He's only young!

[Selbourne]

I've seen people defending Pogba's performances by saying that he's only young despite him being 23 and turning 24 next month.

I dont wanna single pogba out here, i do think he's great a great player myself, but any player that age i think they should be performing at their near best, that's why I feel like he's a good example for the thread. I think if you are near 24 you cant be considered a young player.

What age for you does the age excuse fly out the window? Something that stuck with me years ago was on here when some people was defending Anderson by saying he was only young despite at the time being 24. If you are 24 you should be performing near your best in my view.

 

[Billy Blaggs]

26/7

 

[Womp]

26/7

This

/thread

 

[Billy Blaggs]

This

/thread

I think its been proven its the perfect mix of brain and body. For men anyway.

 

[Selbourne]

Thread solved/

Can a mod lock this please

 

[Pexbo]

I think its been proven its the perfect mix of brain and body. For men anyway.

For women you can comfortably knock 8 years off that.

 

[Billy Blaggs]

Oh no doubt. Mrs Blaggs was mature when I was still a boy and I'm a year older.
I see it with my daughter vs my son (minus the stove issue)

 

[ThomasEmil]

If you're below 24 you're a talent, if you're above 29 you're getting old and need replacement. It's simple Football logics

 

[Billy Blaggs]

Isn't that the truth

 

[Murray3007]

would prob say around 26/27 when we will see the best of Pogba, 1st season syndrome as well wont help, needs get the play going quicker and realise its a team game, few weeks back he was going threw a fantastic spell, seems to have went back to trying a bit to much fancy stuff. sure at 23 Zidane was just joing Juventus from France, Pogba has the World Record Fee to deal with as well while United aint exactly on top form.

 

[Sassy Colin]

Adam Lallana - Forever young

 

[yumtum]

For women you can comfortably knock 8 years off that.

Legal but filthy, I like where your heads at.

 

[roonster09]

His goal misses are remembered but the fantastic chances he created are always ignored. He created 2 or 3 excellent chances but our strikers missed them.

 

[rcoobc]

Phil Jones is 24. I think people stopped giving him leeway about 3 years ago.

 

[rcoobc]

Januzaj is 21. People also gave up on him 1 or 2 years ago.

 

[Jev]

I think part of the problem with Pogba is that he feels like a superstar already. Most expensive player in the world, highly profiled with his own emoji, he looks and plays like a guy who feels like he's made it. It's a tricky balancing act because his arrogance and swagger is part of what makes him good but I'm not sure he has the drive and modest mindset required to make the improvements he needs to make.

 

[DM07]

Ronaldo was the best player in the world and had Manchester United's best individual season aged 23. Rooney was 24 when he had an absolute world class season in 2009-10 and was the best player in the league. Neymar is among the top five players in the world since 22 years of age. I definitely expected better from the most expensive player in the world. The age excuse definitely doesn't cut it anymore.

 

[Infordin]

Verratti is about the same age as Pogba, give or take 5 months.


Verratti was 22 at the time, up against the best club in the world.

Anyway generally speaking by the time a player is 24, they should pretty much be in their prime (or just entering it).

Xavi, Iniesta, and Pirlo are just some examples of midfielders who were all already world class at the age of 24.

 

[roonster09]

Verratti is about the same age as Pogba, give or take 5 months.


Verratti was 22 at the time, up against the best club in the world.

Anyway generally speaking by the time a player is 24, they should pretty much be in their prime (or just entering it).

Xavi, Iniesta, and Pirlo are just some examples of midfielders who were all already world class at the age of 24.

Check Pogba's performance against Bayern away.

 

[duffer]

Forwards 23
Midfielders 24
Defenders 25
Goalies 26
Managers 45

After those ages, they're not "young".

 

[Pass and Move]

Clearly age is irrelevant as players reach their peaks at different points within their careers.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

When Frank Lampard and Roy Keane were Pogba's age they had only just signed for Chelsea and United respectively.

