And, we’re off.......2018/2019

[Orikoru]

He's a very good footballer with incredible talent but he's not even the third best midfielder in Manchester, let alone the world. He's been at Man Utd for almost three seasons and what's he actually done? Peak of his career, world record transfer and he's achieved almost nothing. He's turned up in about 2 big games and gone missing in the rest.

He's strong, has quick feet, great engine, brilliant long range passing, can cross, shoot from range and is good in the air. He's got everything a modern midfielder wants. The flip side is he can't keep things simple and is a liability defensively. Throw in his attitude, ego and awful workrate and you've got a player that is the most overrated currently playing. The best in the world are judged on their performances in the big games, the CL and winning league titles, not on scoring against Fulham, having a quirky penalty and doing a few DABS.

Even the well known bottler Di Maria turned up last night! I've been lucky enough to see the likes of Modric, Eriksen, Silva and Messi in big games over the last few years and they run games, they don't get man marked out of them. That's the difference between true world class and Pogba.

Yeah. We'll just ignore last season's game against City where he turned it on it's head with two goals, since that doesn't fit the narrative.

 

[Papas1982]

He's a very good footballer with incredible talent but he's not even the third best midfielder in Manchester, let alone the world. He's been at Man Utd for almost three seasons and what's he actually done? Peak of his career, world record transfer and he's achieved almost nothing. He's turned up in about 2 big games and gone missing in the rest.

He's strong, has quick feet, great engine, brilliant long range passing, can cross, shoot from range and is good in the air. He's got everything a modern midfielder wants. The flip side is he can't keep things simple and is a liability defensively. Throw in his attitude, ego and awful workrate and you've got a player that is the most overrated currently playing. The best in the world are judged on their performances in the big games, the CL and winning league titles, not on scoring against Fulham, having a quirky penalty and doing a few DABS.

Even the well known bottler Di Maria turned up last night! I've been lucky enough to see the likes of Modric, Eriksen, Silva and Messi in big games over the last few years and they run games, they don't get man marked out of them. That's the difference between true world class and Pogba.

World Cup finals don’t count as big games then I presume?

 

[Kellfire]

World Cup finals don’t count as big games then I presume?

The one that Modric also played in?

 

[Deleted member 18121]

That's the difference between true world class and Pogba.

I don't know if you're on the wind up or not, but I do agree with you. However, I do feel he's under a lot of scrutiny because of who he signed for, the size of the transfer fee and I think that players in England do get a lot of pressure put on them - it feels to me more than abroad. To me he's the big fish in a small pond kind of player and eventually I think that'll be found out and he'll play for a less demanding team/league.

Just look at the martial situation - he's pretty much done nothing since joined Man U but he scores an ok goal the other day and immediate comparisons are made between him and Ronaldo. Talk about pressure!

 

[4LEX]

Yeah. We'll just ignore last season's game against City where he turned it on it's head with two goals, since that doesn't fit the narrative.

That's one of them. If that's the best in nearly three years of big games then it probably says it all. He's also bullied Arsenal a bit but so has Lingard and he's not touted as the best player in the world

World Cup finals don’t count as big games then I presume?

He had a decent tournament but had two DM's behind him and France's stand out players were Varane, Kante, Griezmann and Mbappe. When Mourinho tried to play 2 DM's the fans slagged him off for being too defensive...... His performances for France have generally been a level higher than his club though.

 

[Orikoru]

To be serious for a minute on Pogba, my opinion is that he can be very good, but he's also a slightly limited player and you have to build the whole team around him to get the best from him. You can't play him in a two man midfield because he doesn't defend (similar to latter-day Yaya Toure when he gave up on defending). He need to be either in a 3 man midfield alongside a sitter and a workhorse (read, Matic & Herrera), or play him at number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 so he plays a purely creative role. Attribute wise he has it all in an attacking sense, since he's massive, strong, he can shoot, dribble and pass on both feet. I don't think anyone is claiming best player in the world, but he can certainly be one of the top attacking midfielders on form. De Bruyne it's fair to say has all that plus a ridiculous work rate, which is one he definitely is one of the best, if not the best attacking midfielder in the world. Eriksen doesn't have the power of the other two, but he does have that work rate like KDB.

