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2016-17 Performances


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6.3 Season Average Rating
Appearances
51
Goals
9
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6
Yellow cards
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roonster09

FA Cup Predictions 2023/2024 winner
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My point is that to be a great player you need more than natural talent. Pogba is currently proving this.
And Pogba's career isn't over. He had a great career at Juventus and in England it's just started.
 

VorZakone

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Unfortunately he needs a season to fully adapt to the PL's pace. You can't force it, it has to happen naturally. I could be talking bollocks because guys like Sanchez and Payet were great from the get-go.
 

Ban

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Thing is, if we have to play him in just one formation and in just one position, LM, to thrive or if we have to buy a midfielder or two to help him what's the point. He'll never be a complete CM all rounder. Maybe he'll thrive as a LM but I never liked players who are good in just one position and in just certain formations.

I think he can be good in multiple positions, midfield 2, LM, behind the striker, just his attitude sucks right now.
He either strolls around or wants to prove all by himself and then overcomplicates everything.
 

Kush

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Some shockers in here tonight but a resident Spurs fan calling him a midfield equivalent of Balotelli takes the cake :lol: I always get the impression reading the opposition posters on here that they are desperate for him to flop so they can score some brownie points.

Coming to Pogba, it's been a mixed season for him. 41 appearances in space of six and a half months with no pre-season in a new team, new league and a new role it's not a huge surprise to me to see him struggle in games. I always thought folks thought of him as something he is not. An all-round midfield general who is excellent at both facets of the game like Vidal i.e., defensively and offensively. He's needed a baby sitter alongside him his entire career to succeed and at United we severely lack one so his deficiencies are being exposed more than ever before, add to the fact his attacking contribution has been hit and miss and you get some valid questions being raised here.

A lot of tactical talk with array of different formations are being thrown in here and people are writing him off that he'll never succeed in a midfield two, I suggest to them take out 15 mins of their time and go watch his debut performance vs Southampton which came in a midfield two. Everything you expect of a box to box midfielder was present there and I still believe that was his best performance in a red shirt so far. So, it's not something which can't be done. Ultimately, it's up to Pogba to step and improve his game. Get to grips with the pace of the PL, build an understanding with rest of the teammates and consistency will automatically come.
 

Pogue Mahone

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He's arguably playing far worse than Mkhitaryan, Martial and Shaw have for any length of time and yet he doesn't get dropped.

He really doesn't look anything like the player in black and white last season.

Needs to be dropped for a prolonged period.

That said he wasn't to blame tonight.
They all have genuine competition for their place, though. Since Carrick's started looking his age around the turn of the year we're looking threadbare in central midfield. The stupid red card has compounded this for the next couple of games. Pogba should be taken out of the team but unfortunately that's not an option.
 

WackyWengerWorld

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He's a talented player who needs other players to do the running and defending for him. The goal probably doesn't happen with Herrera on the pitch.
 

mu4c_20le

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Unfortunately he needs a season to fully adapt to the PL's pace. You can't force it, it has to happen naturally. I could be talking bollocks because guys like Sanchez and Payet were great from the get-go.
Interesting article when I was trying to find out about big signings from Serie A to the PL

There are many possible reasons why. Serie A is no longer the systemically defensive, goal-shy competition that it's regularly made out to be (indeed, last season it averaged 2.69 goals per game, second only to the Bundesliga among Europe's top five leagues), but there are undeniable stylistic differences between the top tiers of Italian and English football.

The Premier League’s thrill-a-minute intensity means that physical attributes are often coveted, whereas the more considered approach of many Serie A sides leads to a greater emphasis on tactics and out-thinking the opponent. Much of the dissimilarity boils down to variances in footballing culture between the two countries, and can have a major effect on the type of player that succeeds in each respective division.

Multiple stars who have flourished overseas have struggled to adapt to the speed of the Premier League.

Lamela himself admitted to having trouble adjusting a few months after he moved to Tottenham in the summer of 2013, suggesting that the English top flight is “not necessarily more difficult... just different”.
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-do-so-many-big-serie-signings-flop-premier-league
 

balaks

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Some shockers in here tonight but a resident Spurs fan calling him a midfield equivalent of Balotelli takes the cake :lol: I always get the impression reading the opposition posters on here that they are desperate for him to flop so they can score some brownie points.

