out of two.

Maybe just maybe the problem isn't other people. Maybe he's the problem?
Why would their be a problem? Why are you looking to label someone as a problem?
 

Gandalf

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I am 100% certain he won't extend with us and won't be interested in moving until his contract runs down. I can't honestly say that I blame him either, it's a short career and he has the chance in 6 months time to sign for godly money somewhere. With Bale, Isco, Marcelo, Modric and others out of contract at Real next summer I think it's very likely Perez uses all those savings to grab a couple of bargain free agents in January. Mbappe and Pogba for free would represent excellent business for them and they know they can afford it come January.
 

Pexbo

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I am 100% certain he won't extend with us and won't be interested in moving until his contract runs down. I can't honestly say that I blame him either, it's a short career and he has the chance in 6 months time to sign for godly money somewhere. With Bale, Isco, Marcelo, Modric and others out of contract at Real next summer I think it's very likely Perez uses all those savings to grab a couple of bargain free agents in January. Mbappe and Pogba for free would represent excellent business for them and they know they can afford it come January.
He’s a brave man running his contract down to nil in the middle of a global pandemic.
 

Hugh Jass

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Why would their be a problem? Why are you looking to label someone as a problem?
He means it in the context that the reason Pogba has struggled to perform to his 90 million price tag is because he is not good enough. Not because of the tactics, system or players around him.

Granted he did not choose his price tag.
 

JPRouve

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He means it in the context that the reason Pogba has struggled to perform to his 90 million price tag is because he is not good enough. Not because of the tactics, system or players around him.

Granted he did not choose his price tag.
Pogba was overpriced he was never going to perform at that level, we didn't purchase a player of that level or even potential. That argument makes no sense, it's basically people clinging on their failed initial evaluation.
 

Gandalf

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He’s a brave man running his contract down to nil in the middle of a global pandemic.
Not much of a gamble. He will be making business decisions on the field and in training between now and January, watch him avoid 50/50s and stay on his feet when tackling, I imagine by no later than October a mystery ailment, muscle problem etc. will sideline him until the new year.
 

hobbers

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400k for Pogba. 350k for De Gea. 250k for Martial. 120k for Dean Henderson. ~90k each for Bailly and Phil Jones.......

Yikes.
 

Pexbo

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Not much of a gamble. He will be making business decisions on the field and in training between now and January, watch him avoid 50/50s and stay on his feet when tackling, I imagine by no later than October a mystery ailment, muscle problem etc. will sideline him until the new year.
One bad challenge or one nasty mutation of the virus for that matter could cost him £50-60m in wages.
 

Marwood

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I don't know if I follow the logic here what you say applies to all footballers, you get the best out of them individually when they are surrounded by players of similar level. That's the situation in all top teams.
You get the very best out of a player that way but I think the point is that it shouldn't take a team of world beaters to at least get Pogba giving us 90% of what he's got.

There's been enough talent around him for him to produce something around his best.
 

Rajma

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Don’t see any sense in it, he’s not performed for us and is a tactical headache on the mega money, just move him on. Watch us further skew our wage bill on someone who performs well 1 in 3 games.
 

Gandalf

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One bad challenge or one nasty mutation of the virus for that matter could cost him £50-60m in wages.
Very unlikely that happens, I doubt he will worry and like I said, he will probably limit his minutes as much as possible to ensure he doesn't get hurt. I hope I am wrong but frankly with Raiola on the scene it is almost certain he leaves for nothing and the bidders are already talking numbers behind closed doors.
 

Mourinhonista

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I get that injuries troubled him but there were times where he could've done more, IMO. Moreover his signature move (long screamers) didn't happen too often. There was always some noise popping up with Pogba in and around the club.

Personally i'd try to sell Pogba now. I tried clinging onto him but it's been clearly not working out. Bring in Rice, play him next to one of McFred and push Bruno further up the pitch. And yes, bring in Sancho too.
 

jamesjimmybyrondean

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It would be very stupid of us to increase his contract and then play him in the double pivot. I imagine with Sancho coming, Rashford will go back to the left which means Pogba would go back to the double pivot again. Waste of his abilities
 

JPRouve

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You get the very best out of a player that way but I think the point is that it shouldn't take a team of world beaters to at least get Pogba giving us 90% of what he's got.

There's been enough talent around him for him to produce something around his best.
Pogba has given us around his best. It basically comes down to people still overrating him and also retrospectively underrating his actual performances.
 

dal

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Pogba and lingard could pay for Grealish to an extent.
 

Mourinhonista

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Pogba has given us around his best. It basically comes down to people still overrating him and also retrospectively underrating his actual performances.
Pogba should've been one of the best players in the league. I've been roasted by friends for years because i often argued in his case. He's been here since 2016 and apart from the first season he's just been not good enough. He was incredible for Juventus and very good in the last world cup, but for United? Not even close to someone like KdB. It's been such a waste.
 

Banana Republic

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Whatever happens, his next contract will be the last big payday for Pogba and if he moves, for Raiola as well.
A 4 year deal elsewhere this summer, will take him to 32.5 years old.
If he leaves on a free and signs elsewhere next summer, a 4 year deal will see him reaching 33.5 yrs old by the end.
There won't be any big contracts after that, even if he's still fit enough to play.
Raiola will push for a move.
If Pogba really does want to leave and have one last chance of playing for a top European side, then he really can't hang around for more than one more year with Utd.