Vieira had already won the league and cup double with Arsenal tbf.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I have a very unscientific theory that short players hit their peak earlier than tall ones. Late developers seem more likely to be tall and gangly anyway.

 

[LouisDanGaal]

The age thing isn't an excuse, players get better the older they get in some areas of the pitch with experience and developing new skills. For a winger you can burst on to the scene at 20 and below and you aren't necessarily a million miles off your potential already. With a centre forward similarly a lot can be good relatively young. However with CM's it is entirely different, look at how late modric became world class, or when Iniesta eventually got his guaranteed place at barca ( 24) its the most involved position on the pitch so requires the most experience. Pogba is young.

Added on to that every player is different, Pogba will peak earlier than a player like modric or iniesta though because there is the physical side to his game as much as the technical side to his game. I think he will be at his best at 27

 

[FacerTheRed]

Age is irrelevant, United has a 35 year old striker playing week in and week out and is the clubs leading scorer this season. It's all about experience & talent. Obviously Pogba is not lighting up the stadium yet because this is his first season, at the moment his price tag is asking so much of him and granted, when you pay that amount you expect magic. He has the talent, we've all see what he can do but some people adjust differently than others, he's not doing too bad but i'm sure he'll get better each season. Brighter side is the club is heading the right direction and starting to see progression, just have to be patient and hope he'll reach the potential we know Pogba has.

 

[devilish]

Pogba has nothing to prove. After leaving United he became the Serie A best midfielder at Juventus and he's now the most expensive midfielder in the world. Considering that we are barely able to qualify to the CL we are lucky to have him especially after snubbing him in favour of the likes of Cleverley.

He is also doing very well with us by scoring 7 goals in 32 appearances. Can he do better? Of course he can. At Juventus he did better and he's doing better with France were he scored goals against Holland and Sweden. But there again at Juventus and with France he played/plays with better CMs then the ones we currently have.

 

[devilish]

Age is irrelevant, United has a 35 year old striker playing week in and week out and is the clubs leading scorer this season. It's all about experience & talent. Obviously Pogba is not lighting up the stadium yet because this is his first season, at the moment his price tag is asking so much of him and granted, when you pay that amount you expect magic. He has the talent, we've all see what he can do but some people adjust differently than others, he's not doing too bad but i'm sure he'll get better each season. Brighter side is the club is heading the right direction and starting to see progression, just have to be patient and hope he'll reach the potential we know Pogba has.

Pogba is an attacking minded midfielder. He won't sort the midfield by himself. Scholes needed Keane and later Carrick to shine, Zidane needed Makalele, Davids and Deschamps and Pirlo needed Gattuso and Vidal. Pogba has an ancient Carrick/Bastian who can barely run and a giant waste of space at his back. All of these players were seasoned world class midfielders.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Blaming the other midfielders in our squad for Pogba's occasionally underwhelming performances is massively missing the point. Not least because it fails to explain how he has managed to put in a number of very good performances too.

 

[Florida Man]

I can't help but think we wouldn't have this conversation if we just converted our chances like a top team. I'm sure Pogba would have much more assists if so. He's also had many shots — some potentially class ones — hit the posts. So with that in mind, his effect between what he is now and what is worthy of his price tag is by slim margins. He'll come around to lighting up the place soon enough.

 

[Alan Partridge]

Every player is different obviously. Pogba seems like a pretty immature person both off and on the pitch. Hopefully his brain will mature before his body deteriorates and then, during this overlap he'll peak. May be next year may be when he's 33. Who knows. But in the mean time he's a very decent player doing okay in his first (proper) season in the toughest league in the world. And I for one am very excited to watch him develop despite how frustrating it can be at times.

 

[devilish]

Blaming the other midfielders in our squad for Pogba's occasionally underwhelming performances is massively missing the point. Not least because it fails to explain how he has managed to put in a number of very good performances too.

