Should we consider selling Pogba?

[Clermontois]

We'd be very lucky if we could sell him for £60m today, but I don't think we can sell him, unless for well lower than that figure.

If Paul was to leave, difference between being sold and leaving btw, if he was to leave we would be looking at least double that figure. He is the best player at Manchester United one of the best clubs in the world, for those two things alone he will cost a kings ransom.

The pundits have done a number on fans but if you think Paul is worth 60mil, how much do you value Grealish or VDB then.

You're the only one with an agenda. Name me a single pundit across all the TV stations who says Paul Pogba has been a world class player in a United shirt. There isn't any because it's simply not true. He's a good footballer with bags of talent but has so many flaws and last night kind of summed him up is time at Utd perfectly. He was awful first half and played well second half. That's inconsistency personified.

Doesn't mean i want him to be sold but our fans need to get out of his backside. Bruno is a better player for me. He's had a much bigger impact on our team. Pogba has 1 goal and just 4 assists in 23 apps this season. How is that world class? It just isn't.

They are many examples go look on youtube and pundit opinion is not the be all end all either.

Fancy talking about assists and goals on a player who has been playing deep all year, you need help mate.

What a terrible post. I am Pogba's fan, and I don't think he played particularly poorly yesterday, but its obvious that Pogba is playing in a deeper position compared to Fernandez and it is he who has the greater share of defensive duties. Nobody has 'stolen' penalties from anyone, Bruno is clearly the better penalty taker, why does Pogba have a god given right to take them. And he certainly not our best player.. which brings to the point about his salary:
At the moment De gea is the highest paid player of our team by far at £375,000, with Pogba second at £290,000. Players like Rashford and Martial are a bit lower and Bruno is at £150,000. Given his contribution in the team, at best he deserves a pay equal to Rashford and Martial and he certainly does not deserve a pay rise (De Gea himself is being massively overpaid given his performances).

No one cares if you are or not, does that give you the right to talk nonsense? No.

Paul does not have to take penalties but in no team should a new player come in and take penalties like Fernandes has. Marcus Rashford or Anthony should be taking penalties.

Who is our best player if not Paul?

So if I gather what you are saying correctly you would like Paul to have pay cut to roughly 200k while De Gea is on 375k? Not sure you are worth responding to at this point, carry on.

 

[flappyjay]

Last night showed how much quality we lack as a team and you say we should sell. We should be adding into Bruno and Pogba.

 

[YAMS49]

Sell one of our best players while we are building a squad lacking top quality. Genius move.

 

[Steven-UK]

I think it depends on his contract demands. I don't see Pogba as anywhere near world class, he can have world class moments, but he is just not consistent enough, and I doubt he ever will be.

If he is reasonable with such demands, I think we keep him. If he demands £400K (or thereabouts) a week on his next contract, we get rid; he is not worth that kind of money for the output we get from him.

 

[gerdm07]

MOTM yesterday. DO NOT SELL!

 

[Rolaholic]

Last night showed how much quality we lack as a team and you say we should sell. We should be adding into Bruno and Pogba.

Sell one of our best players while we are building a squad lacking top quality. Genius move.

In the middle of a covid affected transfer market too...

Some fans must really think real life is FIFA/FM

The amount of reactionary and shortsighted thinking shown after losses on here is always crazy to see,you'd think people were WUM's or rival fans with some of these suggestions

Build on the 3rd place finish by adding quality to the squad, not gut it just for the sake of it

 

[Focusmate]

We arent selling this summer and noone is looking to buy him but if he doesnt sign a new contract we eill have to sell next summer or risk him going on a free

 

[Borys]

To all those surprised with the OP, I think the timing for this thread is more related to the season finish rather than one particular game.

 

[Jibbs]

He is a liability in a sense that he switches off and on again multiple times during season. We need consistent players to win leagues. If by selling him we can sign Ndidi and Grealish / VdB. I will do it in a heart beat. But due to Covid transfer market is in a bad condition. We won't be able to find suitors for him willing to pay 70,80 million. May be only PSG and they will too try to involve players in part exchange.

