He was trying to do Mctominays job as well as his usual job. Whenever we've asked him to stretch and do two jobs the result has always been patchy. We just need to buy a cdm that can rotate with Matic. Mctominay is not it. We have to keep Pogba away from our goal because he does risky stuff that you want when attacking but not necessarily when trying to keep control of possession 20 metres from our own goal
6
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 22
- Goals
- 1
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
In my opinion there are 3 reasons:
1) the Bruno honeymoon period, as you mentioned
2) Bruno tends to give the ball away attempting passes, whereas Pogba often gives it away while dribbling. Turnovers from dribbling somehow feel more infuriating, especially in conjunction with the next reason
3) Bruno plays further up the pitch. When Bruno gives the ball away you’ve normally still got Pogba and Matic behind the ball, so there’s less danger. When Pogba gives the ball away he’s often very deep, meaning the opponent gets a clear run at our defence
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Class on grass.
Our best player.
Vive la Pogba FC.
Our best player.
Vive la Pogba FC.
That was neither amazing nor bad performance from Pogba tonight. A 6/10 if you want to rate it.
Yeah was very meh today, same as last game. Sure he'll bring his best again on Sunday.
Very worried about Sunday. Chelsea have had two days more rest. We would have to field our best XI to win but our best XI is visibly knackered. I think we may see Fred and McTominay on Sunday and that would be a good choice for the first half given they’ve played very well against Chelsea before.
Surprised with some of the comments. i thought he did okay-well.
Was the only midfielder who tried to take some passing initiative in the first half and wasn't playing hot potato with the ball i.e Bruno and McT. Did quite a bit of defensive work (for his standards anyways) and quite disciplined.
His problem of dallying on the ball is because he doesn't want to pass the ball back in a non-progressive position. It's easy to play it square or back when it came. He takes a lot of risk, on half turns and close touches to draw players closer to him so he can open up and then release others.
Yes it's an individual problem as he hasto choose his moments but it's a largely a systematic one because we simply don't have intelligent triangles and off the ball movement when it's not in open spaces.
Was the only midfielder who tried to take some passing initiative in the first half and wasn't playing hot potato with the ball i.e Bruno and McT. Did quite a bit of defensive work (for his standards anyways) and quite disciplined.
His problem of dallying on the ball is because he doesn't want to pass the ball back in a non-progressive position. It's easy to play it square or back when it came. He takes a lot of risk, on half turns and close touches to draw players closer to him so he can open up and then release others.
Yes it's an individual problem as he hasto choose his moments but it's a largely a systematic one because we simply don't have intelligent triangles and off the ball movement when it's not in open spaces.
Lets just play him as a 10 in the Chelsea game and aubstituded by Fernandes at 60 min mark regardless of results.
Have to sitters in the game.
Have to sitters in the game.
I felt like they were targeting him a bit in the first half because, even though he's obviously a brilliant footballer, there's always a decent chance he will hold onto the ball for longer then necessary and they can steal it off him.
Pogba has been good since he came back, looks settled and happy. We are a better side with that Pogba in it. However he still frustrates the hell out of me, for all of his ability he will never be world class for me as for every fantastic thing he does in a game he seems to do something sloppy as well. He is 27 now and it is still in his game.
The higher you are on the pitch, the higher amount of workrate is needed.
Playing CAM will force him to sprint more, and sprinting is the main cause of injuries.
He was too high against Southampton and the result was that they pressed us to death.
I thought his starting position was much better today, despite the complaints in here about him being deep. But his awareness of the players around him was poor. Overall some good play, but also some silly lapses in concentration.
Ole should tell him not to play anything risky that could come back at United from the middle third. If he's going to try something that might not come off, do it in the final third like Bruno does.
I thought his starting position was much better today, despite the complaints in here about him being deep. But his awareness of the players around him was poor. Overall some good play, but also some silly lapses in concentration.
Ole should tell him not to play anything risky that could come back at United from the middle third. If he's going to try something that might not come off, do it in the final third like Bruno does.
Bruno plays his risky passes off one touch. Pogba plays them off two or three touches.
So when Bruno does it, he at least puts the opposition immediately on the back foot and helps United move up the pitch. But when Pogba does it, he invites pressure which can sometimes pen us back.
The talent is there with Pogba. He just needs to develop the muscle memory for one-touch play in the middle third.
There is a massive difference in performance when Pogba plays next to Matić compared to McT. Nemanja seems to orchestrate everyone around him and it helps a lot to keep the ball in critical moments. Even Pogba himself said in a recent interview that Matić speaks to him all the time on the pitch, telling him what to do and when to go forward.
