Paul Pogba

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despite the circus he & his agent bring, I want him to stay. I honestly think if he leaves the club won’t replace him. I think him leaving makes the “McFred” pivot permanent next season. We’re sorely lacking technical ability, Pogba brings that.
 

OmarUnited4ever

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The usual Mino talking shit, and it does not matter what he says in the media anymore.

For me, i would not mind Pogba staying and extending or being sold, despite his quality and talent, I do not consider him a key player in the team, for me, Bruno, Shaw, Rashford, Maguire & Wan Bissaka are the key quality players who are also 100% committed to the club, there are also others who are committed to the club for the long term.

but in the case Pogba leaves, we must replace him well, bring in an established quality midfielder that suits the team and who will commit to the club 100%.
 

Bertie Wooster

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I definitely want Pogba to stay.

We already 'need' far more new additions than we'll actually bring in in the summer - CB, DM, RW, #9. In these quieter 'covid transfer windows', that's slowed down our necessary squad rebuild, we'll only get to address some of those issues next season.

The last thing we need is to lose another quality player and have another position to address (same reason we'd have probably hoped to keep Cavani for another year to delay the #9 replacement). Especially as we wouldn't get full price for Pogba due to his contract winding down but we'd probably have to pay far more for a replacement which would eat into our budget for the other additions.

I can only see us addressing a maximum of two of those positions. Probably one attacking option - either a RW or striker (depending on Cavani) - and either a new CB or CM. And wouldn't be surprised only to see one major addition. So, ideally, we'd keep Pogba and Cavani and address the other issues first.
 

hubbuh

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The usual Mino talking shit, and it does not matter what he says in the media anymore.

For me, i would not mind Pogba staying and extending or being sold, despite his quality and talent, I do not consider him a key player in the team, for me, Bruno, Shaw, Rashford, Maguire & Wan Bissaka are the key quality players who are also 100% committed to the club, there are also others who are committed to the club for the long term.

but in the case Pogba leaves, we must replace him well, bring in an established quality midfielder that suits the team and who will commit to the club 100%.
Maguire and AWB in particular both have some way to go before they can be considered 'key quality players'. For the majority of the season we've had the 13/14th worst defensive record in the league in terms of goals conceded and it cost us a place in the CL round of 16. 3 out of 4 of the defence being key quality players would suggest the defence has been up to snuff when it most definitely hasn't. The only genuinely key players we have at the moment is Shaw and Bruno. Maguire is important purely by virtue of always being available and a lack of decent and fit alternatives. He's still got a lot to prove here though. AWB even moreso.
 

hubbuh

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I definitely want Pogba to stay.

We already 'need' far more new additions than we'll actually bring in in the summer - CB, DM, RW, #9. In these quieter 'covid transfer windows', that's slowed down our necessary squad rebuild, we'll only get to address some of those issues next season.

The last thing we need is to lose another quality player and have another position to address (same reason we'd have probably hoped to keep Cavani for another year to delay the #9 replacement). Especially as we wouldn't get full price for Pogba due to his contract winding down but we'd probably have to pay far more for a replacement which would eat into our budget for the other additions.

I can only see us addressing a maximum of two of those positions. Probably one attacking option - either a RW or striker (depending on Cavani) - and either a new CB or CM. And wouldn't be surprised only to see one major addition. So, ideally, we'd keep Pogba and Cavani and address the other issues first.
I agree with this. We aren't in a position where we can willingly let more creativity leave the side. If Fergie was in charge then you'd trust he'd push us forward with or without Pogba, but Ole hasn't demonstrated he knows how to build a quality and functional attack that doesn't rely on individual brilliance. Therefore, if Ole is to stay then he (and we) need Pogba.
 

LawCharltonBest

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Say what you like about Raiola, but he knows how to agent.

People will still be shocked if Pogba ends up signing an eye-watering long-term new deal in a couple of months. When all along it was probably Raiola's plan.

