Will we see a new mature Pogba in the new season?

[#07]

Griezmann, amongst others in the France squad, has criticized Pogba for his positioning and tendency to over complicate play, and he's taken it to heart. Hopefully he can keep the same focus going into our season.

This.

France did well once Pogba stopped d*cking around with the ball .

For all the talk of dislike of Jose's game plan , it's a pretty similar tactical plan that sees France win. Wonder if that will change Pogbas perspective

Exactly and people with short memories are forgetting how Deschamps and Pogba have also clashed over his position. It just seems like, for whatever reason, the penny has dropped for Pogba. Unlike at the last Euros he's been happy to do the donkey work. I hope we see that for United next season.

 

[Brwned]

If he has someone like Kante and Matuidi doing the defensive work - sure.

Isn't it weird how your eyes play tricks on you? Pogba made the 13th most tackles in the tournament, just 1 less than Matuidi and 2 less than Kanté. More than any of the three Croatian midfielders. And I'd wager he's covered more ground than most midfielders too. You might only remember the goals and assists but the evidence is pretty clear - he did far more than that.

 

[TheReligion]

Deschamps and Mourinho have both had words with Pogba. As mentioned.

It's not all been happy all sunshine and dancing with France and some evil dictatorship at United.

The only person stopping PP is PP. It's simple.

 

[Feed Me]

Deschamps and Mourinho have both had words with Pogba. As mentioned.

It's not all been happy all sunshine and dancing with France and some evil dictatorship at United.

The only person stopping PP is PP. It's simple.

Amazing how people will use this Pogba performance to criticise Mourinho, who has been asking for exactly this type of performance.

 

[SirAF]

Deschamps and Mourinho have both had words with Pogba. As mentioned.

It's not all been happy all sunshine and dancing with France and some evil dictatorship at United.

The only person stopping PP is PP. It's simple.

This.

 

[Bastian]

Barcelona or Madrid will. Happy for Pogba.

Thanks I needed a laugh.

 

[gerdm07]

I hope so. Pogba should have a lot freedom when Matic and Fred are playing. I think a lot of it depends on how Mourinho set up thought.

 

[Devil may care]

Not unless Mourinho learns how to commuicate with him on a personal level like Deschamps clearly has. I think Zidane will get the best out of him when he takes over.

 

[cyberman]

Paul will only ever be judged with hindsight.
If we win then he's playing well, if we lose he should be taking games by the scruff of the neck. Or Jose gets the blame for shackling him.
The world cup has been over for 30 mins and Neville was already talking about if Jose can give Paul the freedom to float, roam and play.
All of which he didn't do this summer, Gary has already altered what Pogba has to do to be considered a success.

 

[Mainoldo]

Silly post and WUM.

You should get called out on rubbish like this.

Have a coke and a smile.

 

[TheReligion]

Have a coke and a smile.

Sorry I just get sick of the negative caf

 

[Mainoldo]

Sorry I just get sick of the negative caf

Fair enough but it was just a joke.

 

[Oneunited26]

Maybe Mourinho needs to look at himself in the mirror, the club giving the manager the tools to bring the players needed to build the side around pogba. Jose must build this team around a winner, Paul is a world cup winner, the British press, mourinho, souness sit in the corner because Paul has shown what he can do IN A 2 MAN MIDFIELD, show the faith and we will see the best of this wonderful player. For me Pogba is going to find it difficult with Mourinho's tactics, limited players like valencia, jones, young, fellaini, matic, lingard, so while we need to get the best out of paul, we need a better RB, CB, LB, another CM to upgrade over matic, and a RW. Without new signing's expect the same I am afraid

 

[Vilev]

I would not hold my breath, but i do have a hope, even if it's slim.

 

[Yorkeontop]

It is quite curious we never saw a funky hairdo from him.

 

[TwoSheds]

No. Great player but he's playing like that because it's the pinnacle of the game and he only gets a handful of chances at it, yoully see the same old foibles crop up in the new season unless we can get a really good atmosphere going in the squad and light a fire under him.

