Pogba suspended for alleged anti-doping offence | Banned for 4 years

Murder on Zidanes Floor

You'd better not kill Giroud
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It's sad when someone's hatred for a player completely clouds their quality as a poster.
I don't hate Pogba, I'm just not blind loyal to the idea and appraisal I had of him when he was 18. The investment in "potential" of players is why some people, genuinely wanted to bring back Ravel effing Morrison.

People are sentimental and love the romance of the idea. The reality is these players are not that good but because "they are ours" we overblow their achievements or talent or even potential. It's one part tribalisim, two parts sentimental, and three parts gamblers fallacy.
 

Remember the geese

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I don't hate Pogba, I'm just not blind loyal to the idea and appraisal I had of him when he was 18. The investment in "potential" of players is why some people, genuinely wanted to bring back Ravel effing Morrison.

People are sentimental and love the romance of the idea. The reality is these players are not that good but because "they are ours" we overblow their achievements or talent or even potential. It's one part tribalisim, two parts sentimental, and three parts gamblers fallacy.
You don't have to think that he was the greatest thing since sliced bread but you can at least give the guy his dues. He was a starter for Juventus in those title wins and was a very important player in the French World Cup winning team.
 

Di Maria's angel

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"Man Utd held my career back. Now it is time for me to show everyone what I can really do....."













I don't get the hate. Our club is rotten to the core - from top to bottom. Do you think the clubs employees would be happy? If your managers were scumbags, I'm sure you would be quite unhappy as well.
 

kouroux

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Yes, the revisionism is huge, as in mostly overblown his impact because "otherwise why would we buy him for £80m".

Edit: this off-the-pitch stuff ref the World Cup "speech" is so overblown, people treat it like he's Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday and these plucky minnows of France were able to defy the odds. Most of the players look disinterested and I'd even go so far as to posit he wouldn't have made such a speech, in the manner he did, if there wasn't a camera there - it's brand brand brand with him and suckers lap it up.
Because our club has been run for decades by a bunch of clowns. It wasn't the first time our club got fleeced and it sure wasn't the last time.
I'd rather take the word of all the people involved during the World Cup (players, staff and journos) as well as my set of my eyes in regards to his impact during that tournament instead of yours. The last part of your post genuinely made me laugh tbh.
 

Murder on Zidanes Floor

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Because our club has been run for decades by a bunch of clowns. It wasn't the first time our club got fleeced and it sure wasn't the last time.
I'd rather take the word of all the people involved during the World Cup (players, staff and journos) as well as my set of my eyes in regards to his impact during that tournament instead of yours. The last part of your post genuinely made me laugh tbh.
I'm glad, it was tongue in cheek.
 

MrWilliams

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It's sad when someone's hatred for a player completely clouds their quality as a poster.
It really is. Most pro players will go their whole careers without winning a league title, let alone a domestic cup.

Pogba was a mainstay in 4 league winning Juve side plus he played every game in the 2018 WC winning side and scored in the final.

But I’m to believe he’s an average player?
 

90 + 5min

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Did you miss out on 2018 ? Was the telly not working ? Just because Pogba has been a generally disappointing player for Utd, doesn't mean the rest of his career was the same. His first season for Utd was good and add to that the trophies he played a part in Italy, that's more than "one good or maximum two seasons".
I said, one or two seasons. The rest is just average.

In Italy he played in a team that could win league playing with 10 players. That is how good Juventus was when he was there. Defensivly. Or maybe it is better to say that was how league was poor in that time.

His fame came from instagram and thats it. He was nowhere near great player and was disappointing 9 of 10 games he played in ManUtd. In Juventus he was passenger that sometimes chipped in with goals. I would say that he is fun guy to have in team but nightmare to play with because he lacks quality to be teamplayer.
 

Hammondo

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He did lose the ball in mad areas, but he had exceptional close control and was actually good at holding players off.
The big problem in our league was he thought he could try and hold them off for 10 seconds, rather than the 3 or 4 seconds that was sensible, and inevitably would lose it, usually in the middle of the pitch and give the opposition a free run in our goal.

He was definitely strong. Not as good aerially as we thought pre-signing, but that's probably more the United microscope where you actually watch every 90mins rather than a mix of occasional games and highlights.
We've had Ibra, Fellaini and Maguire and we can say the same about their aerial ability!
He had the skill but he was slow to move the ball, that's why he was bad Vs the press and in tight areas, didn't have fast enough feet.
 

Hammondo

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Disagree. 4x Italian Champ plus a Europa League. That is far from an “average” career. That is a successful career just on balance.

Also, you can’t say “take out his WC win”. That’s the highest honor in football.

For many, 1 WC win >>>>> every other trophy

Pogba’s career was short of expectation based on his talent but it does not mean it was average.

Che Adams is someone I’d say has had an “average” career.
Playing for your country is very different, opposition is weaker, in recent years not many good teams and do often stacked.
 

nainaisson

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What performance he ever did in the last few years that warrants a test? Waste of that test kit. There are uncles in retirement covered more ground on sundays compared to this dude ffs
Funnily enough, he spent the entire game on the bench and was still selected to take the drug test. Getting banned for a game you didn't even play in must really sting.
 

Hammondo

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You are just making up things. Pogba, even as a teenager, was an integral factor behind Juve's return from being a 7th placed side (x2) to a regular Italian champion - often by single point margins - and CL finalist. He was exceptional and did not look out of place next to two of the best midfielders in the world then: Pirlo and prime Vidal.
You don't think he looked good because of them? There are many players who could play with those 2.
 