I think he probably knows that nobody is going to pay Pogba what he wants elsewhere, unless PSG sell someone and then knock. So he wants to scare United into paying huge money into his 30's
 

ivaldo

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The usual Mino talking shit, and it does not matter what he says in the media anymore.

For me, i would not mind Pogba staying and extending or being sold, despite his quality and talent, I do not consider him a key player in the team, for me, Bruno, Shaw, Rashford, Maguire & Wan Bissaka are the key quality players who are also 100% committed to the club, there are also others who are committed to the club for the long term.

but in the case Pogba leaves, we must replace him well, bring in an established quality midfielder that suits the team and who will commit to the club 100%.
Pogba is far more important to this side than AWB. When you consider his performances compared to Shaw and Pogba's compared to the other CMs, not to mention our struggles to create since his injury, it becomes apparent how important he really is.
 

Judas

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What a poor transfer this was.

He will probably try to leave for free if he doesnt get to move having cost us 90 million.

Egotistical player like Zlatan, Lukaku, Lingard, Balotelli, Haaland and the money hungry Verrati.

Such a weird type of player to still want Raiola after his relationship with clubs.
Putting Lingard in with that lot, feck me I hope you're trying to be funny :lol: how has Jesse ruffled so many feathers.
 
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Pogba is far more important to this side than AWB. When you consider his performances compared to Shaw and Pogba's compared to the other CMs, not to mention our struggles to create since his injury, it becomes apparent how important he really is.
he’s not important if he doesn’t play, or only performs sporadically. We all know what Pogba is capable of, but how often does it happen?
 

Judas

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Pogba is irreplaceable. I've had such a mixture of emotions when it comes to him going, but right now I'd be dreading what's to come if/when he leaves. Not because we couldn't sign someone who maybe not quite as good but more consistent and reliable, because we 100% could, I don't have any faith in the club to replace him well and not feck it up massively, we've seen it happen far too often.
 

rotherham_red

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Call me a madman, but I think he will be signing a new contract or in a worst case, will run down his contract and leave next year. Not because he wants to stay, in fact, I have almost no doubts that he wants to leave, but the market just isn't there for him to do so this year.
 

cyberman

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he’s not important if he doesn’t play, or only performs sporadically. We all know what Pogba is capable of, but how often does it happen?
Exactly. Its hard to get Pogba to play a run of meaningful games these days. People say Kane has a bad injury record but Paul is just as likely to be out for 3 months as well.
 

El-Manos

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despite the circus he & his agent bring, I want him to stay. I honestly think if he leaves the club won’t replace him. I think him leaving makes the “McFred” pivot permanent next season. We’re sorely lacking technical ability, Pogba brings that.
The sad truth. I don’t trust our board to bring in the right player to replace him.
 
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Pogba is irreplaceable. I've had such a mixture of emotions when it comes to him going, but right now I'd be dreading what's to come if/when he leaves. Not because we couldn't sign someone who maybe not quite as good but more consistent and reliable, because we 100% could, I don't have any faith in the club to replace him well and not feck it up massively, we've seen it happen far too often.
All players are replaceable. Unfortunately he’s quite low on the players who are essential to the club.

what you might be trying to say. It’s that he’s almost unique, and I would tend to agree, that there is no one else with his skill set - when he plays, and is on form.

however, that’s the crucial part, when fit and when on form - and that’s been nowhere near often enough.

if we can get a motivated, fit and on form Pogba. Then he’s an asset, otherwise we are better all moving on.

the current situation is no good for the player or the club.
 

ivaldo

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he’s not important if he doesn’t play, or only performs sporadically. We all know what Pogba is capable of, but how often does it happen?
Enough to be considered more important than a fullback with huge flaws, that's for sure. It isn't a coincidence our from dropped off a a cliff when he got injured. Teams are doing a better job of containing Bruno now, and without Pogba we don't have a second playmaker who can provide when Bruno is struggling. It happened to Pogba when he was the only creative outlet in the team, and it's happening to Bruno too.
 

