27 Jun 2017 17:25:30
I think Pogba will be like a new signing this season. Last season he got a lot of unfair criticism from a lot on here. His first season in the premier league, time to adapt etc, all in all I think he did fairly well apart from the odd game. With a bit more quality and luck with his finishing he could have scored 20 last season. And with better finishing from the strikers he would have had tonnes of assists too. I think we have potentially one of if not the best midfielders in the world. He has everything to his game. If he improves and gains more consistency he will be huge for us.
27 Jun 2017 17:50:59
Stand - let's be honest, a lot of the criticism was very fair. Up until his brief spell out with an injury he was very poor for the most part, he had two or three good games but 95% of the time he was very poor. He came good towards the end of the season when he kept things simple, which is a promising sign.
27 Jun 2017 17:54:26
I agree stand. I think he did well enough last season. Bit of a difference too playing with pirlo etc compared to fellaini. once we get a bit more quality around him he will thrive.
27 Jun 2017 18:10:38
There's a youtube video of just Pogba hitting the post and crossbar last season. It's not a short video.
27 Jun 2017 18:51:14
He did pretty well last season. His stats were good and with a bit more luck from range he'd have scored more too and not hit the woodwork so much. There is plenty of room to improve as he is quality, but I disagree with anyone who said his season was poor overall.
27 Jun 2017 19:06:27
Sorry Wazza. He was far from very poor. Wow, sometimes I can't stand fellow United supporters even more than opposition fans. But you can definitely find work as a british tabloid "journalist" i'm sure.
27 Jun 2017 19:31:01
KG, no need to apologise for having an opinion. At one stage pretty much everyone on here was saying the only reason Pogba's not been dropped is because of his name. His injury came at a very convenient time when he should have been dropped, and a good end to the season has helped gloss over what otherwise was largely forgettable. He was underwhelming in at least 7 games out of 10. I'm sure next season will get better.
Ken that reasoning is a cop out. I'm sure I would also play better next to Pirlo than Fellaini. He's been brought in as the person to improve those around him. We best stick a world class player in every position if we want Pogba to play well 😴.
27 Jun 2017 19:48:52
Wazza its not a cop out at all. He was playing in a relatively slow tempo league with players that dominated possession and could keep the ball. He came from that scenario to a team that was under a new coach and to be frank a bit all over the place. He took time to adjust and imo did well and improved as the season went on. He was playing with a better class of player at juve and they made him look great at times and he made them look great at times also.
I think herrera benefited greatly by introducing a player of pogbas class having his best season alongside pogba and i think pogba benefited from herrera too. The season before herrera had to try and play with rooney or fellaini in midfield.
27 Jun 2017 20:00:53
Also wazza its not about signing world class players in every position. Most of the top teams have 4 or 5 world class players in their group arguably.
Bailly would not be described as world class but imo has the potential same with lindelof or morata.
We have 1 in ddg pogba is close to that bracket.
Fabhini could be the best rb in football i believe and is a very good midfielder.
Top class players and pros like herrera miki valencia are just as important
Remember we lost the brilliance of rooney rvp keane scholes giggs ronaldo over last 10 years and we replaced that quality with players that are not as good or bought players that just have not worked out for whatever reason.
Not everybody we buy has to be world cla but the must be i'd the required high standard. We have enough young olayers we need a few proven winners and players with know how and a big club mentality.
27 Jun 2017 20:01:54
I defended him all season I think you'll find. A bit like I did on here with DeGea when the world was attacking him after he joined and had a nervous start. Get behind the lad, we have a player who truly has the potential to reach the top, and all he gets is sh*t off our own fans.
27 Jun 2017 21:01:18
Ken my world class comment was very much sarcastic.
27 Jun 2017 21:27:26
"He did pretty well last season". For a world record fee I expect more than pretty well an pretty well is pushing it. He was at best, average.
27 Jun 2017 21:45:57
Was that his fault AJH? Did he set the price or pay it. Also who would live up to such a ridiculous price tag? Other than the 2 players we can all name.
Average my arse. Give it a rest. A young guy in his first PL season, he did fine and will only get better. Support the boy.
27 Jun 2017 21:30:18
Wazza, he's still a kid, playing in a new league, why were you expecting him to be top class every game? Price tag? He needs time to settle like everyone else. I thought he was very good in a lot of games, average in others. There's no doubt he has a higher ceiling than anyone else in our squad.
27 Jun 2017 21:33:35
Brendan, couldn't agree more. I was one that also backed de gea.