 

[Handsome Devil]

Sorry I just get sick of the negative caf

Hear hear.

 

[RedPed]

the World Cup has had him produce mature, disciplined performances which has driven his team to now win the WC. Will we see him continue this form for United?

Sneaking suspicion that we may see 3 weeks now of Madrid, Barca and Juventus sniffing around

Well they'll need a very fat cheque book!!

It is quite curious we never saw a funky hairdo from him.

Here we go. So that's why he performed so well!

 

[fellaini's barber]

Apart from his goal I thought he was wank today tbh

 

[AndyJ1985]

Apart from his goal I thought he was wank today tbh

You know nothing about football

 

[izzydiggler]

There's probably just as much chance as him coming back with an inflated ego and the mindset he can do what he wants because "I won the World Cup".

I'm not saying that will be the case - maybe Mourinho will give him a big more licence, especially with Fred coming in but I can absolutely see him strutting around to the annoyance of Mourinho and it causing some friction.

 

[LazyRed-Ninja]

The only thing remaining on his resume is a Premier League title, a FA cup (which United were very very close too in winning) and a CL.

The question is, which remaining trophy is the most realistic for Pogba to win at United?

 

[Fer]

It depends. He was really good in the France system. When he comeback, he is going to be our more advanced midfielder in a 433.

I think he is better in a midfield of 2.

 

[fellaini's barber]

You know nothing about football

It was literally the only thing he got right, plus a few good long passes.Lost the ball a lot. Nothing more spectacular from his performances for us. Can't think of any game where he particularly stood out in the France midfield. Don't know what 'maturity' you guys saw there.

 

[Jib]

Pogba was great with Conte and Allegri
Good with Deschamps ( until this WC )
Average with Mourinho

But the problem is Pogba not Mourinho or the average players around him here like Lukaku, Sanchez, Lingard, Mata, Smalling, Jones, Matic that aren't good enough to be on the bench for the french NT or Juventus

Huh

He'll left the club, the sooner the better for his career. He's the scapegoat here

 

[spiriticon]

Clean black buzzcut, no dabs, just serious stuff all round from him and whaddya know, a top player appears.

 

[Jib]

Clean black buzzcut, no dabs, just serious stuff all round from him and whaddya know, a top player appears.

Yeah

 

[DrRodo]

It was literally the only thing he got right, plus a few good long passes.Lost the ball a lot. Nothing more spectacular from his performances for us. Can't think of any game where he particularly stood out in the France midfield. Don't know what 'maturity' you guys saw there.

It was a great performance, one of those which wont give you amazing youtube highlights which is probably what youre waiting for. He ran his socks off, showed himself to recieve the ball and relieve pressure in midfield, and a couple of great incisive passes foward to unleash the fowards...

All of this not in a wednesday cold night at stoke but in the very WC final itself

Edit: also a goal too

 

[Litch]

Even in the positive, there will always be the negative. Can't we just enjoy that we have a World Cup winner....

 

[spiriticon]

Yeah

He can do what he wants with the trophy in hand. Take the L, floss whatever. But with a trophy in hand.

 

[breakout67]

Pogba was great with Conte and Allegri
Good with Deschamps ( until this WC )
Average with Mourinho

But the problem is Pogba not Mourinho or the average players around him here like Lukaku, Sanchez, Lingard, Mata, Smalling, Jones, Matic that aren't good enough to be on the bench for the french NT or Juventus

Huh

He'll left the club, the sooner the better for his career. He's the scapegoat here

Average with Mourinho despite us being completely helpless going forward without him. He has carried us for the 2 season he has been here in midfield. One of our best players and shows it regularly.

 

[marktan]

Needs better players around him. The midfield is now decent, but the attack (barring Lukaku) and the full backs are still poor. He thrives for France because he has Mpabbe and Griezman making runs, in our team Sanchez, Mata, Martial just stand aroundm and Rashford/Lingard make runs but then don't really have the quality once they get it..

