Towards the end of SAF's time at the club we started to lose a lot of leaders on the pitch. From the side that reached the CL final in 2009, pretty much all the players except for Rooney left without being truly replaced. Van Persie bought us some time but when SAF left the lack of true characters on the pitch really started to show.
It appeared that Mourinho had gone a long way to bringing back the swagger that United fans became so used to under SAF. Pogba and Ibrahimovic are players who should give us a psychological edge just by being on the pitch. This is because they are arrogant and have bags of ability. Is that enough, though?
Belief in your abilities is vital for successful players, but the belief has to be backed up by performances. Both Ibrahimovic and Pogba have been poor in a number of games this season and were poor today. I don't really mind this with Pogba; he is young and immensely talented and will get better with age, but he also needs guidance. That guidance should be coming from somebody like Zlatan but I think on days like today his arrogance is crippling to us. He is supposed to be our talisman and nearly got himself sent off. There was a lack of respect shown for the occasion and the opposition.
I am worried about the message it sends to our other players. Players like Mkhi and Mata should be and normally are experienced enough to focus on the game. However, what must Martial and Rashford in particular be thinking when the guy keeping them out of their preferred position is playing like he is today?
Mourinho will continue to put faith in the big name players because in the short term, it is more likely to bring success. I just hope that in doing so he doesn't sacrifice the United careers players who put their heads down and work to get in the side.
Arrogance should stem from success and while we are not successful the arrogance may be detrimental to us.
Arrogant Leadership
posted on 4/3/17
However, what must Martial and Rashford in particular be thinking when the guy keeping them out of their preferred position is playing like he is today?
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They probably think "fack me, the guy is good... has scored a shiite load of massive goals for us at 35".
He was poor today, should know better than to get rattled by a defender and should have scored at least 1. But let's not go crazy... He deserves every bit of arrogance and leadership he brings.
posted on 4/3/17
Whilst i don't put much truck in 'leadership' as other seasoned observers of the game, anyone who considers Pogba a 'leader' should have their eyes checked. He is the anithesis of that.
If Pogba was named Paul Pearson and cost 8.9m, he would getting rightly critiqued by all and sundry. Perhaps- and i am hopeful- he will come good but the lad is not even playing like an 0.89m player atm let alone an 89m pound one.
Ibra was indefensible today. He has done well - not as well as people think- but he is an experienced pro who should know better.
Mourinho might not have stated we have 'untouchables' in this team but is clear he does: Pogba and Ibra - no matter how abject their performance is- are never subbed and never benched.
posted on 4/3/17
op i kind of get what you are saying
but my defination of a leader is one that helps the players around him raise their game a level
pogba is definitely not a leader "yet" he is very very talented and arrogant but not a leader. Like the kid on the play ground who is miles better than his teammates but unwillingly to be the support act.
To some extent the same can be said for zlatan the difference is zlatan's longetivity and success commands respect
posted on 4/3/17
We bought Pogba to lead us into the urban market. That he has done fantastically through twitter, instagram etc so he deserves to be arrogant. What we are lacking is someone to lead us into the Asian market. We have had Park and Kagawa etc in the past who have provided exposure and merch sales but we really need a leader in this market again now. Could we get that Son boy from Spurs? Maybe £100m as the Asian market is worth more than the Urban market so would make it back in shirt sales alone. Good business.