[Kag]

He was poor. At the same time, he was responsible for the only moment of quality we had in an attacking sense. He's far from an issue.

 

[Ban]

I agree with you on that, just wanted to highlight another annoying aspect of his game.

I don't know if it's his price or it's him overall but he should put himself out there more so to say.

 

[Scholesy]

I'm not sure what people expect him and Zlatan to do. This is the Premier League. You need to attack as a team to score goals. Even if we had Messi and Ronldo as our front 2, they would have done nothing tonight

 

[Gandalf Greyhame]

Really poor passer. Slow brain.

Fraud

French midfield version of Memphis

Man United, Galactico graveyard.

Was absolutely terrible. I mean, fecking awful altogether.

I still don't see what everyone else sees in him. He doesn't even look like a footballer.

I can't believe I read that. It's Trump-esque.

We had 7 people in the back line for a huge part of the game today, we weren't interested in taking initiative. He can't just dribble past the entire Liverpool midfield and defense just because we bought him for 89m. Did you even see that ball he put in for Zlatan? If that had gone in, everyone would have been praising him for his vision. Also, he won 7 aerial duels today, more than anyone else.

If this were a free flowing attacking game and he didn't contribute, it would have made sense. It wasn't. He did what he was asked to do. We could have won thanks to him.

Only a Sith deals in extremes. You lot seem to be Dark Jedi Overlords.

 

[togg]

His style of play makes it REALLY hard to patient when he's playing poorly. We do need to be patient, obviously, but he's fecking infuriating right now. So irritating to watch.

I know I'll get bashed, but I really don't think he's as good as the football fraternity have been making out. He has a raw talent for sure and I know one can't look at the 89 odd million we have spent and expect world class displays all the time, and yes he's had a few decent games, but generally he's been more disappointing and eratic than expected. Hopefully he'll find some sort of consistent cohesive rhythm - I just wish it to happen sooner rather than too much later.

 

[kouroux]

I don't know if it's his price or it's him overall but he should put himself out there more so to say.

I think the price has nothing to do with, it's who he is. Hopefully he'll mature more as a player on and off the ball.

 

[Chicharito_]

Jose not happy with Pogba, says we lacked penetration in his position. Was hinting that he was going to sub him for Rooney if Rashford didn't cramp.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I'm not sure what people expect him and Zlatan to do. This is the Premier League. You need to attack as a team to score goals. Even if we had Messi and Ronldo as our front 2, they would have done nothing tonight

We didn't play with a front 2. HTH.

 

[Stobzilla]

Well that's ok, then. The other 92 awful minutes no longer matter.

Yes, I said that.

 

[Ban]

I think the price has nothing to do with, it's who he is. Hopefully he'll mature more as a player on and off the ball.

I hope too cause he has it all in his locker to be a world beater.

 

[Scholesy]

We didn't play with a front 2. HTH.

Yes we did. It was 6-2-1-1

 

[Jerch]

Rooney got stick for Scoring the odd goal or getting an assist to paper over his bad performances, creating a chance we didn't even score from isn't really enough is it.

It is not up to him if we score from a chance he create.

It is like some people didn't even watch him at Juventus and are expecting from him what they saw from YouTube videos.
His potential is crazy and he will often deliver Scholes like pass, also his dribbling is quite good and is a big lad who brings muscles to the midfield. We didn't money we did for a player he is now but because his potential like we did with Martial for example.
He didn't played much better at June tbf and if people are expecting much better from him right now they will be disappointed. But I am confident that after 2 or 3 years when he will mature his transfer fee will look like a bargain. Also he is not number 10 but more a 6.

I agree he did some stupid mistakes like bad touches or not tracking his player but it wasn't as bad as some are saying.

 

[Steven Seagull]

Painfully slow sometimes. Spends at least 25 minutes of the game with one leg above his head

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yes we did. It was 6-2-1-1

That well known formation...

 

[Synco]

We sat back and gave the front 2 very little support, pogba was having to carry the ball with little to no help.