It is also visible in his reactions when he gets the ball from the CBs (or Matić) facing De Gea. It's little things like "man on" and "turn left/right" but McT is still too nervous and anxious to move forward for this role.
I hope Pogba develops a similar level of understanding with Fred and Scottie but it's not there yet.
As for the times he loses the ball from someone sneaking from behind, he will surely train on that and become more aware and physically dominant to protect possession.
Grew into the game once Matić stepped in like the whole team really.
He should cut dilly dallying on the ball near our box, I get he's brilliant technically and he can dribble past 2, 3 players but so close to the goal is to risky. Sometimes takes too much time on the ball, he's most effective when he plays it simple. Some of the long balls which change the side of our attack and the rythm were fantastic.
He should cut dilly dallying on the ball near our box, I get he's brilliant technically and he can dribble past 2, 3 players but so close to the goal is to risky. Sometimes takes too much time on the ball, he's most effective when he plays it simple. Some of the long balls which change the side of our attack and the rythm were fantastic.
He grew into the game but really needs to stop fecking around with the ball in our own box. Not his best game but he was our best midfielder probably, despite Bruno's assist.
Agree in the fact Pogba is better further up the pitch, but you have to question his footballing brain when he is trying skills and flicks on the edge of his own area.
Pogba needs to learn when to keep the tricks at bay and when to just do the basics.
He got caught a few times when it could have been avoided, but on the flip side he kept possession when you thought he'd lose it sometimes too. He makes life harder for himself when he's playing deeper
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I was hoping he’d ask if he was busy today
I am sure with time he will learn the role of playing deeper if consistently picked there. He is intelligent and talented enough to figure it out with good coaching.
Terrible for fort 50 minutes.
Brilliant for last 30.
But to be fair to him he looked absolutely knackered. Rest against Chelsea cause even at Pogba's worst he is offers way more than Scott and Fred.
Brilliant for last 30.
But to be fair to him he looked absolutely knackered. Rest against Chelsea cause even at Pogba's worst he is offers way more than Scott and Fred.
We need someone who can take the ball off the back four under pressure, turn and distribute with variation. Otherwise we are playing the wrong system for the players we have. It shouldn’t be Pogba back there setting up plays. He’ll get caught in possession too much. Neves or Tonali or even Alcantara would be great to rotate with Matic. Matic is really good with the ball under pressure and close to our goal. I can’t remember the last mistake he’s made that lead to a goal. You just can’t be ponderous back there when you’re setting the pace for the whole team.
He was decent to good. But for the last two games we need more than that. It doesn't help when Fernandes is as bad as he was though.
good to see
you are all correct. Bruno passing is unreliable but he will reliably record goals and assists every game so we let him get on with it.
Also it is hard to get mad when someone is trying to force the issue in the final 3rd as this is they way we will make moves and get results.
A bit Gerrard esque in that sense. Paul is a player who will always have questions over his decision making at times so it is also better to have him further forward which is why we need a prime Michael Carrick to sit and free them both up
Also. As @Dante said somewhere else, Bruno tends to give the ball away attempting a first time pass. Speeding play up. Which is nowhere near annoying as someone giving the ball away after taking several touches and slowing our play down (which is how Pogba/Matic usually lose the ball).
Thought he played alright but his task has been made difficult by his partner in both previous games leaving him in no mans land.
McTominay was poor yesterday, countless times he was just a passenger and not making himself a viable option. I recall an occasion where Pogba had to drop to pick the ball up from the CB and then run 40 yards to progress the play before passing because there was literally no option in that middle third between the defence and the forwards. McTom was just standing next to a Palace player. We need a couple of quality passing, dynamic midfielders to come in.
In a dream world we would bring in a prime Michael Carrick type and Thiago alongside Pogba and Bruno to be the main 4 rotating. Fred and McTom should be squad options, they will get loads of games but the drop off is too vast and not sure they'll ever be suited to a dominating team as their perceived strengths are more suited to an approach that surrenders the ball and lets the other team play, which should never be us!
McTominay was poor yesterday, countless times he was just a passenger and not making himself a viable option. I recall an occasion where Pogba had to drop to pick the ball up from the CB and then run 40 yards to progress the play before passing because there was literally no option in that middle third between the defence and the forwards. McTom was just standing next to a Palace player. We need a couple of quality passing, dynamic midfielders to come in.
