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2020-21 Performances


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6.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
42
Goals
6
Assists
6
Yellow cards
9
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I'm his biggest fan but he's been dire since he came back from injury.

I'm not his biggest fan and he's been dire for a lot longer than that my friend.

Take away that golden 4 month period with Ole as caretaker where he did actually look world class and the other 3 and a bit years with us he's been very much an average player.

Needs to be taken out of the team now. Donny deserves his chance.
 
When he knows he's not fit should be the time he starts working through the gears and playing it simply until he feels capable. Soo many times it gets infuriating watching him just hold the ball too long and lose it; I swear this is a critique been done to death. But when he's on, he's world class; there's no denying that. No wonder he's so divisive in our fan base. I get both sides :lol:
 
Why can't he just perform and give us a great midfield. After 8 years - why can't we get all of our players at top form at once
 
If his form continues like this Ole is going to have a real tough decision on his hands very soon , no player should be on automatic starter on the team by virtue of their name alone and right now Pogba is not playing nearly well enough to get a start even in this misfiring team.
 
I dont know about covid, in fact thats a far bigger discussion than just Pogba, what it does how it affects people, thats politics but as far as Pogba, since covid he's been horrible. Well before covid he had his ups and downs but ultimately if we extend him we are morons. It hasnt worked out, best for both parties to go their own way. Pogba is just not who we thought he was and no there isnt potential there to be unlocked by anyone.

He is a luxury player. He worked in Juve's setup but they also had Pirlo and Vidal doing everything. He worked in France's team but that team also had absolutely everything.
I am fine with DVB. As far as Im concerned I hope this is Pogba's last season with us.
Ultimately he just doesnt have a position and he will never really work out for us and Im tired of trying to figure out who's fault it is. It doesnt work. Simple as.
 
I'm not his biggest fan and he's been dire for a lot longer than that my friend.

Take away that golden 4 month period with Ole as caretaker where he did actually look world class and the other 3 and a bit years with us he's been very much an average player.

Needs to be taken out of the team now. Donny deserves his chance.

I agree
 
He's playing way too deep. Not trying to justify his latest performances because they've been terrible but since the restart he's playing within himself. Keeping things simple, not really contributing in an attacking sense compared to when he's at his best. The interview he did where he said ' it's great to play behind Fernandes, Rashford, Martial. I just feed them the ball and watch' is something you'd expect McTominay to say which is fair enough but Pogba has the ability to be a match winner and have more of an influence than the 3 of them.

He's dribbling from a deeper position, having less shots, less through balls to Rashford and the likes.
 
He just lack the desire to play for the club. All the talent in the world means nothing if his heart ain’t here. Lesser talented players like Valverde, Saul, would have a much bigger impact, contributing to both defending and attacking. For the right fees or players, I will be glad to see him go.
 
If his form continues like this Ole is going to have a real tough decision on his hands very soon , no player should be on automatic starter on the team by virtue of their name alone and right now Pogba is not playing nearly well enough to get a start even in this misfiring team.
Benching him right now is a very easy decision based on performances. It would give the chance to see if he would earn it back quickly or not
 
Unfortunately we are stuck with him and he is stuck with us. Even if football finances do get back to normal by next summer where would he go? Madrid? They are saving all their money for Mbappe for next summer. Barcelona? Xavi will be in charge next summer. They will need a striker to replace Suarez and possibly be dealing with the departure of Messi. That leaves him PSG, Bayern, Inter and Juventus as realistic targets.

He doesnt fit the Bayern midfield profile. PSG would be easy for him as he wouldnt need to try too hard in most matches. Inter would be difficult as he had such success with Juventus.

As much as a reunion with Juventus would be enjoyed by both parties. Is he really the player that will help Juventus win the CL?

If it wasnt for Covid, i think he would have left this summer. Anyway, personally id like to see VanDerBeck alongside Matic. Pogba is too much of a luxury/liability/inconsistent.
 
So take him away. ASAP make it happen big man. Also go with him. You will not be missed. Neither will Pogba.
Brings tears to my eyes that; garbage.

Anyway once he decides it is time to leave, he will do so, not before and I will watch him wherever he goes because his talent is bested by only one or two players.

Maybe I will watch United less or maybe I won't. What is clear though is that this club is no longer as great as under Fergie not even close. That has more to do with the now toxic fanbase more than it has to do with Paul.
 
United shouldn't focus on Pogba, France made the same mistake for a while as if Pogba was the issue or the solution, he is neither. People should ask how can we get the best out of all our players because currently none are good, Bruno wasn't good after the lockdown, our wide attacking players create nothing, our fullbacks are easily beaten by their men and they provide nothing going forward. But most importantly we are poor in transition, it takes us too much time to get into our defensive shape and the process doesn't compensate for the fact that we essentially play with 4 forwards which means that the CMs are generally outnumbered. Then you have our transition from defense to attack, Fred is the only decent player in that regard, he isn't great but unlike AWB and Shaw, he is actually comfortable under pressure and unlike Pogba and Maguire, he isn't often tempted to keep the ball more than he should.

