Which midfielder should we buy to give Pogba more freedom

[Stacks]

We can definitely upgrade on Herrera, Fellaini or McTominay. What I don't understand is, if it is such an obvious solution, why don't we play anyone of the three with Pogba and Matic until we buy someone?

This is a guess but perhaps Jose doesn't feel Paul has high enough attacking output to sacrifice the number 10 role and add another deep lying CM? I mean people keep saying "free him up in a midfield trio and he'll do wonders" but you could buy a specialist support striker/10 who will score or assist more such as Alexis.
The belief is that at Juve he ran riot because Pirlo and Vidal covered for him while he went free to attack, but the reality is that Vidal outscored Pogba in the 3 league campaigns together so they had other players to share the attacking burden, so they were not reliant on Pogba to pull things out of a hat. Perhaps Jose feels its too big a sacrifice to give him the Lampard-esque freedom just yet, and remove a player from out attacking line, in the hopes that he runs riot.

 

[2cents]

This is a guess but perhaps Jose doesn't feel Paul has high enough attacking output to sacrifice the number 10 role and add another deep lying CM? I mean people keep saying "free him up in a midfield trio and he'll do wonders" but you could buy a specialist support striker/10 who will score or assist more such as Alexis.
The belief is that at Juve he ran riot because Pirlo and Vidal covered for him while he went free to attack, but the reality is that Vidal outscored Pogba in the 3 league campaigns together so they had other players to share the attacking burden, so they were not reliant on Pogba to pull things out of a hat. Perhaps Jose feels its too big a sacrifice to give him the Lampard-esque freedom just yet, and remove a player from out attacking line, in the hopes that he runs riot.

This is it I think - people on here were actually complaining about Pogba as the furthest forward in a midfield three last season because he just wasn't productive enough and is not a great number 10 as he constantly gives the ball away and goes missing. If he can't play in a two then we've a huge problem on our hands with him.

 

[Hammondo]

IMO its a myth that he doesn't have freedom. He does what he wants, he doesn't backtrack so in terms of freedom he really couldn't be more free.

 

[Adnan]

Would Pogba get into the Spurs team? Under Poch he would reproduce what he showed under Conte and Allegri imo and would walk into the Spurs midfield.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Would Pogba get into the Spurs team? Under Poch he would reproduce what he showed under Conte and Allegri imo and would walk into the Spurs midfield.

He probably would as Poch would put him a three.

 

[Stacks]

He probably would as Poch would put him a three.

Where would golden boy Alli play?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Where would golden boy Alli play?

He's gone right off the boil. Sit him on the bench. Or loan him to MK Dons.

 

[Stacks]

He's gone right off the boil. Sit him on the bench. Or loan him to MK Dons.

He is on 9 goals 10 assists this season, which is not amazing but warrants a starting place.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

He is on 9 goals 10 assists this season, which is not amazing but warrants a starting place.

Then Pogba wouldn't get in even Spurs side, so now I am wondering why we paid so much money and he is in ours?

 

[Stacks]

Then Pogba wouldn't get in even Spurs side, so now I am wondering why we paid so much money and he is in ours?

well it depends whether Poch feels playing in a midfield 2 with either Wanyama, Dier or Dembele, would improve them. He would provide more attacking impetus than all their CM combined but of course leave them exposed and less balance in midfield.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

well it depends whether Poch feels playing in a midfield 2 with either Wanyama, Dier or Dembele, would improve them. He would provide more attacking impetus than all their CM combined but of course leave them exposed and less balance in midfield.

Just curious. Do you think we have been ripped off? I can't entirely make my mind up. The first season was underwhelming, but he has shown signs of improvement this season. Yet at the back of my mind I am wondering why he should be showing improvement for that money. Shouldn't he be bossing it anyway.

 

[charlenefan]

Just curious. Do you think we have been ripped off? I can't entirely make my mind up. The first season was underwhelming, but he has shown signs of improvement this season. Yet at the back of my mind I am wondering why he should be showing improvement for that money. Shouldn't he be bossing it anyway.

Pogba isn't a 90m player lets be honest but then neither is Coutinho a 140m player or VVD a 75m player so his cost really shouldn't be brought into it. Did we buy a young midfielder will lots of potential? Yes and that's still what he is. He's been a lot better this season than last and that's despite having missed half the season through injury

 

[Member 5225]

Do we have a chance to nab Kante?

 

[sun_tzu]

I think we already have players that can do this at the club, but we need to change the way that we play. We have some of the fastest central defenders in the league, pushing the back line forward and playing a high press not only suits the likes of smalling, Jones and Bailly, but would suit Herrera and Pereira too.

