I think Pogba is capable of the better and more outrageous and technically difficult passes but I'd rather have a KDB because he's capable of amazing passes and crosses at a far higher frequency and also has a far better shot on him.
Pogba vs De Bruyne: who is the better passer?
- Thread starter Fortitude
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Not convinced this is true to be honest.
so trueI'm no huge fan of Pogba but I think he can pull off some of those ridiculous from deep in his own half to a striker far up the pitch like vs Spurs last year and the kind of balls he plays for France at times. I just don't think he puts in amazing balls at the same accuracy and frequency as KDB.
Of course he can, I just don't believe KDB can't. In fact he has done so but does it less often since he doesn't really operate in that area of the pitch as often
Do we count crosses as passes if so kdb by far
KDB was already the better passer at Wolfsburg and at Bremen. It has nothing to do with the team, KDB is just better at it. Which is no dig at Pogba, who I rate very highly. There is just no player in the world as good at it as KDB.
Its not very far from the truth tbh. Pogba's game is very "street-styled" and he possesses tremendous skill. I'm not surprised if he could actually pull off the more difficult and imaginative passes like Ronaldinho used to. Question marks still remain of his application on the pitch.
But currently De Bruyne is by far the more efficient and devastating passer.
DeBruyne is the better option. Mind you, they play in different positions. DeBruyne likes to pop up on the right and swing in low and hard outswingers behind the defence and in front of the keeper. Pogba tends to come in from the left and his crosses/passes tend to be inswingers over the defense and towards the keeper. This is why I would much rather see Pogba on the right. But until he decides to put in the effort that DeBruyne does, it's not going to make any difference. He's just too slow with the ball and likes to take way too many touches...
is this a trick question. It's like asking "who has more money in their bank account - me or Bill Gates?
I would
So would I. Without hesitation, I might add.
Nope, doesn't have the same accuracy.
Certainly wasn't better than Mahrez in the last game.
Some people seem to think that talent and application are two completely different things. In this way, one might argue that Ravel Morrison was more talented than Zidane but just didn't have the mentality and professionalism to apply his talent. That's daft. You judge talent on the basis of its application week in, week out. If one is constantly attempting to pull of a sensational trick/pass/shot etc. he might succeed once every 3 months. This doesn't make him more talented than a player who isn't trying impossible things in order to look like a genius.
Yep. It would be a no brainer.
In the opposition's half, de Bruyne is undoubtedly better. Pogba is arguably a stronger passer from a deeper position, when he is playing long balls for a pacy attacker to run on to.
De Bruyne produces 5 for every 1 special pass Pogba does. You’re comparing a football robot to a human footballer
The Manutd curse... so many keep falling for it
.We may joke about this but, it will come into transfer targets line of thinking when they have a choice to join Utd. We are starting to lose the BIG club factor now, add it with the player curse we are probably the worst club for a player with quality to sign.
Who many on here proclaim literally the best player of all time does not, so, by default, this [bolded] is a fallacy.
I can't believe this reached 13 pages. It's not even a debate.
Are we really comparing these two footballers???
De Bruyne is levels ahead in every aspect, passing included. Frankly beggars belief that people could suggest otherwise.
De Bruyne is levels ahead in every aspect, passing included. Frankly beggars belief that people could suggest otherwise.
That's one of the key components of the City system, filling those half spaces with midfielders who can either thread the ball to the overlap, whip the ball across the 6 yard box, or drive into space and shoot.
But KDB at United wouldn't have a winger like Mahrez drag 2 players away into the right wing, leaving De Bruyne with all the time in the world to hit that inswinger cross. It's little things like that, which provides a solid platform for De Bruyne to shine.
It's easy to say Pogba would do better in a better system, but better systems demand more from their players. Pogba cannot get away with dwelling on the ball or taking too many touches at City for example.
A cross is literally passing the ball so yeah
There's no doubt that playing in a weaker team makes Pogba's job harder. It's a team game after all. But despite that, I think anyone watching Pogba closely enough will know that Pogba has deficiencies in the decision making/football brain deparment. Given time and space he does terrific things. Even when not, he can obviously excel. But he's not special in this regard. He's no KDB or Scholes whose undestanding /vision/football intelligence is of an extraordinary level (although I think KDB is well below Scholes this regard).
It would be interesting to see Pogba week in week out again, for a better team. But I think KDB wins in passing and as an overall footballer.
It would be interesting to see Pogba week in week out again, for a better team. But I think KDB wins in passing and as an overall footballer.
That is a good point and not something I had previously considered.
