Obviously replacing a struggling Rashford (whether we see this as struggling for form or hampered by injury) with Pogba last night changed the game last night. A few reflections on this:
1) It's another reminder of the fine margins that govern the balance between success/failure and being dominant or under the cosh in football. All it took was one personnel change to tip that balance from United looking pretty toothless in attack and collectively lacking in confidence in the first half to having a spring in our step and believing we could score again in the second. It's not black and white: the first half performance wasn't terrible and the second wasn't flawless. But there was a palpable flicking of a switch. I think it's worth bearing that fine line in mind both when we seem to be miles away from where we want to be, and when we are riding high.
2) More specifically, it's a reminder of how much difference it makes to the whole attack when at least one of the inside forwards is dominant and dangerous - not just to their own output, but to the general demeanour of the team. When Rashford has been in that mode we've tended to play well this season. When he has looked weak, the wins have been scrappier or haven't come at all. This isn't just on Rashford: when he's not on song, we haven't had performance levels to match his best from Greenwood or James. If we can get Rashford and Greenwood close to their form of the second half of last season, we're in business; hopefully Diallo can also emerge as significant competition as well.
3) In the meantime, Pogba playing on the left in the three behind the striker was an intriguing tactical decision and provides us with an interesting option at least in the short term. At least in this game it created a credible attacking threat from the left side that Rashford (bad form or dodgy ankle) did not pose. But playing Pogba there isn't just a potential solution to the left side problem: it's also a potential solution to the 'Pogba in a 4-2-3-1' problem. We sidestep the challenges around putting him in a double pivot. We put his risk taking proclivities in an area where they aren't prone to be immediately punished. And we use his creativity in the attacking third as a complement to Bruno rather than an alternative.
I'm not arguing this is the formula we stick to henceforth, but I certainly like having this in the armoury as an alternative to the apparent policy of "we can't afford to rest Rashford".
Pogba in the 3
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 2 minutes ago
Obviously replacing a struggling Rashford (whether we see this as struggling for form or hampered by injury) with Pogba last night changed the game last night.
————/////
What night we on about here?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last night's EL match against AC Milan! Jog any memories?!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It was the two last nights that threw me
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a fair cop! Sloppy writing on my part there.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 46 minutes ago
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 47 minutes ago
I’ve said before that inside left is the closest he’s going to get to playing in his best role at United.
He’s still going to need to defend, but at least it’ll be in wide areas, and he did the job well last night.
I don’t have any great problem with him playing in the double pivot when we have a supertanker parked up in front of us, but this is the role for him in big games against mid-or-deeper blocks (like last night’s).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm struggling to recall a game where he's played inside left for us, rosso. But my memory is rubbish. Do you (or anyone else) remember other games where he's been stationed there?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep. Before Christmas he played on the left against City away in the league and against Leicester (as a sub), then again against City in the league cup.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 1 hour, 52 minutes ago
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 2 minutes ago
Obviously replacing a struggling Rashford (whether we see this as struggling for form or hampered by injury) with Pogba last night changed the game last night.
————/////
What night we on about here?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last night's EL match against AC Milan! Jog any memories?!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It was the two last nights that threw me
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a fair cop! Sloppy writing on my part there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hate to be a pedant but I did think with your penchant for precision you’d be accepting of the cc.
You didn’t disappoint 👍🏻
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 1 hour, 52 minutes ago
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 9 minutes ago
comment by Shinjury list (U1700)
posted 2 minutes ago
Obviously replacing a struggling Rashford (whether we see this as struggling for form or hampered by injury) with Pogba last night changed the game last night.
————/////
What night we on about here?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last night's EL match against AC Milan! Jog any memories?!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It was the two last nights that threw me
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a fair cop! Sloppy writing on my part there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hate to be a pedant but I did think with your penchant for precision you’d be accepting of the cc.
You didn’t disappoint 👍🏻
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a professional history in editorial, so fully accept "live by the pen, die by the pen" as a life motto.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 3 hours, 46 minutes ago
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 19 minutes ago
To add to my last bit on Pogba.
We have to use him as an attacking player. He is not and never should be used as a deep lying type of midfielder.
I want to see him causing opposition defences problems not our defence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. His best football is played in the attacking 3rd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
...but his stints in the number 10 position haven't been universally convincing. That's why I'm so intrigued and encouraged by last night's experiment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He is really not a 10. But he is an attacking player.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Redastomatoes- Feels very Moyesian...cleverson forever!If he is good enough he is ready! (U12026)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 3 hours, 46 minutes ago
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 19 minutes ago
To add to my last bit on Pogba.
We have to use him as an attacking player. He is not and never should be used as a deep lying type of midfielder.