Selling now, assuming anyone will sign him on with a transfer fee, will save a years wages; rumoured to be somewhere between £13m & £16m, depending on who you believe.
With only one year left on his contract, if we managed to sell him this summer, we'd only get a fraction of what he might have been worth a couple of seasons ago.
Even if it was around the £20m mark, when you factor in the wages saved, that's a useful contribution towards a new player.
If it was possible to sell, I'd take the money. Otherwise we face getting nothing for him next year and wasting somewhere between £13m & £16m in wages to get another season's worth of inconsistency, with a few occasional good spells thrown it to give the fans false hope.

The last thing we want, is for Utd to throw stupid money at him to get him to sign a new deal.
 
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Bastian

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The usual caveat: On form and in a position that agrees with him, he's unplayable.

Given our tactical inflexibility, which is a wider discussion really, and our limitations in midfield, I don't see it as a very sensible move to increase his deal and extend it.

Ole bought Bruno and he plays as a #10. That means in Ole's favoured 4231 formation, Pogba is either thrust into a double midfield pivot with a not good enough partner to essentially give him a free role, or he's shunted out onto the left, where Rashford and Martial both like to operate, and both really do fit better than Pogba, bar the one-off game where it's tactically feasible.

If Ole were to change his formation (and buy accordingly) to 4123/433, using both Pogba and Bruno as #8s in front of a workhorse DM (who is both capable of receiving the ball under pressure as well as circulating it) then retaining him would make sense. But I very much doubt that a completely untested formation is the basis on which he's granted a new deal. I think it's more because he's a top class talent, whether or not it makes long-term footballing sense.

If his deal is extended, it would be great if there's no increase in his weekly wage (maybe just bonus-related increases) to preserve value and retain the possibility of selling/swapping next season if there is no tactical change taken to get more out of the talent at hand.
 

JPRouve

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Pogba should've been one of the best players in the league. I've been roasted by friends for years because i often argued in his case. He's been here since 2016 and apart from the first season he's just been not good enough. He was incredible for Juventus and very good in the last world cup, but for United? Not even close to someone like KdB. It's been such a waste.
He has been one of the best players in the league, he wasn't incredible for Juventus, he was good but not incredible and he roughly plays at a similar level for France than he does for United, he just has less responsibilities and expectations for France.
 

dinostar77

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Not sure any club can afford his price at the moment, plus he has been performing mostly well recently. I don't think him staying will be a surprise.
A two year extension wouldnt suprise me. Though he may just hold out for a free next summer and get the biggest contract of his career.
 

el3mel

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He has been one of the best players in the league, he wasn't incredible for Juventus, he was good but not incredible and he roughly plays at a similar level for France than he does for United, he just has less responsibilities and expectations for France.
Pogba definitely hasn't been one of the best players in the Premier League these 5 years he spent with United and I honestly don't think this will even be an argument among neutrals or non United fans.
 

Bastian

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At the very least, if a contract extension is not agreed, surely the club looks to move him on this summer.

I don't think having him for a year before he leaves on a free makes any sense whatsoever. We'd be much better off having to address what to actually do with our midfield sooner in this very long rebuild, than later.
 

Hugh Jass

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Pogba definitely hasn't been one of the best players in the Premier League these 5 years he spent with United and I honestly don't think this will even be an argument among neutrals or non United fans.
I actually burst out laughing when he said that.

Edit: At best he has periods where he is good. But never a season.
 

JPRouve

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I actually burst out laughing when he said that.

Edit: At best he has periods where he is good. But never a season.
What do you understand by one of the best? You don't consider that he has been in the top 25?
 

mu4c_20le

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Pogba definitely hasn't been one of the best players in the Premier League these 5 years he spent with United and I honestly don't think this will even be an argument among neutrals or non United fans.
Team of the year in 18/19. Take bias out of the equation and you will see a lot further.
 
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I would say it's more the system around him rather than the level of the individual players. At Juve he was part of a balanced midfield where he was the most attacking with a fair bit of freedom. The other two did more defensive duties and one of them was also a proper playmaker/controller to share that duty with Pogba. In other words, it was a properly functioning midfield.

With us he's spent the majority of his time playing as one of the deeper midfielders himself, and most of the time even when he's had two more defensive midfielders with him they've had no playmaking ability so he's still had to drop into that position himself. The only two times we came remotely close to replicating a similar system as he played at Juve, we did well. First with Carrick-Herrera-Pogba in 16/17 which was the best we played that season, and then the Matic-Herrera-Pogba combo that we saw on-and-off to great success (from memory after starting with two draws and a loss that combo proceeded to win 17 in a row before Herrera left).

That position is no longer available because of the signing of Bruno and how well he's done, so I personally think we should sell Pogba and reinvest that money into somebody suitable for the deeper position. But I'll always consider our use of Pogba during his first three and a half years to be utter stupidity and a failure that hurt both him and, more importantly for us of course, the team.
Completely spot on.

Pogba was good in his first season, very good in his second, and clearly the best performer in the team (Shaw was the only real competition) in his third - at that point you'd have been perfectly fine saying he'd been one of the best players in the Premier League.

The last two seasons, he hasn't really done enough to make himself indispensable to the team and Fernandes has established himself as the centerpiece. Best for Pogba and the club if he moves on and we get someone else.
 

Bastian

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What do you understand by one of the best? You don't consider that he has been in the top 25?
I think he's definitely in that top 25, but the latter half like

De Bruyne
Aguero
Mahrez
Sterling
Alexander-Arnold
Salah
Mane
Van Dijk
Robertson
Alisson
Kane
Son
Vardy
Fernandes
Kante
Hazard

Then you got players like

Pogba
Aubameyang
Grealish