27 Jun 2017 21:57:44
I sit judge a player I on what they cost AJH. I judge them on what they win and how the work as part of a team. So imo i think he did pretty well we won the 2nd and 4th target comps. He will improve and so will the team when we add 4 or 5 players with more quality than the ones who have brought us to 5th 4th 5th and 6th for last few seasons. too mu h mediocrity surround the few higher class players we have have.
27 Jun 2017 23:25:45
AJH, he didn't set the figure. If we decided to pay £90m for ANY player right now does that mean he has to play to a world class level immediately? We've invested in Pogba. Commercially he will make us a fortune, and we should get 6-10 years of a truly world class player. That's how good I believe he will be. Give the lad a chance.
28 Jun 2017 00:12:54
For me if you pay top dollar for a player a midfielder then he needs to boss games control them, For that kind of money I would be expecting a scholes, lampard type player. he did ok average at best not good enough for me, the best I seen him play was a few weeks ago for France against England.
Now having said all that I will back him and say we should get a good season out of him this year.
28 Jun 2017 01:31:03
Pogba signed for Utd the second week of August at the end of which the PL season started . He played in the Euros final on the 10th of July . He had no pre-season done with the team .
Given he had no time pre-season he did ok . This season with the rest he's gotten there will be a an improvement and with that more consistency . So when judging a player all factors need to considered not just the price tag.
28 Jun 2017 03:42:53
Are you serious, pre season.
He is a professional footballer an athlete.
28 Jun 2017 06:50:52
we need to stop saying he was unlucky because he hit the post X amount of times if the ball goes 6 inchs one way and goes wide is he still unlucky? also if the ball goes 6inchs the other way and he scores would we be calling him lucky? . i'm a big pogba fan btw and the stick he gets is unfair i honestly think he's one of the best . i think he'd feel embarrashed people are making excuses about being unlucky for him.
28 Jun 2017 07:14:41
Let's put the fee aside then. He rarely dominated games and when we needed someone to take a game by the scruff of the neck he was found wanting. He has admitted himself he found his first season difficult
I like hm, I think he will come good and go on to be a really good, hopefully great player for us. I just think people see what they want to see, just because I think he was average last year doesn't mean I don't want him to do well, I'm just calling it as I saw it.
28 Jun 2017 07:59:15
Even if he was just average - I think he was better than that - and was only playing to 60% of his potential, think about what he might do this season now he's settled in (and will have Matic allowing him to get more forward)
28 Jun 2017 09:18:06
Spot on wallace.
Of course your calling it as you see it AJH. Do you think any united player had a good season last season? Who was above average?
28 Jun 2017 09:37:57
Ken, I think a lot of players had good spells. Stand out player was probably Herrera and obviously Ibra with his goals. Rashford showed promise but needs to continue to progress, Bailly looks a great signing, Miki had some good spells and will hopefully push on this coming season.
I like Darmian, he gets stick but he knows how to defend. Jones played well when fit, others like Fellaini, Lingard, Blind all had their moments (as did PP) . The biggest disappointment last year was Martial after his stunning first year. It seems to be a mental issue for him.
I'm generally optimistic but sometimes people see different things and stick to their view rigidly.
Wallace, I don't disagree, I think he will step up this year after settling in and hopefully having more quality around him.
28 Jun 2017 10:46:18
For some some players can do no wrong some can do no right .
On the money there ajh imo.
28 Jun 2017 11:20:50
There is definitely more to come from Pogba, and if I'm honest I was hoping he would perform better than he did.
But personally I think he was better than average, statistically he was one of the best performing midfielders in the league in many areas.
He in no way lived up to his transfer fee, but to expect him to is unfair imo. He didn't set it the club did.
I'd rate his season as a 7 out of 10, with the occasional 8 performance. Next year he should be a solid 8/ 10 every week with 9's and occasional 10 performances.
28 Jun 2017 13:15:53
As you know only too well jred everybody has their favoirites.
28 Jun 2017 13:16:28
How many 23 year olds boss games in there first season at a club and in the PL? Very very few. So if we take the fee out, his season was fine. I do expect more over the next season or two though. If this was the end of next season or the one after then I'd agree he hadn't done enough. After one season let's just give him a bit of time.
28 Jun 2017 13:24:08
good post shappy. Last year's league campaign was nothing short of dreadful i expect better this year if we can bring in some better players to compliment the best players we have.
28 Jun 2017 13:55:16
Pretty accurate there Shaps, I think 7/ 10 is pretty average but he did have his moments. I think we are all saying pretty much the same but from different angles. We expect more, and think we will get more.
28 Jun 2017 18:18:34
to be fair to pogba, having to deal with his father dying too must have weighed down on him too. footballers aren't immune to have to deal with real life issues. the last ewo games of the season he looked as if a great weight had been lifted off him. he will show all the doubters next season his class.