It wasn't a consistent position mind.
Mourinho kept on adjusting the formation to move Pogba around in that two seasons.
LCM <-> CM/CDM
(3 midfield) <-> (2 midfield)
FA Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur 1:1 Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Kick-off
- Fri, 19 June 2020 @ 8:15pm BST
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Closed
Discussion Your Lineup Prediction
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Mourinho kept on adjusting the formation to move Pogba around in that two seasons.
LCM <-> CM/CDM
(3 midfield) <-> (2 midfield)
This was a pure egocentric moveJust what are you implying?
He played on the left center Midfield Herrera on the right Matic DM
Agree there were games where he wasn't awful, and actually even good.
Mostly I would say he performed poorly/average than good there unfortunately.DDG
AWB Bailly Maguire Shaw
Matic
Pogba Fernandes
James Martial Rashford
I think Ole will look to attack Spurs's back line with a very pacey attack, hence why I included James. Thoughts?
A lot depends on how sharp the lads are looking in training. E.g maybe Williams is Sharper than Shaw, Fred sharper than Maric etc. I have a feeling with the lack of crowd and 1st game back it will be a slower tempo possession based game. The 5 subs could be key.... best not conceded 1st or Jose will park a double decker bus.
He was as bad at winning as he was losing, a classless prick.Just what are you implying?
This is what I would do, although personally I would consider swapping Fred in for Matic. He's not a specialist like Matic but he's played there for the majority of this season and been our best midfielder while doing it. Spurs' dynamic players are all in the creative positions Matic will be covering - Son, Alli, Lamela, Moura. Any of them might fancy their chances of going straight past him. Fred has more pace and energy to jockey and recover.
Also technically I think you've got Pogba and Fernandes on the wrong sides of the midfield, not that it matters. They both do tend to drift wide sometimes: Pogba to the left, Fernandes to the right.feck these lily-white bitches. Had we played in March, we'd won 3-0 - now? Anything goes.God knows what system Ole will go with, but I'll be worried/surprised if he decides to experiment with a new system at this stage of the season.
I can see Ole going with that Front 5.
Iirc James gave Vert pacy problems last meeting.
Problems
1. Matic may face Son the most, that worries me. Fred or McT are better.
2. Surely Mou knows Bailly's tendencies in making risk plays and weakness in the air so that is also worrying, rather have Lindelof play.Laurie Whitehall at the Athletic reporting Pogba unlikely to start against Spurs. Reasons cited are obviously fitness, tactical requirements, and the need to "earn" his place back in the side.
https://theathletic.com/1871928/2020/06/15/paul-pogba-bench-spurs-bruno-fernandes-manchester-united/
Good overall analysis of the pros and cons of playing him and Bruno together as well.Makes sense, Spurs away with Jose probably isn't the game to start him in. There are 5 subs so he'll no doubt come on in the second half.
I don’t really understand the ‘earn his place’ narrative at all. He was playing well pre-injury. How is his situation any different from Rashfords? Will he have to earn his place too?
Our back line is in incredible form so I wouldn't bet on a pacey attack working. We haven't conceded a goal for 3 months.
If we have players in his position that are playing amazingly well and we're winning games, of course he has to.
I take your point, but we were winning games without Rashford (convincingly as well) before the break. Obviously he still goes straight back into the side, and for me it’s the same with Pogba.People will believe what they want to believe. My money is on Pogba starting the game. This whole "earning his place" narrative being thrown around is just ridiculously hilarious to me.I really think it’s best to carry on with what was working before lockdown. At least for the first game or two. Everyone playing FIFA thinking Bruno and Pogba will start together and immediately become the greatest midfield in history, frankly I could see it backfiring. Let’s Pogba come off the bench and see how it goes.
I’d agree. Analysis of the first games in Spain show teams struggling for fitness later on and a lot of creative players being replaced so he’d be perfect for that 60/70 minute sub role along with pace like Greenwood.If Pogba doesn't start it's not because our best player has to earn his place. It's either tactics of fitness
It's a direct quote from a source at the club in the article...
If you're implying the club is deliberately giving out false information to cast doubt over our potential team sheet, i suppose thats plausible.
I think, at least for me, the difference is that Rashford was our best player and produced the end result in goals. The midfield tandem is a bit harder to gauge, but the fewer parts you change of a winning side the better. I don't disagree that Pogba is our best player, but i accept that he shouldn't be shoehorned in. None of the midfielders who played prior to the lockdown deserve to go out of the team purely based on rank. I assume that the manager and coaching staff has made observations and decided this is the best option.
It's also a bit merciless to have a fresh and hungry Pogba to come on when the oppositions feet are tired.