Nevilles.Wear.Prada

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One of the dude in the drug test panel must be like.. “you see the dude there who by right should be on a a wheelchair? He trains in dubai for every winter but yet turns up to every photoshoots just fine? Yea performance drug must be the only explaination”..
 

Isotope

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Funnily enough, he spent the entire game on the bench and was still selected to take the drug test. Getting banned for a game you didn't even play in must really sting.
It's kinda sketchy, right? Why would they include player that didn't spend a single minute on the field and waste testing allocation on?

Isn't the testing ultimate goal to prevent a team getting advantage because of drugs? or am I missing something here?
 

garelo

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weird af. pogba doesnt strike me as someone who was eager to play football as soon as possible. werent there rumors about juventus wanting to get rid of him last summer?
 

kouroux

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I said, one or two seasons. The rest is just average.

In Italy he played in a team that could win league playing with 10 players. That is how good Juventus was when he was there. Defensivly. Or maybe it is better to say that was how league was poor in that time.

His fame came from instagram and thats it. He was nowhere near great player and was disappointing 9 of 10 games he played in ManUtd. In Juventus he was passenger that sometimes chipped in with goals. I would say that he is fun guy to have in team but nightmare to play with because he lacks quality to be teamplayer.
He was also good in the CL the season they reached the final and lost to Barca. You won't ever see me arguing against the fact he's been a big big disappointment overall, I just feel there is no need to do some ridiculous revisionism that's all
 

glasgow 21

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weird af. pogba doesnt strike me as someone who was eager to play football as soon as possible. werent there rumors about juventus wanting to get rid of him last summer?
There is a final pay day waiting in Saudi and he wanted to be a part of that conversation?.
 

The Boy

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I know this is about Pogba but I keep reading it as Pogue and am never surprised!
 

Oranges038

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It's kinda sketchy, right? Why would they include player that didn't spend a single minute on the field and waste testing allocation on?

Isn't the testing ultimate goal to prevent a team getting advantage because of drugs? or am I missing something here?
Aren't drugs tests random selection at the discretion of the testers?

Testosterone seems to be the new drug of choice and as such it's now being more widely tested for and scrutinised. There was some reports earlier this year that PL footballers almost never get tested for it and overall they never even get bans for failing drugs tests.
 

Murder on Zidanes Floor

You'd better not kill Giroud
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It really is. Most pro players will go their whole careers without winning a league title, let alone a domestic cup.

Pogba was a mainstay in 4 league winning Juve side plus he played every game in the 2018 WC winning side and scored in the final.

But I’m to believe he’s an average player?
Mainstay :lol:

Guys they won the league like eight years in a row.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Aren't drugs tests random selection at the discretion of the testers?

Testosterone seems to be the new drug of choice and as such it's now being more widely tested for and scrutinised. There was some reports earlier this year that PL footballers almost never get tested for it and overall they never even get bans for failing drugs tests.
What PL players failed a test after the PL? All I can think of is Kolo Toure. Sakho got caught but through UEFA. It's a bit strange when you think about it, how few positive tests there are.
 

Oranges038

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What PL players failed a test after the PL? All I can think of is Kolo Toure. Sakho got caught but through UEFA. It's a bit strange when you think about it, how few positive tests there are.
I can't think of many either. But it seems in the PL they either go unreported or that the number of players being tested is very small that the chances of getting caught are minimal.

This is from a few years ago.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...ns-covered-up-13-saido-berahino-a7572756.html

From the dailymail, but the general idea is the same. Lack of testing and no one gets banned even when they are positive.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...NONE-banned-authorities-details-withheld.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12029209/Does-Premier-League-drugs-problem.html
 

Nevilles.Wear.Prada

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It's kinda sketchy, right? Why would they include player that didn't spend a single minute on the field and waste testing allocation on?

Isn't the testing ultimate goal to prevent a team getting advantage because of drugs? or am I missing something here?
I think their scope is any player who is registered to play irrespective of who plays on any given time. I mean even as a crock who just warming the bench the dude is absolutely a nightmare to manage. Im loving this.
 

Nevilles.Wear.Prada

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Of course but I dont agree that it is highly probable that he cheated. That is a assumption with no proof.

One Italian doctor was saying testosterone doesnt even benefit footballers like that. Its used more by bodybuilders. The potential upside of it is very low compared to the risks of getting caught. Gazetta are also saying today that if he proves the take was involuntary the ban will become 3 months only and not 4 years.
Why would a bulking a muscle and pushing it beyond it’s natural limit wouldn’t help you in a man to man contest?
 

kouroux

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weird af. pogba doesnt strike me as someone who was eager to play football as soon as possible. werent there rumors about juventus wanting to get rid of him last summer?
A few days before this story broke, he made an itw about he's been mentally broken by his last few seasons.
I think he simply wanted to go back to playing/enjoying football
 

kouroux

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What PL players failed a test after the PL? All I can think of is Kolo Toure. Sakho got caught but through UEFA. It's a bit strange when you think about it, how few positive tests there are.
Sakho was exonerated though but the damage was done, lost part of his club and international career and he couldn't recover from it
 

KeanoMagicHat

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I can't think of many either. But it seems in the PL they either go unreported or that the number of players being tested is very small that the chances of getting caught are minimal.

This is from a few years ago.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...ns-covered-up-13-saido-berahino-a7572756.html

From the dailymail, but the general idea is the same. Lack of testing and no one gets banned even when they are positive.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...NONE-banned-authorities-details-withheld.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12029209/Does-Premier-League-drugs-problem.html
Can’t damage the brand ‘best league in the world’ too much money involved.