If we want to buy in the summer, I would prioritise Thiago, Saul Niguez, Milinkovic-Savic in that order, but I'd still love us to take a punt on paredes

Id stay away from Thiago - nothing about his ability but I couldnt stand another summer revisiting the thiago thread!
Saul and Milinkovic-Savic i agree and though i suspect Saul's length of contract (I think 7 years) and his buy out clause (I think 150m) means unless Athletico want rid Milinkovic-Savic may be the most realistic option - and Id be very happy with either (id be happy with thiago but I just dont see that happening at all)

 

[Stacks]

Just curious. Do you think we have been ripped off? I can't entirely make my mind up. The first season was underwhelming, but he has shown signs of improvement this season. Yet at the back of my mind I am wondering why he should be showing improvement for that money. Shouldn't he be bossing it anyway.

Overcharged but not ripped off. in my opinion a club should only spend £100m on world beaters and players who will decide matches by themselves. As the poster below wrote, Coutinho should not cost 100-140mill, Van Dijt 75m and Dembele 100m. That's absurd amounts and only 1 or 2 clubs would ever fork that out on those individual players.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Overcharged but not ripped off. in my opinion a club should only spend £100m on world beaters and players who will decide matches by themselves. As the poster below wrote, Coutinho should not cost 100-140mill, Van Dijt 75m and Dembele 100m. That's absurd amounts and only 1 or 2 clubs would ever fork that out on those individual players.

The trouble now is that all transfers will be wildly inflated. Once you agree to pay those sorts of fees, the chances of a bargain buy disappear.

 

[ZAGREB RED]

Rakitic.

 

[Isotope]

Freedom to choose other club? Nah, j/k. We need a Casemiro, just like Modric and Kroos need one.

 

[beingshe7don]

I think we need 2 midfielders to play in a midfield 3 with Pogba, and Matic will be a bit part player for years to come. So I propose that we go and get Isco for 65m and get a proper Kante sort of player who breaks up play and roams around the pitch. Seri or Fabinho would be my options to play at the base of an inverted triangle.

----- Pogba ------- Isco -----
---------- Fabinho -----------

It's hard to see that midfield struggle. There's creativity and ball retention ability and ability to break through teams that sit behind. 65m for Isco and 40m for Fabinho. We could still spend another 50m after getting the two of them. 50m would be enough to get a RW in the form of Pulisic or we could give Tahith Chong a try and use the 50m to get a potent striker in the form of Werner.

The 50m could also be used to strengthen our defense but there aren't many CBs out there that are talented and we could get. Actually I really want Jose to give Tuanzebe a chance. I'm still speechless at Jose's stupidity of picking Smalling, Jones ahead of Tuanzebe.

Smalling and Jones need to be moved on. The jury is still out on Lindelof. My 4 CBs would be Bailly, Tuanzebe, Rojo and Lindelof. Luke Shaw is coming good. TFM could be an understudy for Valencia next season before Valencia is moved on as well.

 

[Nemanja Ferdinand]

What's the status of Alex Song?
Last time I saw him play was at West Ham, he was doing a great job but what happened after that?

 

[Bwuk]

What's the status of Alex Song?
Last time I saw him play was at West Ham, he was doing a great job but what happened after that?

This cannot be a serious post.

Hopefully PSG slap Madrid and Kroos wants out.

 

[2cents]

This cannot be a serious post.

Hopefully PSG slap Madrid and Kroos wants out.

I'd rather Madrid slap PSG and Veratti wants out.

 

[Bwuk]

I'd rather Madrid slap PSG and Veratti wants out.

Beggers can't be choosers! Take them both!

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

IMO its a myth that he doesn't have freedom. He does what he wants, he doesn't backtrack so in terms of freedom he really couldn't be more free.

But this means nothing if we spend time without the ball, defending. His freedom must come from when we don't have the ball, i.e. with two midfielders working hard to get the ball back.

 

[Asian Sensation]

Does anyone think that either doucoure or ndidi are able to make the next step up?

 

[MadDogg]

This is it I think - people on here were actually complaining about Pogba as the furthest forward in a midfield three last season because he just wasn't productive enough and is not a great number 10 as he constantly gives the ball away and goes missing. If he can't play in a two then we've a huge problem on our hands with him.

There's a difference between a number 10 (which is more of a 4231 position) and the most offensive of a three man central midfield. Well, there is a lot of overlap, but the former is more like how Rooney often played for us (getting back and helping out a lot, but the main focus was what he did in attacking areas), while the latter has more focus on the midfield area but just has more 'freedom' to join the attack and can pick and choose his moments a bit more. More like how Zidane played.

 

[deafepl]

I'd rather Madrid slap PSG and Veratti wants out.

I think Veratti is United bound if he want to leave PSG. His agent is Raiola

 

[Hammondo]

But this means nothing if we spend time without the ball, defending. His freedom must come from when we don't have the ball, i.e. with two midfielders working hard to get the ball back.

He does, he is not doing any defensive work off the ball, hes literally doing what he wants. Everyone else is doing the work to get the ball back.

 

[Infra-red]

I think Veratti is United bound if he want to leave PSG. His agent is Raiola

Has a contract until 2021. When Barca tried to buy him, PSG hit back by buying Neymar. We're probably more likely to see Pogba in a PSG shirt than Verratti in a United shirt.