Coming to Pogba, it's been a mixed season for him. 41 appearances in space of six and a half months with no pre-season in a new team, new league and a new role it's not a huge surprise to me to see him struggle in games. I always thought folks thought of him as something he is not. An all-round midfield general who is excellent at both facets of the game like Vidal i.e., defensively and offensively. He's needed a baby sitter alongside him his entire career to succeed and at United we severely lack one so his deficiencies are being exposed more than ever before, add to the fact his attacking contribution has been hit and miss and you get some valid questions being raised here.

A lot of tactical talk with array of different formations are being thrown in here and people are writing him off that he'll never succeed in a midfield two, I suggest to them take out 15 mins of their time and go watch his debut performance vs Southampton which came in a midfield two. Everything you expect of a box to box midfielder was present there and I still believe that was his best performance in a red shirt so far. So, it's not something which can't be done. Ultimately, it's up to Pogba to step and improve his game. Get to grips with the pace of the PL, build an understanding with rest of the teammates and consistency will automatically come.
;)
 

Litch

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We didn't lose vs Liverpool and he was also slated.
My point is he had a poor game, why are you surprised if there are negative comments?
Its a football forum had he not put in a rubbish performance there wouldn't be negative comments in here[/QUOTE]

Sadly not surprised. I love the idea that footballers but on their boots and intentionally 'put in a rubbish performance'. No issue about the criticism, just more often than not, it's only in general when we lose. We have won games that he's not be great but the focus is only on the result. We win 2-0 tonight, even if he was terrible, people are posting such negativity towards him.
 

Cassidy

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We're only making the excuses because we like him. Di Maria, Memphis etc all got stick for showing lack of commitment and hiding in games. That is what Pogba has done a few times this season and it is right he is called out.

Jogging to close down a player on the edge of the box in a huge game when the team is down to 10 is simply not good enough and has absolutely nothing to do with how talented he is.

I really hope Jose talks some sense into him, he needs to up his work rate, he has all the talent. I don't mind players having an off day, I do mind when players display a lack of commitment on the field.
 

Cassidy

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Sadly not surprised. I love the idea that footballers but on their boots and intentionally 'put in a rubbish performance'. No issue about the criticism, just more often than not, it's only in general when we lose. We have won games that he's not be great but the focus is only on the result. We win 2-0 tonight, even if he was terrible, people are posting such negativity towards him.
Willing to be there have been comments about him being poor even in games we have won
 

Seveneric

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I'm quite shocked that people aren't willing to post negative comments or criticisms in general when United win and the mood is good, such a surprise that, wouldn't expect it at all.
 

Litch

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Interesting article when I was trying to find out about big signings from Serie A to the PL



http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/why-do-so-many-big-serie-signings-flop-premier-league
Like that. He may never adapt as many don't but without patience we may never know. The funny thing is this potentially applicable to any signing from a different league and if Pogba doesn't work out, don't be too surprised in wondering why we can't attract top players from abroad. We have to create a culture that allows players time otherwise they sign for ready made success like Bayern et al.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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Unfortunately he needs a season to fully adapt to the PL's pace. You can't force it, it has to happen naturally. I could be talking bollocks because guys like Sanchez and Payet were great from the get-go.
I can see what you mean, similar to the 'Conte hitting the ground running with a new team vs Jose/others needing more time': it isn't always the case but there's no shame in needing time to adapt.

If Pogba has hit a sticky patch, fine. Go back to basics, make yourself available for the ball, put yourself about and play some simple passes in midfield. Grow in confidence by doing the easy stuff well for 10-20 minutes in the first half and attempt to influence the game later on.

Don't immediately go for the spectacular, fail then jog around like the whole thing's beneath you.
 

Shady

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Think he started well, but struggled to impose himself after the red.
 

sullydnl

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We lose: "Where were all the critics when we were winning?"

We win: "Why are you moany bastards all whining when we've won?"
 

sammsky1

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Nope. He has had more number of good performances than bad ones. Very underwhelming in big games and unreal expectations ruins it for him though.

Note: no need to reply with anything. You are a bizarre agenda driven tool.
diddums. He's not worth crying over.
 

Jacko21

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He was way too jovial at the final whistle.

He needs to sort his priorities out. He could have it all.
 

togg

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Shaken, and very stirred......
People had/have such high expectations of this guy. Often derived from his price tag, which in the big picture is meaningless really. He's not been rested at all. I bet Zlatan comes back fresher after his enforced time out! Having said that, I can't understand people's varying disappointment with him this season since there was so much hope, probably through a lot of desperation, that he would single handedly be some sort of Cantona type catalyst to success.