rotherham_red

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Pogba is irreplaceable. I've had such a mixture of emotions when it comes to him going, but right now I'd be dreading what's to come if/when he leaves. Not because we couldn't sign someone who maybe not quite as good but more consistent and reliable, because we 100% could, I don't have any faith in the club to replace him well and not feck it up massively, we've seen it happen far too often.
Meh, I'm not sure about that. Don't get me wrong, I'm a massive fan of his and even when he was at his lowest ebb this season, I backed him, and he's brilliant when on form, but he's been here 5 years and he just hasn't been consistent enough to be given such platitudes.

For what it's worth, I think we'd be better off if we got someone like Rice, and a Saul-type figure to play the double pivot rather than throw a bunch at Pogba, who has been progressively getting more and more injury prone over the last three years or so.
 

Judas

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At this moment in time, in the current climate, to me he's irreplaceable. Or maybe that's too strong a word, maybe a tricky bugger to replace would be better? :lol: I just don't trust us to do a good job in filling the hole a motivated fit Pogba would leave, even if we don't see that side of Pogba nearly as much as we'd have all liked to during his time here.
 

The Corinthian

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Exercise the 1 year extension (has this already been done?), then whack a £60m price tag on him and sell him to anyone that offers that.
 

Leftback99

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Exercise the 1 year extension (has this already been done?), then whack a £60m price tag on him and sell him to anyone that offers that.
"We'd rather wait and take him for free thanks". He'll be going but nobody is paying £60m.
 

IncyWincySpider

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Unfortunately I doubt we will replace him with quality if he does go. Might be an option to get VDB to play deeper, because another season relying heavily on McFred doesn't look promising.
 

rotherham_red

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At this moment in time, in the current climate, to me he's irreplaceable. Or maybe that's too strong a word, maybe a tricky bugger to replace would be better? :lol: I just don't trust us to do a good job in filling the hole a motivated fit Pogba would leave, even if we don't see that side of Pogba nearly as much as we'd have all liked to during his time here.
Yeah, that's fair - I definitely don't disagree that we have it within us to feck up replacing him, but then that's the other side of it: how often would you say he's been motivated during his time here, and how often has that motivation translated itself into actual performances?

For me, as Bruno has shown, player with 70% of the talent Pogba has but is 100% committed is more than a Pogba-level talent who only applies it one in every three games on average.
 

Redcy

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So do you reckon that everything Raiola has been doing around the Pogba situation is just to garner more attention to his client, because no club is willing to pay the required transfer fee, wages and agent commission?
Yeah I would guess so, reading about Raiola from other players books, this is exactly what he does. He knows Pogba's value has gone down, he knows its because Pogba has not been good enough, I suspect he thinks United is not the right place for him to become good again. My guess, get him a move to Juve where he will look great, then plum for a big Real or Barca move later.
 

VP89

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We are completely and utterly fecked when he leaves and we're left with McFred running things.
We won't be, and we won't be depending on them to "run things". They will be doing their job of locking the midfield down and Pogba will be replaced by another star talent - either a right winger or a very good striker, whatever it may be.
 

Redcy

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We won't be, and we won't be depending on them to "run things". They will be doing their job of locking the midfield down and Pogba will be replaced by another star talent - either a right winger or a very good striker, whatever it may be.
If pogba goes we wont replace him in this climate. No doubt we will look to buy a star talent though.
 

TheReligion

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Saw all the activity and expected some developments. It seems there are none. Games still being played RE the new contract and I fully expect a decision either way to be made in the summer by the club.
 

OmarUnited4ever

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Pogba is far more important to this side than AWB. When you consider his performances compared to Shaw and Pogba's compared to the other CMs, not to mention our struggles to create since his injury, it becomes apparent how important he really is.
I don't deny that his quality and talent makes him a key player that the team needs, there is no questioning that, but I still value players who are 100% committed to the club, once he renews/extends his contract, that makes a key player automatically in my eyes as his quality and ability are of very high level.
 