In a dream world we would bring in a prime Michael Carrick type and Thiago alongside Pogba and Bruno to be the main 4 rotating. Fred and McTom should be squad options, they will get loads of games but the drop off is too vast and not sure they'll ever be suited to a dominating team as their perceived strengths are more suited to an approach that surrenders the ball and lets the other team play, which should never be us!
His performances are night and day when Matic is on the field and when he isn't.
Painfully obvious now that we need a DM in the next 3 windows as we phase out Matic. Don't ever want Pogba to be the deepest midfielder, it just isn't his skill set.
Painfully obvious now that we need a DM in the next 3 windows as we phase out Matic. Don't ever want Pogba to be the deepest midfielder, it just isn't his skill set.
He can play the deep role effortlessly but he's so gifted that you feel you're wasting half of his talent.
When Pogba got back into the side, I thought he and Bruno would rotate their roles during the course of the game but their positions are practically set in stone now. Bruno forward,Pogba deep.
When Pogba got back into the side, I thought he and Bruno would rotate their roles during the course of the game but their positions are practically set in stone now. Bruno forward,Pogba deep.
They were Jose signings, promotions so are of a different profile to what we are aiming for now. Maybe they can adapt to the role?
He had a poor game by his standard.
Pogba played well against Palace, but I am really concerned about the number of times he loses possession when he's being pressed in our defensive area. I think he lost a ball and if it wasn't for Maguire's sliding challenge on Zaha, they would have been clean through on ball. Similar things have happened in other home games after the restart, not to mention the goal that was conceded due to him losing possession against Southampton when he was pressed. I hope Ole has a talk with Pogba about this, I think Veratti and Thiago Alcantara are someone who are able to get away from their markers and make space when being pressed by the opposition.
Yeah. That's the problem. A bit of effort and he might make it work a little better.
He is a world class player but I doubt he is the player for us. I don't think playing in this set up is the best position for him. Left side of the diamond maybe his best position. The reason I say this it's very easy to get the ball off him because he holds the ball too long and has two ways of getting away from the opposition. The opposition needs to get it right once but he has to get it right every time.
With DeGea's passing and Pogba dilly-dallying on the edge of our box it's asking for a disaster.
With DeGea's passing and Pogba dilly-dallying on the edge of our box it's asking for a disaster.
I can’t believe a 27 year old- World Cup wining- midfielder can still make so many school boy errors! He knew Palace would press yet seemed so slow and oblivious to what was going on around him! So frustrating
That's hell of a statement tbh.
He just doesn't has the positioning, anticipation and awereness of a holding mate. Plus he's already 27. And it'd be a waste to play him there with his attacking talent. And I don't think he'd really want to play there. This guy loves to roam and attack. Just buy a world class holding to replace Matic and problem fixed.
I've rarely came across a player that has had so many excuses given for him. He is nothing spectacular since he has come back to the club in my opinion and I don't think he is the player we need at this moment. But he is here and doing pretty good considering everything that has gone on with the squad in the past. He definitely can be successful here if he wants and I'm hoping the team settle together so Pogba can really shine.
Would love to see a United team with Pogba at his greatest consistantly. The flashes of brilliance and a few good halves were nice but we need a lot more then that for a player of his supposed caliber. If the squad continues on an upward trajectory he will excel I'm sure.
Would love to see a United team with Pogba at his greatest consistantly. The flashes of brilliance and a few good halves were nice but we need a lot more then that for a player of his supposed caliber. If the squad continues on an upward trajectory he will excel I'm sure.
That was after McTominay had received the ball from Lindelof in loads of space but chose to play it straight back to him, and Pogba subsequently dropped further to get the ball and bring it forward because nobody else would. He should never have been there or had the ball in the first place.
Still not convinced wether he will sign a new contract. He has some decision to make. He is 27 and the next contract is so important to him as he wants to win it all. Still think we are in for every titles in the next few years but Paul is that type of player that wants Real Madrid on his CV.
You just know that Paul will be blamed for many of our defensive erros while his contributions to our overall shape and team play are ignored. I trust he is used to the media treatment though, so it should be no bother. At the moment he finds himself in a position around some of our least talented players with the better ones further ahead. We have been a good defensive unit the past few months but individually our defenders cannot pass consistently well under pressure, including DDG. Against a youthful Chelsea side, a base of Maguire in defence and Matic in midfield would be vulnerable so I hope Pogba will be looking to quickly bypass the area and send over the top balls to out front 3 in that case.
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