The whole argument about the teams doesn't really apply if you followed KDB in Germany. I can't stress enough how good he already was back then. Obviously Pogba has it hard at United, I would never doubt that. But if you've seen KDB for Wolfsburg and Bremen, the argument simply doesn't apply. He didn't need Pep back then, didn't need worldclass teammates or tactics that were completely in his favor. He still delivered. His last season at Wolfsburg might have been the best individual season I've ever seen someone have in the Bundesliga.
United is a unique situation though in that we are a giant club with enormous expectations but completely dysfunctional and quite reliant on Pogba. He'd be better and more impressive in a functional team with lesser expectations.
Like I said I do believe KDB has proven himself to be the better footballer.
They both can pull off said passes
I agree. The situation at United is incredibly difficult and it's tough for someone like Pogba to shine. Especially since he's easily your best player and many fans weirdly blame him for your issues. Yet even at Juve Pogba was never as good as KDB was at Wolfsburg. At least not from what I saw. Back then, he was already a force, carried that team on his own and constantly decided games. He was pure worldclass. People just didn't care, because nobody cares about Wolfsburg, so nobody seemed to really notice outside of Germany.
To be fair, the Bundesliga at that time wasn't a Tier 1 league. In fact, quite a few players that stood out there eventually didn't do well elsewhere. So it was fair at the time to wait for him to perform elsewhere.
With that said, even though he himself is a world-class player, I don't think there's a doubt Pep's system elevates him.
It's been my position for a few seasons that KDB > Pogba, but
1. That is no slight on Pogba, who walks into every team in the world (bar probably 1 or 2)
2. The proficiency gap is not as big as some drama queens on here are making it out to be. Pogba has demonstrated the ability to hit difficult passes and crosses through his career
3. United is a club that thrives on making it as difficult as possible for our players to thrive on the pitch. Creating chances for our forwards? Overlaps to stretch the pitch? A competent midfield unit that can hold possession and relieve the pressure on our defense? Who needs any of that at United? Our strikers can create their own chances...
4. I would like to see Pogba under a offensively minded manager that, while demanding more discipline and effort, creates a better platform for Pogba to maximize his talent. Then this will be a debate. Right now it's not, for reasons both within and beyond Pogba's control.
1. That is no slight on Pogba, who walks into every team in the world (bar probably 1 or 2)
2. The proficiency gap is not as big as some drama queens on here are making it out to be. Pogba has demonstrated the ability to hit difficult passes and crosses through his career
3. United is a club that thrives on making it as difficult as possible for our players to thrive on the pitch. Creating chances for our forwards? Overlaps to stretch the pitch? A competent midfield unit that can hold possession and relieve the pressure on our defense? Who needs any of that at United? Our strikers can create their own chances...
4. I would like to see Pogba under a offensively minded manager that, while demanding more discipline and effort, creates a better platform for Pogba to maximize his talent. Then this will be a debate. Right now it's not, for reasons both within and beyond Pogba's control.
Pogba is slightly more capable of the spectacular pass, but that's about it.
KDB can also play those sort of passes, maybe not quite as good, but in terms of consistent key passes, he outweighs Pogba. I'm counting low crosses, which he is absolutely brilliant at.
Also a much better short-passer.
KDB can also play those sort of passes, maybe not quite as good, but in terms of consistent key passes, he outweighs Pogba. I'm counting low crosses, which he is absolutely brilliant at.
Also a much better short-passer.
The Bundesliga was pretty good when he was at Wolfsburg. Better than today.
And I'd say that he is elevated by the system as much as he is elevating the system himself.
Tier 1's were the Premier League and La Liga. The rest were a level below the 2 for quite some time. Or have I got that wrong?
That's nonsense.
Yeah this sounds about right. A lot of City's plays are based on his ability.
I totally agree, I personally think that De Bruyne is the superior player but it's not as if Pogba was trash. It seems that for some if a player isn't the best then he is bad.
I'm not sure what metrics you are using for your tiers, but I don't think the Bundesliga was a full tier below the Premier League at that time. If anything, La Liga was up there all alone with 3 top class teams in Barcelona and the 2 Madrids. That quality (and the depth below them) wasn't matched anywhere else in Europe (don't let Sky fool you).
De Bruyne can match any pass Pogba can and vice versa. They're both magnificent passers.
If you're talking passing ability like the OP, Kroos is in the equation for sure but I think people need to appreciate just how consistent KDB is. We remember Hollywood passes, that's why this thread is closer than it should be (Pogba is comfortably weaker when it comes to passing than KDB) but KDB is just a machine when it comes to consistency - that's what being the best is about.
On being one of the best in the world, put it this way, KDB replaces any of the players on your list without a second thought but none of them would dislodge him at City. Even Pjanic, who I love as an all round player, is not at the same level.
Fair enough, you remembered it exactly right: https://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/season=2015/index.html
Maybe having a few high profile players from the Bundesliga who 'flopped' elsewhere around that time skewed it's perception a bit.
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