 

[Papas1982]

That's one of them. If that's the best in nearly three years of big games then it probably says it all. He's also bullied Arsenal a bit but so has Lingard and he's not touted as the best player in the world



He had a decent tournament but had two DM's behind him and France's stand out players were Varane, Kante, Griezmann and Mbappe. When Mourinho tried to play 2 DM's the fans slagged him off for being too defensive...... His performances for France have generally been a level higher than his club though.

I meant literally the World Cup final. The match where he overshadowed Madrid. Mourinho wasn’t slagged of for playing two dms. He was criticised by playing no pace up top.

 

[4LEX]

I don't know if you're on the wind up or not, but I do agree with you. However, I do feel he's under a lot of scrutiny because of who he signed for, the size of the transfer fee and I think that players in England do get a lot of pressure put on them - it feels to me more than abroad. To me he's the big fish in a small pond kind of player and eventually I think that'll be found out and he'll play for a less demanding team/league.

Just look at the martial situation - he's pretty much done nothing since joined Man U but he scores an ok goal the other day and immediate comparisons are made between him and Ronaldo. Talk about pressure!

I love a bit of football banter but I know my stuff!

You've summed it up well but I do think he loves the spotlight a little too much. If he lost the ego, realised he was a box to box midfielder he'd be the absolute best all round midfielder in the world. It won't happen though. As it is the only position he can excel in and not cost the side is a free role from the left in a 4231.

Martial is another player that's vastly overhyped for the record. I think Ole was trying to say if he had the dedication of Ronaldo he would be a better player, which is true.

 

[LGC2019]

It was a cheap shot that could have left him seriously injured. Young has played long enough at that ground to know the drop and what is there to greet you. It was unnecessary.

I didn't see anything wrong with it. It's not Ashley Young's problem if there is a slight drop off the edge of the pitch. You can't have players tiptoeing round the touchline in case someone falls off the edge. DiMaria actually slipped so made it worse for himself.

 

[MegaSteve]

There have been times Pogba has been totally invisible playing for ManU leading many to question his value to the team... Right now Sanchez is filling that role taking much of the spotlight off Pogba... Every cloud...

 

[Kellfire]

There have been times Pogba has been totally invisible playing for ManU leading many to question his value to the team... Right now Sanchez is filling that role taking much of the spotlight off Pogba... Every cloud...

Yes, when Mourinho was playing him in a position he wasn't suited to he went missing. Since being allowed to play in a way he has trained his entire adult career for, he's flourished.

 

[4LEX]

I meant literally the World Cup final. The match where he overshadowed Madrid. Mourinho wasn’t slagged of for playing two dms. He was criticised by playing no pace up top.

I disagree Pogba overshadowed Modric. The first half Croatia were probably the better side with Modric playing well. France had some good fortune in key moments. Pogba had a better second half and Modric/Croatia eventually got overrun as they pushed forward, by Mbappe especially. Griezmann was the star of that game though. Ironically the player Man Utd have needed for years and came close to signing numerous times!

Mourinho was hounded for playing two DM's! He had pace up top.......Lukaku was rapid, Rashford/Lingard and Martial is a pacey side. The problem was Pogba couldn't run a midfield because he's a moment player, he's not someone who can see the game and do the simple things.

 

[pokerjoke]

I am glad and I suspect some others are glad 4lex is not a supporter of their club because a proper supporter will support through thick and thin,not slag players and a manager off after a poor game.

There’s no doubt that after last night we were disappointing,however after what has happened recently we have to look at the bigger picture.

Ole has come in and with his assistants has steadied a sinking ship and I hope that continues.

One thing that has impressed me is Ole honesty and he never slates players.

Losing Martial and Lingard did change the dynamics of the game but as I have been saying for a few seasons is defensively we are nowhere near good enough and that has to change.