So how do you get the "best" out of Pogba? Ignore him, bench him if you want and rethink almost every tactical aspects of our team, think about the team dynamic instead of relying on individuals to paper over the cracks.
This utter folly again, stop spreading this myth. Quite a few of those points are wrong, United have a 80mil player so they should focus on him and they will until he leaves. For someone who is not the solution Paul sure did provide solutions to our problems at both the Euros and the World Cup, we would not have beaten Australia without him and it was his passing that killed off Croatia in the Final not to mention him dominating De Bruyne against Belgium. I will agree with you he is not the issue however that is not how he is talked about in France as for some stupid reason they tend to follow the english media, he is talked about like he did this or that wrong when he would just have scored the winning goal against Holland but in contrast Equipe du soir would have a piece on what Griezmann did in the game which was nothing. That is the french press and post like yours would fit right in and goes well with the other claim you made about Giroud and Varane were more influential than him, nonsense.

I think Paul needs to wise up, train hard get fit and leave on his own terms as soon as he can.
 
This utter folly again, stop spreading this myth. Quite a few of those points are wrong, United have a 80mil player so they should focus on him and they will until he leaves. For someone who is not the solution Paul sure did provide solutions to our problems at both the Euros and the World Cup, we would not have beaten Australia without him and it was his passing that killed off Croatia in the Final not to mention him dominating De Bruyne against Belgium. I will agree with you he is not the issue however that is not how he is talked about in France as for some stupid reason they tend to follow the english media, he is talked about like he did this or that wrong when he would just have scored the winning goal against Holland but in contrast Equipe du soir would have a piece on what Griezmann did in the game which was nothing. That is the french press and post like yours would fit right in and goes well with the other claim you made about Giroud and Varane were more influential than him, nonsense.

I think Paul needs to wise up, train hard get fit and leave on his own terms as soon as he can.

The only folly is your obsession with Pogba and inability to read. Deschamps built a team, from 2016 he didn't focus on Pogba because he was neither the solution nor the issue. Spending 80m on him is irrelevant, it was never going to turn him into something else and it wasn't going to magically turn 11 players into a functioning unit.
 
I believe Pogba is a special player. No one objective can doubt his footballing ability. I just think he is not fit for premier league football especially in the role he plays for Manchester United. I hope he puts extra effort into this season so we can sell him next summer. It is getting pretty obvious this doesn't work and I am not sure it can be fixed.
 
The only folly is your obsession with Pogba and inability to read. Deschamps built a team, from 2016 he didn't focus on Pogba because he was neither the solution nor the issue. Spending 80m on him is irrelevant, it was never going to turn him into something else and it wasn't going to magically turn 11 players into a functioning unit.
You needed to go there as you are talking nonsense. If I am obsessed around Paul then you are with Olivier Giroud. Always making him out to be more than he is.

How do you know what Deschamps focused on? All we know is the team he puts out and even if Paul is partially injured he is in that team.
 
As long as you have him sitting so deep, there will be problems even when he is at best. Either you build around him and Bruno, with a Diamond midfield or you build around Bruno with 2 CDMs sitting being him but then you have to sell Paul. (then it will be the same problem with VdB playing him behind Bruno). Or you change manager and get one that plays with just one CDM sitting deep with more possession.
 
He just lack the desire to play for the club. All the talent in the world means nothing if his heart ain’t here. Lesser talented players like Valverde, Saul, would have a much bigger impact, contributing to both defending and attacking. For the right fees or players, I will be glad to see him go.
Based on what? Came back from Covid , got a few training sessions under his belt and played the first game. and you are out here saying he lacks desire? MADNESS, my friend!
 
The only folly is your obsession with Pogba and inability to read. Deschamps built a team, from 2016 he didn't focus on Pogba because he was neither the solution nor the issue. Spending 80m on him is irrelevant, it was never going to turn him into something else and it wasn't going to magically turn 11 players into a functioning unit.

Deschamps didn't focus solely on Pogba but Pogba was the creative hub of that France team, and contributed a lot. Since that world cup whenever Pogba's been missing they've been lacking creativity in a lot of matches. The reality is that he's a player that can do what very few other players can do with the ball and has been integral to our best periods under ole. Imo we need to get him fit and then push him further up the pitch because at United he's definitely not playing with Kante and Matuidi equivalents next to him.

Today's performance was pretty bad but I'll give him a bye due to the lack of pre-season and his covid diagnosis.
 
You needed to go there as you are talking nonsense. If I am obsessed around Paul then you are with Olivier Giroud. Always making him out to be more than he is.

How do you know what Deschamps focused on? All we know is the team he puts out and even if Paul is partially injured he is in that team.

Pogba is a quality player, I never suggested otherwise. But France only started to play well when the focus went from individuals to the team, I will tell you the same thing about every player in that team whoever he is, Griezmann, Pogba, Mbappé, Sissoko, it doesn't matter, none of them are an issue or the solution. Is Pogba one of the best 11 players for France? Absolutely, but France have been at times dreadful with and without Pogba, France plays well when 11 players are on the same page and play well as a unit, focusing on Pogba or any other player is futile.