VP89

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If pogba goes we wont replace him in this climate. No doubt we will look to buy a star talent though.
We will either get a big star, or we will make 2-3 good signings who aren't necessarily big names. In either scenario, Pogba is replaced in the sense we wont miss him.
 

OmarUnited4ever

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Maguire and AWB in particular both have some way to go before they can be considered 'key quality players'. For the majority of the season we've had the 13/14th worst defensive record in the league in terms of goals conceded and it cost us a place in the CL round of 16. 3 out of 4 of the defence being key quality players would suggest the defence has been up to snuff when it most definitely hasn't. The only genuinely key players we have at the moment is Shaw and Bruno. Maguire is important purely by virtue of always being available and a lack of decent and fit alternatives. He's still got a lot to prove here though. AWB even moreso.
I don't see anything wrong with what you said actually in terms of Maguire and AWB talent and quality, as of now they are just everpresent and they need to do more to be considered of the highest quality.

But my point in Pogba stands, his quality is not questionable, but we need players who are 100% committed to the club's cause and ambitions, remember, if Pogba leaves most likely we won't be able to replace his quality which will impact our plans in the future.
 

Sparky_Hughes

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I've read this a few times now - this notion of clubs rallying around to get him banned. All that would do is create a rift between themselves and his clients, not to mention their families who are, as one should expect, the greatest influencers in a players' life.

Raiola also wouldn’t go down quietly; the media would be the first to know about such a conspiracy.

For all the 'bad' Raiola does to clubs, he does equally 'good' by his stable of players; this notion of players dumping someone who gets them the best possible deals and has greased them and their familys' palms since they were teenagers because clubs say so, is not rooted in reality.

Raiola would need to not be an enticing proposition for top players and upcoming special talents for his schtick to no longer, well, stick. That's never going to happen because he brokers deals that are exceptional and further to that he puts himself out there like a human shield for his clients drawing nearly all the ire to himself whilst taking instruction on next steps in a grander scheme.

I should imagine he's as much a dream agent for them as he is a loathsome individual for those who have to deal with him on the other side of the table - players are not going to give that up, and from their POV, it's obvious why they wouldn't.
If the top 20/30 clubs in world football decided to do this, and stuck to it, it would work. Players are not going to stay with an agent who at best can get them to a mid-ranking club on a middle of the road salary when they have the talent to do better and earn more. They are not going to be loyal to him at the cost of their careers and bottom line.
 

VP89

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If the top 20/30 clubs in world football decided to do this, and stuck to it, it would work. Players are not going to stay with an agent who at best can get them to a mid-ranking club on a middle of the road salary when they have the talent to do better and earn more. They are not going to be loyal to him at the cost of their careers and bottom line.
Yes, or even if a small handful of clubs refuse to deal with him. I dont' see City or Liverpool remotely considering him, and the same for Bayern. If a couple more big clubs just agree to not take his shit then he's stuck offering Italy as options to his clients.
 

croadyman

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At this moment in time, in the current climate, to me he's irreplaceable. Or maybe that's too strong a word, maybe a tricky bugger to replace would be better? :lol: I just don't trust us to do a good job in filling the hole a motivated fit Pogba would leave, even if we don't see that side of Pogba nearly as much as we'd have all liked to during his time here.
Yeah there is no way I would trust this board to replace Pogba when he leaves so want to keep him at all costs
 

Sparky_Hughes

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Yes, or even if a small handful of clubs refuse to deal with him. I dont' see City or Liverpool remotely considering him, and the same for Bayern. If a couple more big clubs just agree to not take his shit then he's stuck offering Italy as options to his clients.
Exactly, the footballing world would be better off without the fat greasy prick.
 