He was poor but his task today was to attack by himself with just Ibra (who was terrible again) for support.

He's simply not the right player for that role. In the end no one really is, because attacking needs to be a team effort, and United wasn't interested in that at all tonight.

Pogba is clearly overchallenged with being isolated like that. But at the same time, if he doesn't try extraordinary stuff, nothing happens at all. Catch-22 situation.

So I think it's a tactical problem in the first place. Similar to (and worse than) Hazard's at Chelsea, but the Belgian is suited way better to deal with it.

 

[Scholesy]

That well known formation...

If we had Messi and Ronldo instead of Pogba and Zlatan tonight...do you think they would have done any better?

 

[kouroux]

If we had Messi and Ronldo instead of Pogba and Zlatan tonight...do you think they would have done any better?

Individually yeah probably but would that have impacted the result ? Not really sure about that.

 

[IhabX7]

I'm not sure what people expect him and Zlatan to do. This is the Premier League. You need to attack as a team to score goals. Even if we had Messi and Ronldo as our front 2, they would have done nothing tonight

Don't bother mate, people have made their mind up. I agree with you completely, the rest will follow suit in a few months. Even Cristiano Ronaldo was getting battered on here to the level of people wanting him out. Pogba and Zlatan have both done well this season all things considered.

 

[Scholesy]

Individually yeah probably but would that have impacted the result ? Not really sure about that.

Agree because there was basically no attack the full game (I'm not criticising Mou, happy with point)

 

[kouroux]

Agree because there was basically no attack the full game (I'm not criticising Mou, happy with point)

Indeed. A point is a great result all things considered.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

If we had Messi and Ronldo instead of Pogba and Zlatan tonight...do you think they would have done any better?

Definitely.

Although you're not comparing like with like. De Bruyne, Delle Ali or Cazorla instead of Pogba and we'd have been far better.

He had a poor game. It happens. He'll play better. But stop denying what's happening right in front of your eyes.

Even Wayne fecking Rooney improved us by making a few sensible passes and actually maintaining possession for a few minutes. Pogba just seemed incapable of the very basics for most of tonight's match.

 

[sammsky1]

Indeed. A point is a great result all things considered.

Im also happy with a point. That still does not excuse Pogba's invisibility.

 

[Powderfinger]

He just isn't a 10, at least offensively. If you're expecting him to be an offensive focal point playing in a very advanced role, you're not going to score many goals. His movement and creativity just isn't on the level of elite players in that category (Ozil, De Bruyne, etc). In this type of match its fine because you set up defensively and he is much better than most 10s from a defensive perspective, closing down very high up the pitch and cutting off passing lanes. I thought he did that brilliantly today in the first half. But offensively you get the most out of him if he plays deeper and is relied upon to add some special quality to the attack when he gets on the ball deep or to make late runs into the box, not if he is expected to be the more advanced player that everything runs through.

 

[sammsky1]

Jose not happy with Pogba, says we lacked penetration in his position. Was hinting that he was going to sub him for Rooney if Rashford didn't cramp.

Jose would be right too. I think Pogba should be dropped for a few games and give Mhki a run at no 10.

 

[pocco]

The one positive from today is that at least I have really clear examples from this game that i can point to when explaining why he isn't a no.10. It's been annoying listening to people that think he should be playing there and that's what the issue has been.

 

[sammsky1]

He just isn't a 10, at least offensively. If you're expecting him to be an offensive focal point playing in a very advanced role, you're not going to score many goals. His movement and creativity just isn't on the level of elite players in that category (Ozil, De Bruyne, etc). In this type of match its fine because you set up defensively and he is much better than most 10s from a defensive perspective, closing down very high up the pitch and cutting off passing lanes. I thought he did that brilliantly today in the first half. But offensively you get the most out of him if he plays deeper and is relied upon to add some special quality to the attack when he gets on the ball deep or to make late runs into the box, not if he is expected to be the more advanced player that everything runs through.

According to different apologists on here, he's not a 6, 8 or 10. Then what the is he then?!