 

[Maurice Setters Training]

He has a 3 + 1 year contract. If Madrid want to pay £200m for their next ‘beautiful project’ it wouldn’t be terrible IMO. Otherwise Raiola does not hold any cards.

If he stays, I think that playing in a three with Fred will help him to produce some more mature performances for us.

 

[Greck]

Needs better players around him. The midfield is now decent, but the attack (barring Lukaku) and the full backs are still poor. He thrives for France because he has Mpabbe and Griezman making runs, in our team Sanchez, Mata, Martial just stand aroundm and Rashford/Lingard make runs but then don't really have the quality once they get it..

Agree in general but if that was us Mbappe being a wide player would be helping out in our half instead of floating just outside the halfway with Lukaku being the only pacy outlet. We have somethings that need tweaking to get the most of our squad

 

[Seven Seas Sardines]

No. Great player but he's playing like that because it's the pinnacle of the game and he only gets a handful of chances at it, yoully see the same old foibles crop up in the new season unless we can get a really good atmosphere going in the squad and light a fire under him.

 

[togg]

I'm sure Mourinho watched him every time during this world cup. Personally I think Pogba will give it one more season at United now he's won the world cup. I'd be surprised if United sell him this summer. Hope not anyway, since that will be more an admission of our failure than his.......

 

[Seven Seas Sardines]

I'm sure Mourinho watched him every time during this world cup. Personally I think Pogba will give it one more season at United now he's won the world cup. I'd be surprised if United sell him this summer. Hope not anyway, since that will be more an admission of our failure than his.......

Only one going next Summer is Mourinho.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

the World Cup has had him produce mature, disciplined performances which has driven his team to now win the WC. Will we see him continue this form for United?

No.

 

[Brwned]

It was literally the only thing he got right, plus a few good long passes.Lost the ball a lot. Nothing more spectacular from his performances for us. Can't think of any game where he particularly stood out in the France midfield. Don't know what 'maturity' you guys saw there.

Let's pick apart the idea that he "lost the ball a lot", just briefly. He had the 2nd highest pass completion in the team, behind only Umtiti. They were the only two French starters with above an 80% completion rate. Mbappe and Griezmann in the 60s, Kante and Giroud in the 50s. So obviously France as a team struggled to keep the ball. Or alternatively they played an aggressive, risky game in possession safe in the knowledge that they could win the ball back in midfield and break.

And of course Pogba was an important part of that particular tactical plan, as he made more tackles than any other French player, more accurate long balls than any other French outfield player and just had more touches than any other French player. You picked up on the "few long balls", at least. But it's worth elaborating on that a bit too.

In the first half the only French chance from open play was when Pogba cut through the midfield and played in Mbappe, 2 vs 1 with Griezmann on the edge of the box. And then he played Mbappe through in the 2nd half twice - once when he went for goal himself and drew a good save from Subasic, and the other when Pogba finished off the chance himself. Until that point France had created no other chances in open play - they all started with Pogba.

And it's very obvious France were set up to play pragmatic counter-attacking football over fluid possession football since game 2. Game 1 they tried to play a fluid front three of Mbappe, Dembele and Griezmann and it sounded great - even Mourinho thought so. But it didn't work. So instead they relied upon a back four of four centre backs, a midfield with no wingers and a target man who couldn't hit the target.

And yet they won convincingly in every game if the knockout round, with Pogba's all round contribution playing a pivotal part in making it all work. That might suggest you're overlooking certain parts of the game that worked so successfully for France, that you just don't bother to recognise.

 

[goober88]

If he has someone like Kante and Matuidi doing the defensive work - sure.

Yes because we need someone with 'energy' like Kante. It's not like Matic mopped up after Fabregas, who is much worse defensively than Pogba. Kante isn't even that dynamic for France: his role if to be more disciplined.