La Vecchia Signora

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This is why Sir Alex Ferguson avoided by selling difficult players or had a difficult agency .

Threads like this wouldn’t existed if SAF was the manager.

If I were Pogba I would tell Mino to shut up and only deal with the business side.

No matter what happened you have to give respect to your club and its supporters.

Seems Pogba is ok with what Mino says or even enjoys the whole situ
 

Redcy

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This is why Sir Alex Ferguson avoided by selling difficult players or had a difficult agency .

Threads like this wouldn’t existed if SAF was the manager.

If I were Pogba I would tell Mino to shut up and only deal with the business side.

No matter what happened you have to give respect to your club and its supporters.

Seems Pogba is ok with what Mino says or even enjoys the whole situ

I don't think pogba cares one way or the other, pogba wants to win things and be known as a great player, I dont think he feels that will happen with us
 

Phil Osophy

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Replacing Pogba wouldn't be easy in certain aspects, as nobody we can sign could match his creativity + athleticism. But we could be more balanced as a team if we played a ball distributor with better positional discipline instead of him. In that case we wouldn't need to sign Superman on steroids as a DM, and both Fred and McTominay (individually) could become useful next to that player.

My problems with Fred and Scott are very similar. Not enough positional nous to partner Pogba, only Matic did it properly for some time but his limitations are obvious. And Mc-Fred together bring balance but they lack the abilities to set the tempo and offer some creativity. I appreciate both players as individuals, but If Pogba renews the contract we'll need a solid anchor and neither of them is one.

The main doubt for me is, if Pogba doesn't sign a new contract but doesn't leave this summer either, in what direction we should be moving in this market when it comes to midfield, because Pogba leaving or staying for the next 3-4 years changes the plan and the needs remarkably. I'm not against Pogba leaving or signing a contract, but whatever happens needs to happen now so we can define the strategy.

And this considering also that losing Pogba as a free agent means no resources to sign a replacement, so we'll probably need to make some sacrifices in other areas to invest there next season. By selling him this summer at least we get some funds and we know how to configure our midfield.

As talented as he is, keeping him for one more season isn't worth the money that we could get this summer. If anyone asked us if we'd pay 30 or 40 M to get Pogba on loan for one season the response would be obvious, so it's clear for me. Sign a contract or bring a half decent offer and leave. If he's so good as his agent claims there won't be a problem to bring some good offers to the club this summer.
 

Fortitude

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If the top 20/30 clubs in world football decided to do this, and stuck to it, it would work. Players are not going to stay with an agent who at best can get them to a mid-ranking club on a middle of the road salary when they have the talent to do better and earn more. They are not going to be loyal to him at the cost of their careers and bottom line.
Yes, or even if a small handful of clubs refuse to deal with him. I dont' see City or Liverpool remotely considering him, and the same for Bayern. If a couple more big clubs just agree to not take his shit then he's stuck offering Italy as options to his clients.
Totally reliant on how coveted players in his stable are, and as we've seen, he has one of the hottest strikers in the game that those who can afford to go for will if they don't have equivalent targets to aim for, and they'll do it despite having to deal with Raiola.

His clients give him the leverage he needs to act in the way he does. If he had a bunch of no-marks, he could be ghosted, but that's never going to be the case.

It should also be considered he's an agent who, by word of mouth amongst his client base, gets glowing reviews and other upcoming potential stars are not going to have a deaf ear to players they probably idolise putting in a good word for Raiola.
 

Siorac

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We will either get a big star, or we will make 2-3 good signings who aren't necessarily big names. In either scenario, Pogba is replaced in the sense we wont miss him.
Or we'll make 2-3 underwhelming signings who won't bring the creativity and goals that we need.

And if we just sign a star winger or striker, then playing an entire season with Fred and McTominay as undisputed first choice CMs is basically a guarantee of zero progress from this season. Our ball retention isn't great as it is - losing the only midfielder who is actually good at it would be a serious blow.