 

[pocco]

To all those surprised with the OP, I think the timing for this thread is more related to the season finish rather than one particular game.

It's related to our tactical play/formation since Bruno arrived. I thought more would be able to see this problem. The first half until Ocampos went off highlighted the issue as he was drawing Wan Bissaka out of position a lot for Reguillon, but this thread was made because it's end of season and I want to talk about the balance of our midfield. I should have given it a different title!

 

[JPRouve]

It was another poster that suggested he needed freedom, that's what I'm referencing when you quoted me. However, to some extent he does need freedom. At Juve he played in a wide role with people around him to do the leg work and generally control the game. For France, he played centrally, flanked by Kante and Matuidi. Certain allowances do need to be made to accomodate him. Call it freedom, call it a balanced midfield, whatever.

No at Juve he sometimes played that role but more often than not he didn't, he played a deeper and centrally between more attacking players like Dybala/Tevez/Vidal with the likes of Khedira or Pirlo behind him. For France he plays a conservative role as a fairly regular number 8, he has as much allowance as any player with that type of role Kroos being probably the closest one.

 

[pocco]

In the middle of a covid affected transfer market too...

Some fans must really think real life is FIFA/FM

The amount of reactionary and shortsighted thinking shown after losses on here is always crazy to see,you'd think people were WUM's or rival fans with some of these suggestions

Build on the 3rd place finish by adding quality to the squad, not gut it just for the sake of it

I said weeks ago there was a problem with the balance of our midfield. So you're unbelievably wrong.

 

[Rolaholic]

I said weeks ago there was a problem with the balance of our midfield. So you're unbelievably wrong.

Might have something to do with the lack of a quality holding midfielder in front of the back 4...

Matic has his moments when fit and the MF looked quite well balanced when he was fresh and playing with Bruno and Pogba the first few matches but he can't be relied upon to start the majority of our games over an entire season. He'd be much better as a squad option in that role at this stage of his career.

The other option there, Fred, is more of an all action/b2b type instead of a DM.

Finding someone reliable at that position would go a lot further towards finding more balance than getting rid of Pogba. I think that's what would be unbelievably wrong as you say more than anything at this stage of the teams developement

 

[keithsingleton]

Yet another stupid thread

So now you want to sell our best players instead of improving the squad you want to make it weaker? I can think of at least half a dozen players in the first squad that would go before him. Our problem has always been defensively and we need serious back up.

Much as I want Sancho at the club it's a luxury buy rather than a necessity. If we don't get the top CB available along with back up defensively. I question Ole's tactics once again and still have grave concerns he's not the man to take us to the required level our club deserves .

ENOUGH SAID.

 

[Foxbatt]

Players need to fit into the team. I don't think Pogba fits this team. Every time he gets the ball near our box it makes me nervous. Yes he has very good passing he can shoot from range and has a good header and can arrive in the box late and score.
But when was the last time he did that? Either Ole is not making the best use of him or Pogba has lost it.

 

[Fracture90]

Maybe, but at his best he can be pretty solid defensively imo.
I think if we have him a season playing in a two (and got a quality partner for him) we’d see him add consistency to his game, even if he wouldn’t be scoring as often.

Or we could try to get the best out of him by playing him in a position that's the most suited to his skills...

 

[LVGSdive]

That would be complete nonsense. Why fans have this agenda against Poigba is beyond me.

It's a pandemic and all clubs are losing out on potential revenue streams. So the kind of transfer fees banded about before for Pogba 80/90m might not be possible.

Plus I rate Thiago higher than Pogba, so to get a superior player for half the price and probably a lower salary is great business. If you or anyone else thinks Pogba is a better player than Thiago then obviously you would disagree with me here.

Less outgoing and an upgrade. It doesn't take Jeff Bezos to recognise that is good business. If of course you consider Thiago to be an upgrade.

