It's only obvious until you check the facts. We're getting more points, scoring more and conceding less (per game)
without him in the team:
- with Pogba on the pitch, we score every 56' and concede every 80'
- with Bruno on the pitch, we score every 45' and concede every 91'
- with Fred on the pitch, we score every 46' and concede every 100'
So if statement "We are, without question, a better team with him in it" refer to average OR direct competition in Fred or Bruno, then it's a false statement.
Well this is thoroughly moot and irrelevant argument since Pogba, Bruno and Fred play together more often than any other combination. In fact Bruno has played in every premier league game Pogba has, and Fred will have played almost all of them. Other factors:
1.Bruno and Fred were likely also on the pitch in the same period as Pogba. So what we need to see is what their stats are with him vs without him as opposed to a season long aggregation for each player.
2. Both Fred and Bruno have played many more games than Pogba so what we have for Pogba is a sample size that's much smaller and therefore unreliable.
3. Neither Fred nor Bruno has been injured or had Covid19 so the use of aggregated data is not truly reflective.
Thus, a diligent researcher would know to adjust for these factors by selecting a period of games where the "all things being equal" condition applies. This means you choose the same number of games, randomly, from a collection of games where each player was fully fit and played with the exact same teammates and tactics (since coaching affects team play) . I would go further and say that since this analysis is about how each player affects team play, all set pieces for and against should be excluded because set pieces inherently rely on individuality.
It's nearly impossible to do but this is to highlight to you the unreliability of your approach. Given these constraints, I would then say let's merely consider any 10 games where each player was fully fit... I'd be interested in seeing the results.
Now all of this is a tangent because Pogba, Bruno and Fred are the first choice midfielders at this moment. I don't see why you are making it an argument of Pogba vs Fred and Bruno when it should be a comparison of who would play if he were out which is McTominay and then Matic.