Of course it doesn't work, the lack of mobility is a huge issue and it's compounded by captain fridge and the fact our #10 loses the ball a lot so they get ran at a lot.
Most Pedestrian CM in the League?
- Thread starter luke511
- Start date
Agreed. Incredibly slow and defensively disastrous, which has been obvious for ages. Yet, Ole plays them together.
Pogba + anyone in a two man midfield is a joke. Matic should never be starting big games for us where he isn't protected by midfield runners. Awarding him a 3 year deal is just further proof of the mismanagement of this team.
Always thought it would be a shite combination but they've surprisingly been decent till now. It's just now that we want to push up having Pogba, Matic and Maguire within distance of each other is a combo that can only be described with yikes. Each of them already need to be partnered with mobile partners as they are AWFUL in open space
Matic - can't run.
Pogba.- can't be arsed to run.
How is this our CM duo?
Pogba.- can't be arsed to run.
How is this our CM duo?
Both can’t run
Pogba should never play for the club again but Ole has no balls to stop playing him. We looked better when he was injured last season.
Only combination that's worked for Pogba here at United was the Matic, Herrera, Pogba trio. Ole has been trying to make him play a deeper role for about a year now. Evidently with no success.
Consisting of Scotty, Fred and Bruno who went on that fantastic run...whereby soon after Scotty and Fred were dropped just to integrate Pogba back who after a 1-6 defeat was seen laughing... sure as heck was a smart long term strategic decision..
(This is not a blame Pogba thread.. the point here is that the midfield consisting of Fred, Scott and Bruno were evolving together and that proces was stopped by dropping two of them).
Bring back the two of them in the team. Scott and Fred play with much more desire and energy
(This is not a blame Pogba thread.. the point here is that the midfield consisting of Fred, Scott and Bruno were evolving together and that proces was stopped by dropping two of them).
Bring back the two of them in the team. Scott and Fred play with much more desire and energy
Last edited:
Been saying this for ages, Ole doesn’t have the balls to drop Pogba. And now he doesn’t have the balls to drop the clearly off-form Rashford.
I don't think Ole has a clue. He picks the players with the best FIFA ratings in his XI.
Let's ask our manager...?
You know, this actually makes sense... And wonder why then when we press high that this midfield is lacking legs to cover the ground when defending...add to that Harry WouldbeBeckenbauer who´s easily the most overrated defender I´ve seen in a long time...play 3 lumberjacks like that in the same team and what happens?...the other teams run ring around us
so we have a shit defense, midfield and a disjointed attack.
At what point do we blame the manager.
At what point do we blame the manager.
What midfield?
Or Maguire
I was recently searching my liked videos on YouTube and found this video 3 years ago :
Can't believe I was this deluded back then to like such things. Feck me.
Video was deleted though due to copyrights.
Can't believe I was this deluded back then to like such things. Feck me.
Video was deleted though due to copyrights.
This. People overrate Pogba’s engine hugely. At the heart of the team is a total lack of dynamism.
Myself, @devilmaycare and a few others saw this coming a long time ago. You can't have three slow players like that making up your team's central spine.
Three new threads on our uninspiring central midfield merged into one here.
Give Fred an extended run in the team. He was good last season when he played every week. Pogba has never been consistent with his form in a United shirt. VdB should get the nod in upcoming games. Can’t be worse than that display today.
Like playing in 10
Pogba had coronavirus nobody will know how will be his conditions for the future
First and foremost midfield play is about the basic things, Scholes,Xavi,Kroos,Modric,Thiago are not moment players they are experts at the basics,positioning, pass selection, discipline,selflessness,intelligence,concentration,work rate,close to perfect decision making,they always stay in the game,either offensively or defensively, I wonder why Pogba plays central midfield he doesn't have the discipline or nor the level of decision making on the ball,nor would you describe him as selfless,This is why we keep struggling to balance the team around him,for all his talent that would never work out
Well the managers we hire aren't interested in pressing so what do we expect?
Ole should go with Fernandes,Fred and VDS that trio would give him dynamism both on and off the ball
I'd love for one of the staunch Ole in campers to explain why the midfield is fine and why the setup isn't as bad as we all think.
Pogba isn't the reason we shipped 6 goals and shouldn't be the core issue here.