 

[romufc]

It's a pandemic and all clubs are losing out on potential revenue streams. So the kind of transfer fees banded about before for Pogba 80/90m might not be possible.

Plus I rate Thiago higher than Pogba, so to get a superior player for half the price and probably a lower salary is great business. If you or anyone else thinks Pogba is a better player than Thiago then obviously you would disagree with me here.

Less outgoing and an upgrade. It doesn't take Jeff Bezos to recognise that is good business. If of course you consider Thiago to be an upgrade.

So we should sell Pogba for a 30 year old injury prone player whos never played in the PL is an upgrade?

Pandemic or no pandemic, as Dortmund have shown, WC players hold their value.

 

[pocco]

No at Juve he sometimes played that role but more often than not he didn't, he played a deeper and centrally between more attacking players like Dybala/Tevez/Vidal with the likes of Khedira or Pirlo behind him. For France he plays a conservative role as a fairly regular number 8, he has as much allowance as any player with that type of role Kroos being probably the closest one.

Tevez and Dybala contributed massively to the midfield of Juve and he still had two other midfielders alongside/behind him. As a team they numerically controlled that central area and their system looked and played nothing like ours. The responsibility on Pogba is much higher with us at the moment as he is one of the deeper midfielders in our team. He doesn't have two or three players to supplement him in shielding the defence.

When France won the World Cup, Pogba played the role that I mentioned. I've not seen much of France recently but you mentioned managers that 'had some success' with him, so I'm looking at how he was used in the World Cup.

 

[pocco]

Why does Fernandes not have the intelligence to help his midfield out or Lindelof have the intelligence to help cover Wan Bissaka? Why is the concentration on Paul especially after he was the best of an average bunch yet again yesterday.

Fernandes has stolen penalties and pitch space from Paul and Marus Rashford but nothing else. Also you supplement your best player and that is Paul so the question is how can he be played in his best role rather than playing deep to help a lesser player pad his stats.

Such an idiotic post that totally ignores the errors of others all in order to focus on Paul. You call yourself a united fan?

Have you watched United recently? Teams are trying to overload Wan Bissaka and it works, even with Lindelof covering. The concentration is on Pogba because he is the deeper midfielder on that side of the pitch and it is his responsibility to cover that area. Isn't that fecking obvious? Perhaps not to a deluded Frenchman with a hard on for Paul Pogba.

I don't care for you bias towards French players. Seriously idiotic post.

 

[pocco]

Yet another stupid thread

So now you want to sell our best players instead of improving the squad you want to make it weaker? I can think of at least half a dozen players in the first squad that would go before him. Our problem has always been defensively and we need serious back up.

Much as I want Sancho at the club it's a luxury buy rather than a necessity. If we don't get the top CB available along with back up defensively. I question Ole's tactics once again and still have grave concerns he's not the man to take us to the required level our club deserves .

ENOUGH SAID.

The problem is, for £30m we could sign Thiago would fit our system better than Pogba. So we could quite easily sign him and bench Pogba. Would Pogba sit on the bench? No. So what do you do?

 

[el3mel]

We won't find a replacement at the moment, and he has been doing well since the restart. Better to open talks about this after next season imo.

 

[Rolaholic]

Some of you guys are living in fantasy land thinking it's easy to replace quality especially in this market while namedropping wholly unrealistic options.

What would make someone like Thiago, who's currently about to win a treble with the best side in Europe, leave them to join us when the defending league and still defending European champions, who ran away with the league without him, are at his doorstep and want him??

At least mention suitable options that would be feasible in real life and not just in a video game/FPL

 

[Van Piorsing]

Find me a better player than Pogba available, but why we should even sell one of our better players ? Isn't the plan to get someone better than what we actually have ?

How about selling Pereira and Lingard and finding one player that is complete package and huge quality upgrade on them.

 

[Powderfinger]

Have you watched United recently? Teams are trying to overload Wan Bissaka and it works, even with Lindelof covering. The concentration is on Pogba because he is the deeper midfielder on that side of the pitch and it is his responsibility to cover that area. Isn't that fecking obvious? Perhaps not to a deluded Frenchman with a hard on for Paul Pogba.

