utd 's midfield

Ole’s preferred formation is 4-2-3-1, and we lack any midfielder who is adept and comfortable taking the ball deep and starting moves. Except Pogba. He’s obviously not careful enough with the balm there, but he’s the best player we have for being able to play through the lines and start moves. He’s also not a #10.

The midfield is a mess because we don’t have the quality overall nor the right sort of players for Ole’s system. I’d prefer Ole to adapt his system - at very least to change the midfield shape mid game if it’s not working. But then we come back to personnel... it’s a real problem.

There was nothing at all wrong with the structure today and nothing wrong with having Pogba play with McT in midfield.

The problem, as usual, is that we have key players that are either unforgiveably stupid or terrible, or both.

Pogba getting himself tackled in midfield while we are vulnerable is something that has happened every season he's been here. He gets called out and never learns. He's an idiot with a huge ego.

At minimum, it seems like 70% of Rashford's touches are terrible. He looks worse than a championship player. The only reason he is able to maintain any sort of g/a stats is that he plays at a top club. And why does that idiot continue to stand over free kicks? When was the last time he put one on target? When did he last score one? Pogba is ACTUALLY GOOD at free kicks and he bumped him out twice today. He also has a huge ego and is stupid.

I wouldn't be sad to see either of those numbskulls go.

Maguire also deserves some of the criticism for the first goal. Stood there watching and pointing in the direction he wanted Lindelof to head it when he had time to react to the runner and the possibility that he loses the header.

Shocking performance.

Pogba doesn't shape play for the team though, he’s not the sort to use simple passes to move the team around, strategise, see them like chess pieces, his ability is Hollywood ball, and he’s great at it. But he does not suit being in that deep position at all, so I tend to agree we need to push him slightly further forward so that his lax defence is not so essential and his talents are used to their most effective..

pogba is an attacking minded midfielder. #10 or whatever you call it does not matter, what matters is he should not be in a deeper role.
And i question the sanity of any manager that does not see this.

I have wached pogba since for almost a decade and love him but he is no pirlo or scholes. 90 percect of pogbas mistakes comes from him trying or being made to play this role. This is why i honestly cannot blame him

The best football we played under Ole was with Matic, Herrera and Pogba in a midfield three with Rashford through the middle and Lingard and Martial out wide.

He needed to allow that to continue to develop but with some upgrades in the midfield roles and the right wing position.

Instead it looks like he’s completely ripping it up and has completely neglected the midfield, and our performances are suffering as a result.

comment by Mason The King Greenwood (U10026)
posted 37 seconds ago
The best football we played under Ole was with Matic, Herrera and Pogba in a midfield three with Rashford through the middle and Lingard and Martial out wide.

He needed to allow that to continue to develop but with some upgrades in the midfield roles and the right wing position.

Instead it looks like he’s completely ripping it up and has completely neglected the midfield, and our performances are suffering as a result.
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you are right
and this change happened after herera got injured

ole's reasoning was that he dropped pogba into a deeper role to help us control midfied. At the time I thought he was bonkers but will learn quickly.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-hints-paul-14210828

Sadly, he hasn't

I can’t stand Matic but we are missing his forward passes, and Herrera’s, when we play Mctominay. Pogba is the only one in the middle that offers anything in this regard - and even then it’s not his best attribute as he’s needed closer to the goal.

What makes me sad is seeing the likes of Norwich coming into the PL and playing fearlessly with the ball.