An issue after in which he should be sold, yes, but there are other factors that need to be addressed first.
An issue after in which he should be sold, yes, but there are other factors that need to be addressed first.
Fred should start
Donny should start
Bruno should start
Pogba can feck off
Donny should start
Bruno should start
Pogba can feck off
Sell pogba and bring Partey. Partey-Vdb-Bruno would be mint
I can't wait till he leaves. I have praised him on few occasions he has been good and backed against the shit media throws at him but he is definition of a luxury player. Trigger the extension in his contract and sell him next summer bfor whatever 70-80 we get and buy a proper player for that role.
Fred and McTominay is a proper double pivot in the truest sense of the term. They each take turns pressing and shielding. And at least they make us hard to play against, whilst forcing a battle to win the midfield.
Matic and Pogba are a flat midfield two. Matic gets asked to do all the dirty work, Pogba is relied upon to provide the creativity. The problem is that both have severe weaknesses for their roles (mobility, press resistance, consistency, pass selection, etc). Unfortunately, they're also a piece of piss for the opposition to pick the ball off, and you could drive a bus through the gaps they leave between them.
At the end of the day, you can't just replace the former with the latter and expect a like-for-like system. It's the equivalent of swapping low grade diesel for high octane petrol in your car. One might be better than the other on paper. But your engine can only run on one of them.
The double pivot of Fred and McTominay is the reason we had any success post-Bruno. It the pairing we need to go back to. We were doomed the moment Pogba regained fitness, despite him obviously be more talented than the rest.
So although United may not be perfect when Fred and McTominay play, you can actually measure their solidity by the relatively small number chances they let through the middle. Just watch them and compare to the alternative.
We only have two options to avoid a complete disaster for the rest of the season imo.
a. 5-3-2 (okay, it's not Fred and McTominay, but it does pack central midfield and central defence to give the same benefit)
*maybe McTominay/AWB for Bailly
b. 4-2-2-2
Rashford--Martial
Pogba---------------Bruno
Fred---McTominay
Telles------------------------------Williams
Maguire--Bailly
DDG
Matic and Pogba are a flat midfield two. Matic gets asked to do all the dirty work, Pogba is relied upon to provide the creativity. The problem is that both have severe weaknesses for their roles (mobility, press resistance, consistency, pass selection, etc). Unfortunately, they're also a piece of piss for the opposition to pick the ball off, and you could drive a bus through the gaps they leave between them.
At the end of the day, you can't just replace the former with the latter and expect a like-for-like system. It's the equivalent of swapping low grade diesel for high octane petrol in your car. One might be better than the other on paper. But your engine can only run on one of them.
The double pivot of Fred and McTominay is the reason we had any success post-Bruno. It the pairing we need to go back to. We were doomed the moment Pogba regained fitness, despite him obviously be more talented than the rest.
So although United may not be perfect when Fred and McTominay play, you can actually measure their solidity by the relatively small number chances they let through the middle. Just watch them and compare to the alternative.
We only have two options to avoid a complete disaster for the rest of the season imo.
a. 5-3-2 (okay, it's not Fred and McTominay, but it does pack central midfield and central defence to give the same benefit)
Rashford-------Martial
Pogba--VdB--Bruno
Telles------------------------Williams
Shaw--Maguire--Bailly*
DDG
Pogba--VdB--Bruno
Telles------------------------Williams
Shaw--Maguire--Bailly*
DDG
*maybe McTominay/AWB for Bailly
b. 4-2-2-2
Rashford--Martial
Pogba---------------Bruno
Fred---McTominay
Telles------------------------------Williams
Maguire--Bailly
DDG
Last edited:
This is so accurate. It was clearly obvious that spurs just tore through midfield like it wasnt there (probably cos it actually wasn't). This season is what really worries me about Ole, that he doesnt see this as a problem.
Southampton did it at end of last season, CP, Brighton and now Spurs have all realised that if you go for it against our midfield, they will collapse.
This midfield looks ok against teams who sit back and allow us to have the ball but when pressed, we are completely over run and fragile as eggs.
Get Fred back in there asap as a start.
When i first glanced at this thread title I thought it said Morten Pedersen... Was thinking that I know things are bad, but I don't think that's the answer.