 

[Nemanja Ferdinand]

This cannot be a serious post.

Hopefully PSG slap Madrid and Kroos wants out.

Nah not really.

Kroos would be amazing though!

 

[LilyWhiteSpur]

Doesn't matter who you buy if you continue to play him in a 2 man midfield.

 

[noodlehair]

Doesn't matter who you buy if you continue to play him in a 2 man midfield.

Which is why you're better off buying a midfielder for the sake of wanting a good midfielder, rather than wanting someone who will magically make Pogba play better, which limits your options and means you are signing a player who will be a failure unless they play well AND a completely different player starts playing better.

If Pogba in a three man midfield is such a revelation, you have to ask why we need to buy a player just to be able to do it, and don't already do it, when we already have 5 other midfielders. You'd suspect at least two of them could also play in a three man midfield.

You'd also suspect the reason we don't do it probably isn't as simple as because Moruinho hasn't thought of it. It's probably more along the lines of being because Pogba hasn't shown enough in one area or another to suggest it's a good idea.

 

[LilyWhiteSpur]

Which is why you're better off buying a midfielder for the sake of wanting a good midfielder, rather than wanting someone who will magically make Pogba play better, which limits your options and means you are signing a player who will be a failure unless they play well AND a completely different player starts playing better.

If Pogba in a three man midfield is such a revelation, you have to ask why we need to buy a player just to be able to do it, when we already have 5 other midfielders. You'd suspect at least two of them could also play in a three man midfield.

Why has Herrera dropped down the pecking order, I thought Matic sitting with Herrera doing the box to box work with Pogba more advanced would be pretty impressive.

 

[noodlehair]

Why has Herrera dropped down the pecking order, I thought Matic sitting with Herrera doing the box to box work with Pogba more advanced would be pretty impressive.

No idea. Herrera hasn't been in great form but there are other options who Jose seems to like anyway.

I think if Pogba in a midfield three would solve all of our problems in the way people seem to think, we would already be doing it. I think the problem is more that wherever you put Pogba, he just does what he wants, and there just isn't a position or formation where that works against a decent side.

 

[LilyWhiteSpur]

No idea. Herrera hasn't been in great form but there are other options who Jose seems to like anyway.

I think if Pogba in a midfield three would solve all of our problems in the way people seem to think, we would already be doing it. I think the problem is more that wherever you put Pogba, he just does what he wants, and there just isn't a position or formation where that works against a decent side.

But is there any doubt, recent form excluded, that United are better when he is in the team?

 

[noodlehair]

But is there any doubt, recent form excluded, that United are better when he is in the team?

Depends what you mean by recent form. His performance against you wasn't really any different to how he's performed in the past against Liverpool, Chelsea, City, etc. The only difference was Jose calling him up on his irresponsibility. He had one performance against Liverpool at OT last season which was especially horrific.

In other games he's hit and miss. He'll showboat around and sometimes it comes off and he looks like the best player on the pitch, and other times when it doesn't come off, he is mildly annoying if you're winning and infuriating when you're not.

There hasn't really been a point since he's been here where his "recent form" hasn't raised questions.

I don't get this idea that in a midfield three the fact he doesn't work hard enough at times, or literally just stands still when he loses the ball, or is more interested in showboating than helping his team, suddenly stops being an issue.

If we are a better team when he is in it and doing these things, then again it raises the question of why you would sign a player with the purpose of improving Pogba, rather than signing someone to improve the team, and leaving it up to Pogba as to whether he wants to improve with it.

Because you look at City at the moment, and they are at a level where a luxury player in the mould Pogba is currently, no matter how talented, and what position or formation you created for them, would not make them a better team.

 

[2cents]

He had one performance against Liverpool at OT last season which was especially horrific

And that in a 3 with Carrick and Herrera.

 

[gaucho_10]

Playing 4-3-3 would give more freedom to Pogba at LCM, but in that setup LCM and RCM need to cover very often for LW and RW. They need to double up on the wing with FB's and that can be tricky business, specially in transition and even more so when you have Alexis playing on the left, as he likes to cut in and leave his side open.

At Juventus it was different because they had 3 at the back with Bonucci always in the middle and Chiellini on the left was able to double up with Sandro and it left Pogba more freedom then he would have playing on the left in 4-3-3. What I'm saying is it's a different system and it's not directly comparable.

I think Pogba is not suited for playing in double pivot, but the only thing he needs to play LCM in 4-3-3 is change in attitude. Play for the team and add more bite to his game.

 

[ghagua]

Wilfred Ndidi. We need a defensive midfielder who can put in a tackle and get around the midfield and stop other teams steam rolling through our midfield at will. He is a proven Premier league player now. He would free up Pogba to do his stuff.

 

[ash_86]

Wilfred Ndidi. We need a defensive midfielder who can put in a tackle and get around the midfield and stop other teams steam rolling through our midfield at will. He is a proven Premier league player now. He would free up Pogba to do his stuff.

Agree with this. Ndidi has been excellent every-time i watch him