[NotQuiteManc]

I think most of the reason why the game slows down sometimes when he is in possession is purely down to the lack of movement in front of him. I think he would love to be able to release the ball early and forward like he does for France with Mbappé, but none of our attackers seem to offer that sort of movement for him at the moment. Everything about the way we play is so static.

Agreed. At one point, he looked up and probably ready to do long pass but none of them were ready. I think this is the main problem for the team now. Either the players werent ready/willing to run and offer him a pass, or the opponent just happy to sit deep defensively. When the latter happens, this team plays like they havent been coached at all, and their style of passing game is very predictable. I dont think it is all down to Pogba or any other players.

 

[GM K]

The last two games sum up Pogba's time at United for me: Inconsistent. One moment an unbelievable footballing genius, the next moment a half arsed, highly paid flop.He makes me pull my hair because you just know his talent is incredible but he never lives up to it at a consistent level. How many times has Pogba had a bad half or a bad game followed by ones in which he was unstoppable in the last two seasons?

 

[Bob H from Manchester]

The last two games sum up Pogba's time at United for me: Inconsistent. One moment an unbelievable footballing genius, the next moment a half arsed, highly paid flop.He makes me pull my hair because you just know his talent is incredible but he never lives up to it at a consistent level. How many times has Pogba had a bad half or a bad game followed by ones in which he was unstoppable in the last two seasons?

I think his lack of consistency is a simple lack of talent. He can't keep his concentration up any more that Georgie Best could keep his lips off the bottle. It's what he is, it's a glaring weakness and (despite us all wishing like mad that he could one day keep it together for 90 minutes and be, for at least one game, the player that he could be . . . if only) it's the flaw that makes him unreliable and not worthy of our squad / not worth the money.
We could have got 2 hard grafting world class players for the money we paid for the dabbing queen . . Very very sad but, regretably very very true.

 

[Steven7290]

I think his lack of consistency is a simple lack of talent. He can't keep his concentration up any more that Georgie Best could keep his lips off the bottle. It's what he is, it's a glaring weakness and (despite us all wishing like mad that he could one day keep it together for 90 minutes and be, for at least one game, the player that he could be . . . if only) it's the flaw that makes him unreliable and not worthy of our squad / not worth the money.
We could have got 2 hard grafting world class players for the money we paid for the dabbing queen . . Very very sad but, regretably very very true.

It could be remedied by having another playmaker/passer alongside him who would do more leg work too. I'm thinking about Fred but he's really not that player at the moment.

 

[Bob H from Manchester]

It could be remedied by having another playmaker/passer alongside him who would do more leg work too. I'm thinking about Fred but he's really not that player at the moment.

Put a pair of top class supporting players alongside him to do the defensive work he doesn't do and do the pressing he can't be arsed with and we'd see the apparently wonderful future talent he was going to become at Juve. Perhaps.
Maybe I'm a bit 'glass half full though' as I do note that he seems to play great at an international level for France . . maybe his problem is that he's a bad fit for our system - maybe we need to either move him on or change our system. Whatever the case, we certainy need a change as this situation isn't tenable.

 

[criticalanalysis]

Put a pair of top class supporting players alongside him to do the defensive work he doesn't do and do the pressing he can't be arsed with and we'd see the apparently wonderful future talent he was going to become at Juve. Perhaps.
Maybe I'm a bit 'glass half full though' as I do note that he seems to play great at an international level for France . . maybe his problem is that he's a bad fit for our system - maybe we need to either move him on or change our system. Whatever the case, we certainy need a change as this situation isn't tenable.

Every player is a bad fit in Mourinho's 'system'.

 

[In Rainbows]

Put a pair of top class supporting players alongside him to do the defensive work he doesn't do and do the pressing he can't be arsed with and we'd see the apparently wonderful future talent he was going to become at Juve. Perhaps.
Maybe I'm a bit 'glass half full though' as I do note that he seems to play great at an international level for France . . maybe his problem is that he's a bad fit for our system - maybe we need to either move him on or change our system. Whatever the case, we certainy need a change as this situation isn't tenable.

We should be trying to develop TFM as a destroyer in the Kante mold. If we fail, we fail. Better to try and get something from him in that position than just trying him at RB where we already have Dalot. TFM is a good tackler, is really fast, can dribble with the ball in open spaces like when counter attacking, and can out muscle players. He's a good enough passer to play the Kante role and just like you don't expect Kante to influence the game through his passing, we can do the same with TFM so long as he has Pogba and another mobile excellent passer next to him.