Yeah fair. I heard a rumour that Pogba and Bruno played together in a friendly. If that’s true then it is a dead cert for me that Ole has seen enough in training to start both of them. Four days time and we will know for sure either way
Or seen enough to know he cannot start both of them Vs Spurs. Maybe against the lesser teams. We lost 2-1 in a friendly. Yes, it is a friendly but we scored a penalty goal. It seems we lacked creativity and open at the back... familiar signs.Yeah fair. I heard a rumour that Pogba and Bruno played together in a friendly. If that’s true then it is a dead cert for me that Ole has seen enough in training to start both of them. Four days time and we will know for sure either way
Agreed.
Anyway having both Pogba, Bruno fit now allows us to have a lot more tactical options. And surely this make things much harder for our opponents to guess our XI and prepare according to.
You’re really pissing on my cornflakes man! You could well be right though, I’m sure.
Why would club's sources start giving quotes about our potential tactics in upcoming crucial games. Either it's not true or the club is playing mind games.
Not to mention the reasons given as to why Pogba wouldn't start don't add up much. "Earn his place", sound like something anyone would make up given realistically Ole and his coaching stuff aren't naive enough to be thinking that way. I'm sure they are smart enough to understand that Pogba, one of the best player, if not the best in the squad ought to play if ready and fit, this whole earning his place narrative is something I expect on FM.
As for fitness and momentum, Pogba alongside the rest of the team have had 3 months with no football. We've essentially started a new season in terms of fitness which means things like momentum and fitness level prior to the interruption are out of the window. We've basically starting anew in terms of fitness and momentum.
And tactically, Ole and his stuff would know and understand that tactics will be made around fitting his best players which include Pogba. So this notion that Pogba can be left out due to tactical reasons, or earning his place sounds ludicrous to me.
The article itself sounds speculative to me. Either ways, Friday is not that far off and we'll see what happens. Meanwhile I'm confident Ole intends to start his strongest team which will include all his best players. I'm quite sure Pogba starts.
I am certain we will see both in action at some point. We have 5 subs to be used so pretty confident we will see both on the pitch at some point during the Spurs game.
Personally, I feel it would a be gamble to big to play both in an away game to Spurs. This is a huge game for us.Come on lads, it's Spurs!
Should turn it to Lads it's MourinhoI reckon Both Pogba and Bruno start. Matic behind themWe have 5 subs so I think Pogba starts on the bench for this one. Gives us an option coming on in case we need him to make a difference, or if Bruno can't complete the 90 mins. Rashford from the bench too would be my bet. With that many subs the entire game could be flipped on its head so that will be in Ole's thinking too.
I know Maguire's been getting most of the press but so much of this comes from having an RB who is actually an RB. Even when Valencia was good, he would be caught out regularly and usually just bailed himself out with his pace, Young always put in a shift but again he was never an RB, having AWB has just put a stop to the onslaught that used to happen down that side.
He will probably be up against Son which will be an interesting matchup then.
Sane and Sterling have both tried and failed. What's Son going to do
Hopefully run past him and hit a thunderbastard right into the top corner.
No chance. I’m assuming he is as fit as all the other guys. He and Bruno have to start and given every minute available to form their relationship. Entire team has to be built around this relationship.
If OGS can make it work, and cajole Pogna into consistent greatness, it will win is the league next year.Laurie Whitwell has reported that Pogba will be on the bench with something to do on fitness and earning his place. As much as I support this sentiment, I was really looking forward to Brogba- Status
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
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Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 336 ratings.
Score Predictions
254,15,64
- Man Utd win
- Tottenham win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 25% Tottenham 1:2 Man Utd
- 19% Tottenham 0:2 Man Utd
- 13% Tottenham 1:3 Man Utd
- 11% Tottenham 1:1 Man Utd
- 5% Tottenham 0:1 Man Utd
- 4% Tottenham 0:3 Man Utd
- 4% Tottenham 0:5 Man Utd
- 4% Tottenham 0:0 Man Utd
- 4% Tottenham 2:2 Man Utd
- 2% Tottenham 2:3 Man Utd
- 2% Tottenham 0:4 Man Utd
- 2% Tottenham 2:1 Man Utd
- 1% Tottenham 2:0 Man Utd
- 1% Tottenham 5:5 Man Utd
- 1% Tottenham 2:4 Man Utd
- 1% Tottenham 1:4 Man Utd
- 1% Tottenham 1:0 Man Utd
- 0% Tottenham 4:5 Man Utd
- 0% Tottenham 5:0 Man Utd
Match Stats
- Tottenham
- Man Utd
- Possession
- 39% 61%
- Shots
- 10 12
- Shots on Target
- 3 6
- Corners
- 7 6
- Fouls
- 17 18
Referee
Jonathan Moss
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Nemanja Matic
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replaced by Paul Pogba
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replaced by Eric Bailly
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replaced by Odion Ighalo
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replaced by Mason Greenwood
