Pogba

I would be very reluctant to get rid of a lot of players until we address the elephant in the room. That's the manager.

He is unable to get this team to play well consistently after 2 years with them and is still struggling with team selections and formations.

The players do share some of the blame with regards to the tempo but I would get rid of the manager before binning everyone bar Fellaini

comment by Genius🤓_AppleCart_Space🚀_Dude_Featuring_Zorak (..We all got a Chicken🐔-Duck🦆-Woman👩🏼‍ thing, Waiting for us.) (U19099)
posted 17 minutes ago
Jose and United have given Pogba a lot of luxueries since he’s comeback to United, more so than the majority of United fans would like to admit.

It was only last season where certain fans were getting disillusioned with Pogba’s general performances .
So much so that, along with Zlatan, United fans were begrudgingly accepting of Pogba’s role in the side ,primarily because he was being, justifiably at the time, marked as one of Jose’s little undroppable favourites.

Pogba had just as many shockers last season as he has done this year, in his favoured offensive role or not, though there was always a benefit of doubt given to him. Whether that was dealing with the enormity of his transfer fee, adapting to the league/country and being blatantly given a far more influential role to that of his previous club. The benefit was there.

Now as we are slowly closing in on Pogba’s 2nd stint at the club, in his 2nd season, we, the fans, are not only dealing with the same old questionable views regarding Pogba’s role within the club, that were thrown at him rather consistently last season, but unfortunately brand new ones.
His recent sluggish performances have opened the door to the body language experts. Personally one would not need to be such a expert in that field largely because Pogba’s attitude is so apparent.

Another situation arose with the summer signing of Matic ,who was deemed to be yet another major tool in giving Pogba the so called ‘freedom’ his fans desired. But that has never really brought fruit consistently. Which hasn’t done Matic’s form any favours either, who funnily enough is now been rubberstamped as one of Jose’s ‘favourites’ .

Since his time back at United Pogba has been given many privileges to perform. He’s more often than not been a consistent name on the teamsheet. He’s been given time to adapt to the PL ,he’s been given license to attack. He’s been given affordable time to adapt to a deeper role on occasions to give him more versatility, he’s been given set piece duties and he’s even been given the captain’s armband and yet he’s never consistently grasped either of these opportunities.
And that’s not to mention the marketing aspect of the club who have clearly made him the ‘face of United’ since Rooney’s departure.
Everything at United has been geared towards Pogba since he’s been here.

And now he’s not happy, Jose’s not happy and the majority of the fans aren’t happy either.

And yet after that comfortable victory over West Ham on the bright sunny afternoon at Old Trafford where all feelings for the new season ahead were full of promise, this slow cloud of negativity surrounding United, Jose and Pogba seems unsurprisingly typical of the clubs mood since Ferguson’s retired.
What will come in the summer is anyone guess.
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I see where you are coming from with this. Pogba's performances for the most part have been underwhelming. I just think however, that selling Pogba, would signal, yet another overhaul in the squad, which I don't think is needed. There are three options on the table I feel.

1 We sell Pogba, and the other unwanted players (Martial, Shaw, Fellaini (going anyway), Blind, Herrera, Mata). Jose then needs to replace the player he wanted to build a team around, amongst others and address the where the squad is lacking now on top of that.

2 Pogba and Jose kiss and make up figure out a way to get the best out him individually for the benefit of the team.

3 Sack Jose.

For me option 2 looks the most likely, possibly on instruction from above. At some point the board will look at the situation and say "we've given you everything you've asked for, and you haven't even come close to challenging City. What more do you want? get on with what you have plus a few additions and that's it" This may lead to option 3. It just depends on who blinks first. I've no doubt now that Jose and the club are on a collision course.

comment by Mumbai Martial (U3867)
posted 32 minutes ago
comment by Captain Subjectivity (U12048)
posted 20 minutes ago
In the last 5 years, the club has had a high turnover of players widely deemed to be 'World class' (or not far off) upon signing. That hardly any of them hade prospered with leads me to question our managers in that period, their tactics and transfer strategies.

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This
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No not this. our fans just overrate a number of footballers. mainly di maria, pogba, martial being main cases.

none close to being world class or top players.

then again utd fans also do it for som truly average payers like valencia.

comment by ManUtdDaredevil (U9612)
posted 46 minutes ago
I would be very reluctant to get rid of a lot of players until we address the elephant in the room. That's the manager.

He is unable to get this team to play well consistently after 2 years with them and is still struggling with team selections and formations.

The players do share some of the blame with regards to the tempo but I would get rid of the manager before binning everyone bar Fellaini
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He recently signed a new contract

Unfortunately

How about giving it to Giggs until the end of the season? He has little Wales way up at 21st in the world ranking which is pretty amazing for a country of that size. Time for him to be given a shot at the United job surely.

I actually dont think,if it comes to it that is,that selling Pogba would necessarily mean we need a big sqaud overhaul.

Personally I feel we look more balanced when McTominay features alongside Matic in a midfeild two.
Now granted Pogba is technically alot more gifted and does have the flash of brilliance in him but I have to say McTominay certainly beats him on effort and application while arguably being more tactically astute in a 2.

But if Pogba were to stay he needs to be further up the pitch in a midfield 3 consistently.
Having watched Pogba now for 2 years its easy to see his strengths and weaknesses.His strengths revolve around attack and his weakness revolve around pragmatism,and inteligence in that.
He's not a player to build a team around.You just cant do that with him.He's not someone who's going to make us tick,he's not someone who's going to come deep and burst through a team.He's like a odd number 10.More often than not he might be on the periphery.

Now with Jose set up both he and Pogba need to come to some conclusion.It really boils down to whether Jose will be accepting of that fact that Pogba could potentially be a luxury we can afford or not.

If Jose can accept that than he needs to continue,in the summer,to bring in the players,like Juve,which can afford to have someone as sperodically brilliant as Pogba.
If Jose cant and wants a midfielder ,who he may of initially wanted to see from Pogba, who's more box-to-box and one that can easily be played in a two or 3 and one that will be a consistent first teamer alongside Matic then I dont see much hope for Pogba.

Also, when Pogba does feature, I'm sowly accepting the fact that for 30 minutes,either half,he's just going to wander around doing feck-all.

comment by Genius🤓_AppleCart_Space🚀_Dude_Featuring_Zorak (..We all got a Chicken🐔-Duck🦆-Woman👩🏼‍ thing, Waiting for us.) (U19099)
posted 16 minutes ago
Also, when Pogba does feature, I'm sowly accepting the fact that for 30 minutes,either half,he's just going to wander around doing feck-all.
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and you can bet whoever his opposing midfielder is that day, no matter how garbage they are, they'll be getting to the edge of our box with regularity, completely unmarked.

If we can recoup most of the money, sell him. He’s too inconsistent, half ersed and linflexible positionally. Such an overhyped player.

comment by Roys Keen (U11635)
posted 18 hours, 2 minutes ago
comment by ManUtdDaredevil (U9612)
posted 46 minutes ago
I would be very reluctant to get rid of a lot of players until we address the elephant in the room. That's the manager.

He is unable to get this team to play well consistently after 2 years with them and is still struggling with team selections and formations.

The players do share some of the blame with regards to the tempo but I would get rid of the manager before binning everyone bar Fellaini
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He recently signed a new contract

Unfortunately

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Well, he's going into year 3 which is the meltdown year.