And some of you are going overboard with the Pogba criticism. I would love to see a midfielder come into this side and perform better than Pogba has. It's certainly possible, but you guys underestimate how dysfunctional a side can make its players look worse. Some of you need to get over the price tag.

 

[ZenMaster Coltrane]

Every player is a bad fit in Mourinho's 'system'.

Indeed! In what world, do these posters think that any midfielder in the world is putting in 8/10, 9/10 performances in this Mourinho system. Go find a class of students with a shitty teacher and I'll go find a great teacher with students who want to learn, improve...the levels of students won't be comparable.

The movement up top, the spacing, combined with the atrocious lethargic passing tempo at all points on the field are the structural problems that prohibit anyone from excelling outside of their moments of individual brilliance.

The haters will always be there. Move it along.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I have zero complaints with him. Our lack of movement especially down the right always makes him look worse than he is

 

[Jeppers7]

Indeed! In what world, do these posters think that any midfielder in the world is putting in 8/10, 9/10 performances in this Mourinho system. Go find a class of students with a shitty teacher and I'll go find a great teacher with students who want to learn, improve...the levels of students won't be comparable.

The movement up top, the spacing, combined with the atrocious lethargic passing tempo at all points on the field are the structural problems that prohibit anyone from excelling outside of their moments of individual brilliance.

The haters will always be there. Move it along.

This is the thing....I've asked time and again and nobody has been willing to challenge it....who has been consistent? I can only think of Lukaku and Matic this season who I would call consistent, and they have been consistently shite.

 

[GM K]

Put a pair of top class supporting players alongside him to do the defensive work he doesn't do and do the pressing he can't be arsed with and we'd see the apparently wonderful future talent he was going to become at Juve. Perhaps.
Maybe I'm a bit 'glass half full though' as I do note that he seems to play great at an international level for France . . maybe his problem is that he's a bad fit for our system - maybe we need to either move him on or change our system. Whatever the case, we certainy need a change as this situation isn't tenable.

Those are two statements blown out of proportion in the media. I always laugh when people say he was different in his Juventus days. They probably never used to watch Serie A games. Pogba was the same: immensely talented, exhibited moments of sheer genius but was showy, inconsistent and never a leader on the pitch. The difference between then and now is that he was a young lad under the wings of legends like Pirlo in the midfield and a number of others around the pitch like Buffon and Chiellini. He was seen as a young upcoming talent so many of his weaknesses were excused and deemed as improvable. Here at United, he was bought at a record fee and expected to drag a struggling squad back to glory as a leader. That's a massive difference.

The other thing about his international performances is that Pogba has also had sustained periods of not performing up to the level everyone knows he can for the French national team. The World Cup provides only small sample size and even then he had about two average games and in the games he played well, Deschamps forced him to play in very disciplined roles. If he becomes more focused, disciplined and consistent, I don't see any midfield player in the world that can touch him.

I am saying Pogba has always been the same: an inconsistent genius. It's only glaring at United because this is the first team where he is THE leader of the squad in terms of talent and expectations.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

I am saying Pogba has always been the same: an inconsistent genius. It's only glaring at United because this is the first team where he is THE leader of the squad in terms of talent and expectations.

The other big difference is that most people would have oh watched Pogba's 'highlights' at Juventus - but now we seeing absoubtly everything week in well out. Pogba's highlights would look great at Utd as well.

 

[GM K]

The other big difference is that most people would have oh watched Pogba's 'highlights' at Juventus - but now we seeing absoubtly everything week in well out. Pogba's highlights would look great at Utd as well.

Hahaha! The deception of highlights.

I do like him though. When at the top of his game, he is just a joy to watch. He just needs to be consistent, cut out all the showboating and work with just three to four hairstyles.

 

[NinjaFletch]

Looks like it's time for his annual benching until he remembers that he doesn't have to take 432 touches in between receiving the ball and laying it off.

 

[Mick321]

That was beyond disgusting. It was like he'd bet on our opponents.

 

[FireballXL5]

Stank the place out again. Can't wait for him to feck off.

 

[VeevaVee]

Very Pogba tonight. Very very Pogba.

 

[Stadjer]

He had a terrible game while playing in a terrible team... that doesnt make him a terrible player though.

 

[IAmAWinner]

Would rather bin him first than sack Mourinho.