I've yet to remember one top quality attacking midfielder doing well week in week out without a decent DM behind him

 

[devilish]

Every player is different obviously. Pogba seems like a pretty immature person both off and on the pitch. Hopefully his brain will mature before his body deteriorates and then, during this overlap he'll peak. May be next year may be when he's 33. Who knows. But in the mean time he's a very decent player doing okay in his first (proper) season in the toughest league in the world. And I for one am very excited to watch him develop despite how frustrating it can be at times.

Well I beg to differ, not only because I had the opportunity to talk with him a few years back but also because its almost impossible for an immature young player to do so well at a club like Juventus. This guy succeeded were the likes of Thierry Henry failed miserably.

 

[Rossa]

Forwards 23
Midfielders 24
Defenders 25
Goalies 26
Managers 45

After those ages, they're not "young".

No leeway with you I see. "Only a Sith deals in absolutes", or something like that.

 

[AgentP]

Januzaj is 21. People also gave up on him 1 or 2 years ago.

funny but a lot of truth in it!

 

[Rossa]

Blaming the other midfielders in our squad for Pogba's occasionally underwhelming performances is massively missing the point. Not least because it fails to explain how he has managed to put in a number of very good performances too.

Pogba has a tendency to not make the easy pass only to dribble a little, feint something and dance around a little, and then he realises that the only viable pass was that easy pass he could have made a day sooner. That has nothing to do with his teammates. I agree.

 

[Raees]

I have a very unscientific theory that short players hit their peak earlier than tall ones. Late developers seem more likely to be tall and gangly anyway.

I don't think it is that unscientific.. makes sense if you're going through growth spurts, it will take time for you to fill out your frame. Alot of young players lose co-ordination and need time to readjust to their bodies.

Pogba definitely looks like someone who hasn't fully got to grips with his body yet. For me I still think he needs to hit the gym because endurance/movement wise, he still looks nowhere near where he could and should be. Looks like a boy compared to someone like Yaya Toure who looks very in tune with his body despite being a similar frame.

 

[duffer]

No leeway with you I see. "Only a Sith deals in absolutes", or something like that.

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

 

[Rossa]

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

I have a bad feeling about this!

 

[BigDunc9]

I have a very unscientific theory that short players hit their peak earlier than tall ones. Late developers seem more likely to be tall and gangly anyway.

I think certain players, the big powerful type take a while to get the body just right. I noticed with Barkley last seasons, he put on weight and became stronger but became slower and unfitter as a result. He's looking much leaner these past 3 months and it looking all the better for it.

 

[TheBiggest]

I think Paul Pogba is in and amongst the greatest ever young midfielders I've ever seen. At 23, he is immense. People are only judging him against his transfer fee, which is very unfair on the individual himself.

Let's look at some of the great midfielders of my generation.

ZIDANE - one of my fave ever players - Pogba reminds me of him in terms of touch and hold-off - but at 23 Zidane was in and out of the first team at Bordeux, although highly rated, he was inconsistent. Moved to Juve at 24 and started to climb the ranks to 'world class' around the age of 27.

SCHOLES - not a Man Utd regular at just 23. In fact Scholes was even considered behind Nicky Butt in the pecking order. Became world class around 26 years of age, but people really started raving about him in his late 20s.

XAVI - at 23, Xavi was highly thought of but a long way off being top drawer. He was in the Barca first team and was inching into being a regular starter for Spain. It wasn't until he was about 28 that people started to genuinely realise he was one of the best ball utilsers in world football.

PIRLO - nowhere near world class at 23. Had only arrived at Milan after impressing and showing promise on loan at Regina. He went to Brescia when he was 21-22 and couldn't really get in their first team regularly. About 5 years later, he was deemed top drawer...but went through his mid 20's not necessarily recognised as a world great.

I would say Pogba is ahead of all these greats at this specific time in his career. I say that without any bias. I just think people are judging him off his transfer fee, which is not fair on the player himself. SO to say "he's only young" is a very, very, very valid argument. His best years are way ahead of him.