As for Giroud, you seem to not understand a simple thing, I have criticized the alternatives who have all been poor and Giroud has factually been good for France. Do I want him to ideally start for France? No I don't and I have said it many times.
 
Deschamps didn't focus solely on Pogba but Pogba was the creative hub of that France team, and contributed a lot. Since that world cup whenever Pogba's been missing they've been lacking creativity in a lot of matches. The reality is that he's a player that can do what very few other players can do with the ball and has been integral to our best periods under ole. Imo we need to get him fit and then push him further up the pitch because at United he's definitely not playing with Kante and Matuidi equivalents next to him.

Today's performance was pretty bad but I'll give him a bye due to the lack of pre-season and his covid diagnosis.

What is your point? I said that we shouldn't focus on Pogba because he is neither the problem nor the solution, it's not a criticism of Pogba but the faulty approach to building a team, Pogba won't turn a dysfunctional unit into a functional one. And also Pogba can play different roles to a good standard but the team has to work as a whole, there is no point focusing on him as if he was the reason we are good or bad.
 
I keep hoping he starts performing on a regular basis but it's just not happening.
I think a move away is probably the best solution for all parties at this point.
We would need to invest the money properly but I have 0 faith in us doing so.
 
I'm a big fan of Pogba, but he's obviously been below par. Whether he's fully or not, I don't know, but its probably worth putting him on the bench and building up his fitness/confidence gradually.
 
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He is still a great player but we are still expecting too much from individual midfielders and still playing Pogba out of his best position. Our play almost always goes Defence -> Matic -> Pogba -> Attack. Stick a man in front of Pogba so he can't run at them or pick a forward pass, and a man to prevent Matic taking the ball on the turn, and you cut our entire attack off. We are like two separate teams on the same pitch.
 
While I feel fitness is part of it, I also think this is a player who is struggling to find his best role in this team. The coaching staff have some thinking to do here as well.
 
He is still a great player but we are still expecting too much from individual midfielders and still playing Pogba out of his best position. Our play almost always goes Defence -> Matic -> Pogba -> Attack. Stick a man in front of Pogba so he can't run at them or pick a forward pass, and a man to prevent Matic taking the ball on the turn, and you cut our entire attack off. We are like two separate teams on the same pitch.
Strange before we got Bruno the pogba fans were saying we needed someone in front of him to get out his full potential.
 
Pogba is a superb player when "on form" but his range of ratings are 3 to 9/10 and I cannot see him getting the range between 7-9 which you would expect from elite players on 300k p.w salaries - it's not good enough in the Premier League with the high pressing/non-stop football most of the time.

The only club I can see taking him would be PSG and a straight swap with Veratti (same ages) would be ideal for both clubs - that would give us the balance we need in midfield
 
Our manager hasn't got a clue with Pogba. He is not a deep lying midfielder.
 
Strange before we got Bruno the pogba fans were saying we needed someone in front of him to get out his full potential.

That should be obvious. Same goes for Bruno, they can't find a pass if nobody is making any runs.
 
There are numerous examples of midfielders who started off playing different roles then adapted and excelled in other ones. Just at Utd in the last 20 years you have Paul Scholes, second striker, to attacking midfielder, to deep lying playmaker. Keane was a box to box goal threat at Forest, but became one of the great defensive midfielders. Pirlo started as no 10, Schweinstieger was a winger, Yaya was a defensive midfielder who moved forward, Seedorf played everywhere to good effect.

Has Pogba changed and developed as a player significantly since he came through?
 
He’s unfit and in poor form. Pogba is definitely better than what he’s showing right now, I just fear his ankle injury hasn’t taken away some mobility. Teams have learnt that pressing us gets results as neither he or Matić are quick or agile enough to ride it out.

Excusing him every time he is in poor form(which is a lot) gets on my tits too. He is playing like Cleverley, and not in form Cleverpey, there is no excuse for that. Top players when in bad form are still one of the best players on the pitch.

Also, he is not unfit, we have so many midfielders available and yet you think Ole chooses to play unfit and out of form Pogba ahead of them?
 
Pogba has tremendous technique and vision but it does not translate into consistently meaningful output. He reminds me a bit of Berbatov. Some great moments but, all in all, underwhelming. By this stage, you have to accept he is what be is - we can try to find a role that fully utilises his talents (and forget about the hype and sunk costs) or move him on next summer.
 
Excusing him every time he is in poor form(which is a lot) gets on my tits too. He is playing like Cleverley, and not in form Cleverpey, there is no excuse for that. Top players when in bad form are still one of the best players on the pitch.

Also, he is not unfit, we have so many midfielders available and yet you think Ole chooses to play unfit and out of form Pogba ahead of them?
It's not an excuse, I've said he's not playing well - we know he is capable of a lot better. This isn't his usual level so something is wrong. It's not his application I think he's just struggling with top fitness, probably due to COVID.
 
Two to three years ago it was all about building the team around Pogba. We now have a decent attacking four and Pogba is still poor. What more can we do.

I think he will have a good game down the line and then it will be all about how good Pogba is. Then further down the line he will have a poor game and so the debate rages on. My worry is that for most of this season and on into next season, we will still be arguing over Pogba and his best position like we have since he came in.
 
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