I don't care for you bias towards French players. Seriously idiotic post.

I don't think it will ever work to rely on a CM in a double pivot to be the primary help to the RB. Almost every club with a four man backline plays one of two defensive shapes, either a 4-3-3 in which you have a flat midfield three when out of possession, and therefore the player in Pogba's position finds it much easier to help on the side because he is part of a three, or a 4-4-2 where the wingers are tracking back actively and helping the fullback.

Basically, either Bruno needs to be flatter with the other CMs or the fullbacks need more help from the wingers. If neither of these things happen, the defensive shape is just broken and its not Pogba's fault. You can see this on the first Sevilla goal, where for whatever reason the shape out of possession was basically 4-2-4 and it was very easy for Sevilla to draw first the RB then the RCB out of position, opening up space down the wing and unsettling the whole defense.

 

[thegaz2002]

Absolutely no way we should be selling Pogba. The team needs to be build around him and Bruno. For me we need a proper number 9. No matter how much Rashford and Martial want to play that position they are forwards and not strikers. Greenwood might end up the player we all want but I can't help but feel it would waste his talents especially now to play him as the number 9. Very much like it did with Rashford and does with Martial. The issue being there aren't many around these days without spending a fortune.

I would take Calum Wilson at a cut price just to create some competition up there and he could end up as a Andy Cole like figure for us. We definitely need a partner for Maguire. I feel his poor decisions and performances come from him being worried about Lindeloef. get him a decent partner and we will see the Maguire from the World Cup. It's a shame City got Ake. Also might need a LB as still not convinced by Shaw and certainly not convinced by Williams after last night but he is still young.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Considering he was our best all around player yesterday and covered for both Rashford and Greenwood several times tracking back, this thread makes 0 sense.

 

[sammsky1]

We'd be very lucky if we could sell him for £60m today, but I don't think we can sell him, unless for well lower than that figure.

Like it or not, we are stuck with Pogba, whether we want to sell him or not
Nobody is going to pay the sort of transfer fee that Utd or many of our fans think he's worth, nor pay the sort of wages and fees his agent will demand from a contract with a new club.
This was true before Covid-19 and it's more true now.

A player is only worth what a buying club is prepared to pay and I'd be surprised if any club would pay more than £50m and they certainly wouldn't stump up astronomical wages for a player who's now long past the earlier promise of his successful spell at Juve.

Even if Utd were prepared to offload him at a much lower value, the wage demands and various fees would put most clubs off.
At the present time, Utd's only option is to try and get the best out of him, which I don't think we're doing by playing him in that deep role, where his poor defensive commitment and abilities are exposing us badly at times.

Pretty much sums up the situation. He’s like the millennium dome before 02 gave it a new purpose.

 

[JPRouve]

Tevez and Dybala contributed massively to the midfield of Juve and he still had two other midfielders alongside/behind him. As a team they numerically controlled that central area and their system looked and played nothing like ours. The responsibility on Pogba is much higher with us at the moment as he is one of the deeper midfielders in our team. He doesn't have two or three players to supplement him in shielding the defence.

When France won the World Cup, Pogba played the role that I mentioned. I've not seen much of France recently but you mentioned managers that 'had some success' with him, so I'm looking at how he was used in the World Cup.

No, Pogba didn't had a free role. People make the wrong assumption that Matuidi was there for Pogba when it was for Mbappé, France would defend with three CMs during transition because Mbappé was undisciplined and would take an eternity to support Pavard and then in 4411 when Mbappé was in place. Pogba for France had to be disciplined and understand when the entire midfield had to slide to the right. And he also played as a traditional 8 for France during the Euro 2016 alongside Matuidi.

If you want to see Pogba with freedom for France, you have to go back to pre-2016 and and he was inconsistent in a midfield three with Matuidi and generally Cabaye. He only started to get better when Payet and then Griezmann took the main playmaking roles and allowed Pogba to have a better defined more conservative role, which also happened pre-2016 when Valbuena was used as a 10.