Reckon this season this is what we will see from Pogba....showing immense talent for some periods and then anonymity for others. Next season is the one to judge more fairly when Mourinho starts building a bit more towards the team he wants.
 

Jazz

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He needs a rest, and to get himself together mentally.

It's his first season, way too early to judge.
 

sammsky1

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I think it's you with the agenda. To say he's been shite all season is simply not true, and to single him out in the last couple of games is unfair too.
Yes, my agenda and consistent opinion is that Pogba is over rated and perhaps a dud.

Its not about being right, I wish and hope I'm not but at the start of the season, it was blasphemous to make such a suggestion. I was mocked and harangued by supposed experts. All sorts of drivel was doled out.

Sadly, looks like I'm not wrong. Even worse, Pogba is lazy and gutless too.
 

iluvoursolskjær

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I think people keep doing a tit for tat thing and lose focus on what's being discussed - you know, the whole point of a forum and all that.

Feck adapting. Feck formations. It's his application. It's dog shit. The amount of games I see him too slow on second balls, over-complicate things, or most infuriating of all - the way he jogs around half arsed literally 'pretending to press'. Pretend cos he rly achieves feckal, just moves a to b, moves his head side to side and moves on to c.

It's got nothing to do with attributes or skill or anything. He's acting like a feck in poser at the minute. A 89million quid feck in poser. Just waiting for a highlight reel moment so he can pull out the dab.
 

Cascarino

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Nope it was more about the power to predict the future....
They're completely different though, predicting where a player's career go can be an informed prediction through assessing his current talents (the way you can tell certain players will go on to be superstars, ala Ronaldo) whereas lottery numbers are entirely guesswork.

fwiw I think he will become a top CM but there's a lot of work to be done.
 

sammsky1

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We shouldn't over react he's still young. We're probably paying the price though for not dropping/resting him earlier when he under-performed. It's one thing Zlatan staying in with his output but Pogba probably hasn't warranted his untouchable status.
:lol: He is not young by any standard in any universe. And certainly not one where he's due a P45 aged around 32.
 

NinjaZombie

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Nope it was more about the power to predict the future....
I'm saying I don't see him being a dominant traditional centre midfielder. He's a little bit too casual and languid to be that kind of midfielder. Take the little incident when he got dispossessed at the edge of our own box. Too casual. Thess kind of small mental things affect your performance, especially as a centre midfielder, which if you're as important to the team as Pogba is, affects the whole team.

I might be wrong though, which I failed to put across in the post you quoted. I'm not saying what I'm saying is set in stone so don't make a straw man out of that.
 

sammsky1

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Chelsea had a counter attack in around the 85th minute, Pogba and Valencia were in about the same position.

Valencia sprinted like his life depended on it and got himself in front of the ball. Pogba jogged, very slowly, looking around at others expecting them to do the running.

It was a disgraceful and quite unforgivable moment for me.
 

sammsky1

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The feck are you on about? He's young by the most important standard of all. Elite central midfielders.
He is not young and he's certainly not elite.

When is he old then? Aged 28? So basically we get 2 years of football out of him?
 

Sylar

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He defo needs a rest, but you also see the difference he makes when hes not playing (as we saw against blackburn, albeit a lower opposition).

I think this was a game where he wasnt bad, he just was anonymous. I thought he was fine until the sending off keeping it all simple. After the sending off, it seemed like he went into that mode where hes on his own which nullifies him and his effectiveness.

I do think he needs to add hustle to his game and grind out more in these type of games. Hes got all the attributes for it. He really should have closed down Kante more so.

Also I know its small, but I didnt like seeing how happy he was hugging Kante and Conte after the game.
 

Bubz27

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46th start of the season after no pre-season. He'll be fine. We have bigger problems.
 

legball

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Until Ander went off, we were fine, and so too was Pogba, kept it simple & sensible, but after that he didn't offer anything and didn't close down Kante for the goal, he really could do with busting a gut sometimes, needs a rest now, man has literally been run into the ground, no pre-season, played almost every game. He genuinely looks lethargic and tired now.
 

Litch

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Side issue but in a team that's 6th in their respective league, I'm not sure you'd see the best out of their world class players. It's easier to look quality when you have equal quality around you. Not seen many players that sign for lesser teams but still look good. I'm sorry whilst he's not looking good at times, it's hardly playing with Juve, Bayern, Real or even Chelsea quality here.

The best moments this season have been when him and Ibra have combined. Bar DDG, the only other truly proven WC player in the team.
 
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