Do we have to redefine footballing positions just so we can understand the genius that is supposedly Paul Pogba?

 

[Kraftwerker]

Watching MOTD and just remembering when Karius passed it to him the box.

He should've realised Ibra was offside. Play it back to one of the runners and they're in huge trouble. Had 3 or 4 running in with their midfield nowhere.

 

[Raw]

Jose would be right too. I think Pogba should be dropped for a few games and give Mhki a run at no 10.

Personally I'd like to see Mata there and Mkhi on the right. Thankfully we can afford some experimentation against Fenerbahce (not too much, it's still a must win) before we continue our intense run of games.

 

[sammsky1]

Personally I'd like to see Mata there and Mkhi on the right. Thankfully we can afford some experimentation against Fenerbahce (not too much, it's still a must win) before we continue our intense run of games.

I dont mind that either. But just like Rooney was dropped for being poor, so Pogba should be too.

 

[united_99]

Can we have a peak Park back please and play him instead of Pogba?

 

[kouroux]

I dont mind that either. But just like Rooney was dropped for being poor, so Pogba should be too.

Yeah but you see the difference between the 2 players right ? There is hope that Pogba will improve as a player whereas with Rooney he's been shite for a long time with no signs of changing.

 

[Ludens the Red]

I'm not sure what Pogba and Zlatan not having support does to stop Pogba passing the ball in a normal way to a team mate stood 5 yards away from him, or dwelling on the ball against a team known for vigorous pressing. I can see how this is going to go, literally every game Pogba doesn't play well, some new excuse will appear. It will basically never be his fault.

 

[Stack]

Think he is better when he has Mata running around providing short 1-2's and bounce passes

 

[ReDDHDevilS]

He needs to step up and step up big time. It's unacceptable the number of times he gets dispossessed.
Some of the fans who desperately wanted us to sign him have already started turning against him and with performances like this, it's only going to get worse. We fans these days are very impatient and won't give him the settling time that he needs I believe. Regardless, when Fellaini puts in better performances than him in that case it's a bit worrying especially for the manager who put so much faith in him.

 

[Kraftwerker]

Can we have a peak Park back please and play him instead of Pogba?

Adidas ad Pogba.

 

[Sylar]

Not his best game and needs to do better in some positions. However we arent going to see him do his best in games like this. TBH, we need him more for games against the lower teams where we struggled last few seasons and I think he will come good in those.

However saying that, in a game as tight as today, he created a clear chance for Zlatan with his cross after getting away from his man and took out their defenders. If Zlatan hits the target and scores, its a different story.

 

[LouisDanGaal]

It is not up to him if we score from a chance he create.

It is like some people didn't even watch him at Juventus and are expecting from him what they saw from YouTube videos.
His potential is crazy and he will often deliver Scholes like pass, also his dribbling is quite good and is a big lad who brings muscles to the midfield. We didn't money we did for a player he is now but because his potential like we did with Martial for example.
He didn't played much better at June tbf and if people are expecting much better from him right now they will be disappointed. But I am confident that after 2 or 3 years when he will mature his transfer fee will look like a bargain. Also he is not number 10 but more a 6.

I agree he did some stupid mistakes like bad touches or not tracking his player but it wasn't as bad as some are saying.

Potential is absolutely irrelevant to the discussion though. This is a performance thread. Expectations are also irrelevant, if Fellaini had played like that he would have been slated and he has much lower expectations. He played bad, and made one really good pass, but that doesn't mean he didn't play bad and is nowhere near enough for an advanced midfielder.

 

[Kevin]

His hair was on point though.

 

[JaffyJoe]

Even if he had assisted Zlatan he would have still had a poor game. One moment of quality does not mask a dire performance for anyone even 3 or 4 moments of quality. a GAME is 90 minutes long. You don't have to be doing magic the whole time but be progressive. He put in a shift defensively but on the ball he was awful. I lost count of the amount of times he lost the ball.

 

[sammsky1]

His hair was on point though.

Really, I thought it affected his aerodynamics