I want to see him causing opposition defences problems not our defence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. His best football is played in the attacking 3rd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
...but his stints in the number 10 position haven't been universally convincing. That's why I'm so intrigued and encouraged by last night's experiment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He is really not a 10. But he is an attacking player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty much. He's a bit of a conundrum, because on one hand I think he's one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, but on the other, you can list a lot of things that he isn't as a footballer. He isn't exactly an all round central midfielder, isn't a classic attacking midfielder, isn't a winger. It makes sense, if you have Pogba, to play a formation that brings out his strengths without exposing his weaknesses. It had been my assumption that 4-3-3 was the only way of doing this, which is why last night was so interesting.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 46 minutes ago
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 47 minutes ago
I’ve said before that inside left is the closest he’s going to get to playing in his best role at United.
He’s still going to need to defend, but at least it’ll be in wide areas, and he did the job well last night.
I don’t have any great problem with him playing in the double pivot when we have a supertanker parked up in front of us, but this is the role for him in big games against mid-or-deeper blocks (like last night’s).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm struggling to recall a game where he's played inside left for us, rosso. But my memory is rubbish. Do you (or anyone else) remember other games where he's been stationed there?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep. Before Christmas he played on the left against City away in the league and against Leicester (as a sub), then again against City in the league cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ha! I missed all three of those games!
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 3 hours, 18 minutes ago
comment by Redastomatoes- Feels very Moyesian...cleverson forever!If he is good enough he is ready! (U12026)
posted 10 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 3 hours, 46 minutes ago
comment by The Process (U20671)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 19 minutes ago
To add to my last bit on Pogba.
We have to use him as an attacking player. He is not and never should be used as a deep lying type of midfielder.
I want to see him causing opposition defences problems not our defence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed. His best football is played in the attacking 3rd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
...but his stints in the number 10 position haven't been universally convincing. That's why I'm so intrigued and encouraged by last night's experiment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He is really not a 10. But he is an attacking player.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty much. He's a bit of a conundrum, because on one hand I think he's one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, but on the other, you can list a lot of things that he isn't as a footballer. He isn't exactly an all round central midfielder, isn't a classic attacking midfielder, isn't a winger. It makes sense, if you have Pogba, to play a formation that brings out his strengths without exposing his weaknesses. It had been my assumption that 4-3-3 was the only way of doing this, which is why last night was so interesting.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah. Ole actually spoke at the end of last year about the benefits of using Pogba on the left (I think it was after the Leicester game), particularly how it might help Shaw going forward.
Rashford has also linked with Shaw very well this season though. It’s part of the reason why Luke has created so many chances. The pair of them have developed a good understanding which has led to good combination play and sometimes rotations and triangles when Bruno/Martial have come across.
Pogba should actually be able to do an even better job at helping Shaw get in behind though, and the combinations are actually more valuable, because then you aren’t dragging an additional forward away from areas in which they might get on the end of a cross/cutback.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 5 hours, 47 minutes ago
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 46 minutes ago
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 47 minutes ago
I’ve said before that inside left is the closest he’s going to get to playing in his best role at United.
He’s still going to need to defend, but at least it’ll be in wide areas, and he did the job well last night.
I don’t have any great problem with him playing in the double pivot when we have a supertanker parked up in front of us, but this is the role for him in big games against mid-or-deeper blocks (like last night’s).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm struggling to recall a game where he's played inside left for us, rosso. But my memory is rubbish. Do you (or anyone else) remember other games where he's been stationed there?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep. Before Christmas he played on the left against City away in the league and against Leicester (as a sub), then again against City in the league cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ha! I missed all three of those games!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
City away in the league before Christmas? I missed that too.
posted on 19/3/21
comment by Clockwork Red (U4892)
posted 59 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 5 hours, 47 minutes ago
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
comment by Red Russian (U4715)
posted 46 minutes ago
comment by rosso - championing freedom of speech and freedom to refuse to listen since 2013 (U17054)
posted 47 minutes ago
I’ve said before that inside left is the closest he’s going to get to playing in his best role at United.
He’s still going to need to defend, but at least it’ll be in wide areas, and he did the job well last night.
I don’t have any great problem with him playing in the double pivot when we have a supertanker parked up in front of us, but this is the role for him in big games against mid-or-deeper blocks (like last night’s).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm struggling to recall a game where he's played inside left for us, rosso. But my memory is rubbish. Do you (or anyone else) remember other games where he's been stationed there?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep. Before Christmas he played on the left against City away in the league and against Leicester (as a sub), then again against City in the league cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ha! I missed all three of those games!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
City away in the league before Christmas? I missed that too.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My bad. It was the 0-0 draw at OT. My memory isn’t what it was, clearly.