 

[sammsky1]

Considering he was our best all around player yesterday and covered for both Rashford and Greenwood several times tracking back, this thread makes 0 sense.

Not really. Firstly he wasn’t the best player at all yesterday. He was decent enough and wasn’t the reason we lost, but he didn’t do enough to ensure we won.

The main observation of the OP is his lack of consistency and inability to own a position in our setup and perform it to consistent desired standards. One decent performance doesn’t change that.

 

[Relevated]

Sell one of our best players while we are building a squad lacking top quality. Genius move.

'Hey, hear me out guys. I have an idea so crazy it just might work'.

 

[He'sRaldo]

Pogba has the pesky habit of completely wiping out his contributions from the minds of supporters.

That's the one stopping him from achieving greatness.

 

[Gary_Walsh_Nou_Camp_Hell]

Is pogba getting the blame for Martial missing chances? Lindeloff, Maguire and Wan Bissaka not doing basic defending? Rashford not turning up?

Pogba, Fred and Fernandes were the only players that turning up.

 

[keithsingleton]

The problem is, for £30m we could sign Thiago would fit our system better than Pogba. So we could quite easily sign him and bench Pogba. Would Pogba sit on the bench? No. So what do you do?

I'm not in for down grading pocco, we need to be making forward steps not back. Thiago good back up but that's it. Plus won't be happening so no need to discuss our time on it.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Pogba, Fred and Fernandes were the only players that turning up.

Thought all three of them were pretty decent on the night myself, all things considered.

We created enough to win that match. A bit more rub of the green - and nobody questions the shape of our midfield too heavily (for my money it wasn't anything horribly wrong with it).

Anyway, in what looks like Ole's preferred system, there's a designated DM who is expected to drop down and cover in certain phases. That player is not Pogba - it's Matic or Fred (yesterday).

 

[starman]

If the scenario of swapping him with Saul happened, I would take it. Be it a straight swap (doubt it) or someone buys Pogba and we use the cash for Saul.
He would bring the same attacking threat from the same position and offer more balance to the midfield.
I would also worry less about playing Fred as I do with Pogba and Bruno

 

[pocco]

I don't think it will ever work to rely on a CM in a double pivot to be the primary help to the RB. Almost every club with a four man backline plays one of two defensive shapes, either a 4-3-3 in which you have a flat midfield three when out of possession, and therefore the player in Pogba's position finds it much easier to help on the side because he is part of a three, or a 4-4-2 where the wingers are tracking back actively and helping the fullback.

Basically, either Bruno needs to be flatter with the other CMs or the fullbacks need more help from the wingers. If neither of these things happen, the defensive shape is just broken and its not Pogba's fault. You can see this on the first Sevilla goal, where for whatever reason the shape out of possession was basically 4-2-4 and it was very easy for Sevilla to draw first the RB then the RCB out of position, opening up space down the wing and unsettling the whole defense.

I think Bruno needs to cover the central areas during defensive phases. As Pogba is deeper then he's got to be the man to track fullbacks coming forward. Wan Bissaka has to be trusted 1 v 1 against wide attackers but they're doubling up on him and it's causing problems. So attacks down our right should be covered by Pogba, with Fred/Matic/Whoever and Bruno covering balls into midfielders centrally. In my opinion, of course.

 

[Luke1995]

No. The team needs to be built around Pogba. If used properly, he can be the man to get us back to european glory. I mean, he is so talented. Just needs to find a higher level of consistency because sometimes he has great games and other times he goes through spells of not so great games.

 

[Revan]

Yes, let's do so. Because AWB is so useless in the ball and teams know it, let's solve the problem by selling Pogba.

Shaw is also quite injured so I think we should sell Martial.

 

[RashyForPM]

No. /thread

Seriously, our squad is already pretty shit, and now you want one of our best players gone? Insane. Getting rid of him, unless we sign Thiago as no one else is available, would literally set us back 3 years.