Yes Ole is new to CL football but he was clear last night that’s the level we need to get to.
The only way that’s going to change is for him to keep getting in the CL and learning.

What does worry me is the ones above him who are dishing out new contracts to players that are clearly not good enough for Manchester Utd.
On the flip side to compete on all levels a big squad is paramount.

 

[huds1475]

Everyone loves a cat picture on the internet, it can't have been that .

LOL. True.

 

[Tashyboy]

Not a Premiership side! But I do reserve a special respect for Man Utd as my preference for football is high tempo with wingers and that's the football they used to play when I was growing up. Arsenal and Man Utd in the 90's was proper football. Powerful midfielders, lightening wingers and amazing strike partnerships. These days City actually bore me most weeks. Liverpool and Spurs play the most exciting football.

6-0 is boring 😳, and am sure that Silva who you quoted in an earlier post plays for the same team.

 

[Tashyboy]

Yeah. We'll just ignore last season's game against City where he turned it on it's head with two goals, since that doesn't fit the narrative.

Well that's one big game, wonder what the other one was 😁

 

[Tashyboy]

To be serious for a minute on Pogba, my opinion is that he can be very good, but he's also a slightly limited player and you have to build the whole team around him to get the best from him. You can't play him in a two man midfield because he doesn't defend (similar to latter-day Yaya Toure when he gave up on defending). He need to be either in a 3 man midfield alongside a sitter and a workhorse (read, Matic & Herrera), or play him at number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 so he plays a purely creative role. Attribute wise he has it all in an attacking sense, since he's massive, strong, he can shoot, dribble and pass on both feet. I don't think anyone is claiming best player in the world, but he can certainly be one of the top attacking midfielders on form. De Bruyne it's fair to say has all that plus a ridiculous work rate, which is one he definitely is one of the best, if not the best attacking midfielder in the world. Eriksen doesn't have the power of the other two, but he does have that work rate like KDB.

Yeah but he has never seen KDB only Silva and am sure they play in the same boring team. Re YaYa, when he was at his best, he was the best, but towards the end of his career at City his legs had gone. He was ably helped because he would have Fernandinho sat behind him.

 

[Tashyboy]

I am glad and I suspect some others are glad 4lex is not a supporter of their club because a proper supporter will support through thick and thin,not slag players and a manager off after a poor game.

There’s no doubt that after last night we were disappointing,however after what has happened recently we have to look at the bigger picture.

Ole has come in and with his assistants has steadied a sinking ship and I hope that continues.

One thing that has impressed me is Ole honesty and he never slates players.

Losing Martial and Lingard did change the dynamics of the game but as I have been saying for a few seasons is defensively we are nowhere near good enough and that has to change.

Yes Ole is new to CL football but he was clear last night that’s the level we need to get to.
The only way that’s going to change is for him to keep getting in the CL and learning.

What does worry me is the ones above him who are dishing out new contracts to players that are clearly not good enough for Manchester Utd.
On the flip side to compete on all levels a big squad is paramount.

As daft as it may seem PJ, looking at Utd now is like looking at Liverpool a couple of seasons ago before they got VVD. Sort out a quality centre or two and that team is capable of winning the prem league. Not sure keeping PJ ( Phil Jones 😁Not you) is a step in the right direction though. Could money raised for him of gone towards a quality CH. If Olly is kept on, he needs to make a few hard decisions re who is going.

 

[Orikoru]

6-0 is boring 😳, and am sure that Silva who you quoted in an earlier post plays for the same team.

I kind of know what he means. City are kind of too clinical, they just try and score the same goal over and over again. Get it out wide, outside the full back, pull it across for a tap-in. It's like watching a 13 year old kid playing Fifa when he's worked out the exact formula that produces the most goals. Not always great to watch.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I didn't see anything wrong with it. It's not Ashley Young's problem if there is a slight drop off the edge of the pitch. You can't have players tiptoeing round the touchline in case someone falls off the edge. DiMaria actually slipped so made it worse for himself.

Where was he going? He was no threat, the ball was going out. Every pro, every person who has ever played sport will know what Young was doing there.