 

[Nipower888]

paul was awful today. I hate when pogba does bad solely because i have to suffer through days of hyperbolic nonsense about how awful he is, how hes the worst player ever, the reason for all our problems and how we should sell him. Its always quiet when he plays well.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Horrendous performance.

By the last 10 minutes he was in full on clown mode, losing the ball with stupid fecking flicks and backheels.

Nowhere near as good as he thinks he is.

 

[acnumber9]

He gets more stick than he deserves but I think that was the worst he’s played for us. Even when he does something stupid that costs us a goal it’s normally countered by some good stuff. There was zero good stuff from him today.

 

[Shane88]

Disgusts me at this stage seeing him in a United shirt. Just piss off.

 

[Oldyella]

He had a terrible game while playing in a terrible team... that doesnt make him a terrible player though.

This. Whats the point in looking at how any player performs right now when everyone looks terrible.

 

[el3mel]

He's absolutely disgusting when he's in his "I don't give a feck" mood. Feck his quality for all I care if he's not willing to perform on the pitch unless he wants to. He plays whenever he wants, and decides to switch off when his mood is off.

I don't think we're going to lose much when he fecks off in summer to Juve or Barca. Great player playing on mood is something I don't respect. Feck off.

 

[Nipower888]

Would rather bin him first than sack Mourinho.

Why

 

[VeevaVee]

This. Whats the point in looking at how any player performs right now when everyone looks terrible.

This is a player performance thread.

And Jose, as shit as he is, isn’t making him lose the ball in a dangerous position because of not concentrating enough, yet again.

 

[Godfather]

He can't be bothered to turn up for us

 

[Ashley R1+O]

*shrug*, it is always the same. Tries for about 15-20 minutes and then jogs around when nothing is doing. Roll on next game, nothing will change. Users will express concern and annoyance, the other users will defend him to the death. Such is the cycle. Just keep rolling the dice and hope he plays well every game. Not the recipe I'd have for a top team but it is what it is. It won't be changed while Ed is the by-proxy DOF.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Criminal performance. Lost the ball with his silly tricks in the middle of the park and gave away freekicks in dangerous positions - including for their second goal.

Is there any other player in the world with that big of a gap between their best and worst performances? Pogba is able to be both absolutely terrible and brilliant - sometimes in back-to-back games.

 

[Stadjer]

paul was awful today. I hate when pogba does bad solely because i have to suffer through days of hyperbolic nonsense about how awful he is, how hes the worst player ever, the reason for all our problems and how we should sell him. Its always quiet when he plays well.

100% true.

He had likely his worst game ever for Manchester United and during the match you could predict this thread would explode. Third post after the match was one where the poster wants him to be sold... i expected it to be the first.

 

[ZlatMan]

Not bothered. Can be a top 5 midfielder on his day but too often he goes missing. Ander Herrera has far less ability than him but still give his all. If Pogba had that level of committment we will be higher in the table.

 

[Stadjer]

He gets more stick than he deserves but I think that was the worst he’s played for us. Even when he does something stupid that costs us a goal it’s normally countered by some good stuff. There was zero good stuff from him today.

He had one moment just outside the Southampton box where he turned and got rid of 1 or 2 Southampton players and passed to Young... who failed to control.

 

[RonaldoVII]

The least we can expect, as fans, is 100% effort. Players can be average players but they still need to try. Pogba doesn't meet this standard.

 

[AngliaRed]

I’m a big Pogba fan, but what he did tonight for 90mins was absolutely shocking!

Yes he’s world class
Yes he’s our best player
Yes he’s a world cup winner

But last week and again today was terrible. Looks Asif he’s playing injured or wearing boots 5 sizes too big for him.

 

[JeffBoomTetris]

He is our most overrated player. He has great technique but has the mindset of a playground chump who thinks he can do it all on his own. Lost the ball twice with no pressure on him, one of which lead to a Soton attempt.

 

[.Rossi]

Sanchez and Pogba, neck and neck in the race for the title of biggest flop in this era of Manchester United

 

[.Rossi]

I’m a big Pogba fan, but what he did tonight for 90mins was absolutely shocking!

Yes he’s world class
Yes he’s our best player
Yes he’s a world cup winner

But last week and again today was terrible. Looks Asif he’s playing injured or wearing boots 5 sizes too big for him.

Kleberson is a World Cup winner.

 

[CM]

Worst performance I've seen him have here by some distance. There's so much shit going on around him that it still seems far from our biggest problem though.

 

[Jeppers7]

Absolutely shite today