This makes no sense. The chances of giving away possession in an area for the opposition to counter are far smaller when shooting from distance than dribbling or passing in the same situation.
6
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 47
- Goals
- 16
- Assists
- 14
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Exactly. Precisely why Mourinho gets frustrated with Pogba sometimes IMO. You dont take that kind of risks either if you want to play for him in any defensive position. Mourinho lets players like Alexis and Martial try their things, because there is always protection for them if they do lose the ball. If it is something that defines a Mourinho-team its just this: you do not lose possession if you do not have plenty of cover.
I didn't compare them. To compare them as overall players in the pantheon of football would be a fools errand. Pogba is obviously on another planet to Cleverley, including International superstardom both on the field and off the field.
What I was trying to point out was that Pogba still has domestic League/Cup success to achieve for United, a success that has been tasted by many lesser player with bigger and smaller roles than both himself and the example in Cleverley. I don't think I've ever heard players on the United team ever come out and say they weren't prepared individually for a fixture. An example, while maybe stretched to the extreme says a lot about a few high profile individual errors and some situations that have rocked the confidence of the aspects of things like Pogba's ability for leadership, or determination and desire to be a better individual for the team.
To draw back to my original point many posts ago, I don't really mind if he fails. If he falls over, if he gives away the ball or looks like a twat. All of the negativity is lost when the fans that support the club have the security to sit back and appreciate the individuals desire to put it all on the line for every one of those fans who support the club for 90 minutes every time the shirt comes on. No excuses, no ifs, no buts. Mistakes can be washed away by atonement.
Equating it to what I have seen, I feel that I would appreciate Pogba as a team member and an individual if he'd admit that there are flaws to his game and accepted personal responsibility to want to grow and drive the team forward. I don't think anybody else would mind if he fails, because that is a big part of life on the pitch during the 90 minutes that if he wants to be an all-round player and the blood and guts of the team then be prepared to address parts of his game that need work and integrate them.
If from right now we said to him "don't worry about doing any defending, we've got you covered" and he played up field and with no responsibility to get back and help then I'd be more than happy to say "Of course, it's Pogba? Why would you want him in your own half? He's one of our best attacking players lets utilize him in the final third and cover him" but from everything he's said and the manager has pointed out he seems to want to be Mr. Responsibility. To which I'm convinced exacerbates the immaturity in his game and draws him perilously close to these individual errors. When I'd rather he just accept these flaws and be moved up field.
But who knows, he's a great player to have but a strange player to fit into this team - I'd rather have what is best for him than squeeze him into an uncomfortable position for the sake of the Mr. Responsibility role he clearly wants to be known for. We don't have a horde of world class players like the France NT.
Glad I wasn't. Couldn't care any less.
Well firstly yes you have stretched the example as many did at the time, and I'm sure you'll find many examples if you look back at times when United have lost to lesser teams where in the aftermath a player has stated the attitude of the players wasn't right, the other team wanted it more than us. That's all Pogba actually said, that got blown totally out of context.
He did as you have just asked and in the same statement you've criticised him for doing exactly what your asking him to do.
Doesn't surprise me, I find your comments on Pogba irrational.
It's really worrying reading some of the comment regarding Pogba who's been our best and most consistent performer so far. I cringe at the thought of imagining our current team without him.
It's quite amazing how much the newspapers / press can influence people's opinions.
He's no different than the player he was at Juve, if anything he's better. He's just playing for a worse team right now.
But because he likes to dance and plays with a smile on his face he's a bad guy and should be sold
I agree - people that want him gone are clueless.
Another brilliant game.
I still can’t get over the decent amount of people on here saying drop Pogba and start Mctominay!
I still can’t get over the decent amount of people on here saying drop Pogba and start Mctominay!
They're enemies of progress
They're either idiots or undercover rival fans
Ironic, considering the counter argument boils down to "ah they probably said some stuff back then as well". Yeah, sure they did.
I'm sure everything Pogba has said fits a thousand different forms of context or another. Tedious.
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That's an impressive contradiction
You criticised him for admitting he didn’t play well and then criticised him for not owning up to his shortcomings so yes your statements on Pogba do seem strange.
FAKE NEWS!!
Yes they did, a good few were about 6 weeks ago.People are actually saying this?
Bournemouth 1:2 Man Utd
Not at his best day but his desire and quality shone through in the end.
Pretty much sums it up.
Well... the manager actually did it last season
Ridiculous ofcourse because McT hasnt got a fraction of Pogba his talent.
He needs to be freed from his defensive duties, he's brilliant going forward, we're not getting the best out of him.
When we needed it he came through, can’t ask for more than that. Also wasn’t afraid to hoof when needed. No overplaying today. A proper midfield general’s performance.
I wish we had a mature Pogba in SAF years. We could have won a bit more CL.
So we played him as a LM/LAM in the second half, with Matic and Herrera behind him and he bossed it. Goes past players with ease and came up with such an important assist in the end.
Our best passer, crosser and creator.
Very much a game of two halves for him today, he was frustrated and frustrating in the first half, but played well in the second.
Think he was mostly underwhelming by his standard but created our winner nevermind.
His marauding runs down that left flank in the second half really were impressive, as were his link-up play with both Shaw and Martial. Excellent, courageous stuff again from Pogba who continues to come up with the goods when the chips are down.
Fanastic 2nd half performance. Absolutely dominated the game. They couldn't handle his pace, power and clever movement.
Brilliant assist for the goal, not many CM's in the world can take a man on the outside and deliver a peach of a cross on their weak foot.
When Paul plays well, so do United it's that simple.
Brilliant assist for the goal, not many CM's in the world can take a man on the outside and deliver a peach of a cross on their weak foot.
When Paul plays well, so do United it's that simple.
I'm a big fan of his Yaya esque runs when he's going forward like a steam train and defenders are bouncing off him. Wish he'd be more consistent with his use of ball when playing deeper though, massive two games coming up. I hope he can step up in them like he did today. Basically won the game with that cross at the end.
When the team start to attack with some freedom he’s brilliant. His work rate is top notch, too. He must have covered every blade of grass in the second half.
I rate his courage. Was clear that his assist was very deliberate today. Didn’t want to just swing it in, knew time was running out and he had to make it count. Was very calm before putting the cross in, despite the urgency of the situation.
Great second half, classy assist. Impressed also with his physical attributes.
You can see his quality and what he offers in every game so clearly. Him being on the pitch is our biggest win condition. He will be even better once we replace Matic.
I Don’t see any desire by him for the team
Look closer.
He was class second half, his crossing has always been superb.
When he first came in he used to whip loads in and then stopped for about 18 months.
Whip and bend on them.
When he first came in he used to whip loads in and then stopped for about 18 months.
Whip and bend on them.
Don't know why he doesn't do those 1-2 moves more frequently. He looks unstoppable in full flight.
"Come to Papa"
2nd half was top notch, shouting at teammates, pointing out positions, so so good.
1st half he was quite dogshit and the result of that was the whole team being dogshit. We still depend too much on him at times.
1st half he was quite dogshit and the result of that was the whole team being dogshit. We still depend too much on him at times.
He was everywhere.
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