08 Jul 2020 23:05:56
Ed001 just wondering if you've seen much of pogba since the restart and if so what you've thought? Seems to be playing a lot more simple and more for the team at the moment. Something which I think in the past many of us could criticise him for not doing.

{Ed001's Note - I would agree with you. He looks much better for it. He is not able to be the star right now as he is very much secondary to Bruno and it is doing him good. His workrate is better too. I have been impressed as he is actually looking like a player rather than just a highlight reel hero.}

1.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 00:00:06
Talks of a new contract about to be offered to him aswell, fingers crossed he wants to stay.

2.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 05:45:18
The commentators in our last match made a similar point to ED001. With the rest of the team (particularly Bruno) performing at the level they are, both the need to perform and the expectation have been lifted from Pogba’s shoulders allowing him to focus on his football rather than the constant pressure he’s been under.

There have been times over the past few seasons where both pundits and fans have crucified Pogba for not singlehandedly winning games for us and I can only imagine that this will have probably weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Not only does he look happier on the field since the restart, but he has also been putting in some solid performances. I still expect him to improve as he returns to full fitness, but he’s playing well enough to warrant a spot in the starting 11 right now which perhaps hasn’t always been the case during his time at the club.

Pogba playing next to Fernandes is a little like him playing next to Pirlo at Juventus. He doesn’t have to do everything himself but is still able to pop up and win a game for us with a moment of magic.

{Ed047's Note - and basically be carried along like he was for Juventus and France by all the quality players they had. 🤷‍♂️

3.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 06:26:09
Ed047, surely it's better that he's carried along by other quality players and playing like he is than playing like he was before? I'd say in the last few games we've seen what Pogba actually is, someone who has all the attributes to be one of the best midfielders in the world but needs quality around him to show that. He is a player who could be the best player in a very good team but look very out of place in a bad one.

I'm not leaping to Pogba's defence by the way as he has deserved a fair chunk of the criticism he gets for his inconsistent performances. Despite that, he has pretty much been expected to be the guy who picks the ball up from CB's to start attacks, a box to box midfielder, a ball winner, number 10 and a goalscoring midfielder across the last few seasons. Many times he's been asked to do that all in one game as he has hardly had a stellar group of midfielders/ wingers alongside him.

{Ed047's Note - one does “one of the best midfielders in the world” need to have quality all around him to show how good he is? is my question RJ

4.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 08:16:36
Some of Pogba's passing is insane. One among was a pin point cross field pass to Rashford on the half volley. Very few can pull those off.
He is not far from being fully fit as well.

Matic also has played a crucial role behind Pogba and Bruno.

5.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 08:29:02
Depends what he’s good at.
I’d argue Pogba tried too hard to do it all himself.

6.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 09:41:49
Before pogba was having to do three jobs basically and couldn’t master any of them. Build up play from the back, progress it through midfield and play the final ball/ get on the end of things and score. We had occasional spurts of good play from lingard, mkhitaryan, mata in the final third when we went through good patches but we all know our midfield quality was poor under jose.

With bruno playing number 10 so well and greenwood, martial and rashford all delivering, the final third burden has reduced on pogba, now he has to focus on developing the game and progressing play which he is doing very well.

7.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 09:58:31
All of the best players outside of Messi and Ronaldo require decent players around them to flourish.

8.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 10:56:54
I've always been quite critical of Pogba, mostly because he has so many strings to his bow, yet often he doesn't deliver. However, this new set up seems to suit him, with Matic watching the shop and Bruno being the chief creator Pogba has more freedom to dictate play, without the burden of having to do all the work, and in my opinion he is performing his best since he moved here.

Great players play well every week regardless of who they play with, but if they have great team mates alongside them then they can play great football every week.

If i'm being honest Pogba has had very few poor performances. What we refer to as "poor" performances are actual performances where he hasn't lived up to his full ability. When Pogba has been "poor" he has still been one of the best players on the pitch for us, but when you are a world class talent then more is expected of you. The same happened with Rooney and Ronaldo. Its the burden a player has to carry for having such world class ability. You don't get judged by what you actually achieve but by what you are capable of, and if what you achieve is below your level then you are considered to have played poorly.

9.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 11:15:27
He is now doing what he is good at, he is not the player people made him out to be and then crucified him for not living up to their expectation.

{Ed001's Note - the problem is people only saw the highlight reels and thought that he was doing that for 90 minutes. No one can do that for 90 minutes. However Pogba was not doing much else for the rest of the game and that was something people were not expecting. Now he is getting himself involved fully in the game and he is benefitting from that. His contribution is no longer limited to highlight reel moments, with the odd foot in to win the ball back. Now he is hustling opposition, he is controlling the play on the ball and it is not about being carried, which to a degree he was at Juve and France, as they did not need him to do much other than Hollywood balls or flicks and tricks with the teams they had. If this is not just about getting a move away and he has actually had the lightbulb come on while out, then he can be that world class midfielder everyone hoped he would be. You just have to hope he has been sat watching videos of the best midfields in the world right now (I know they are your 2 main rivals so I won't mention their names!) and realised that a big part of their brilliance is intensity. That is the biggest thing Pogba has lacked throughout his career. If he now has it in his game, then he can reach the heights expected.}

10.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 11:31:07
That pretty much sums it up ed, I think people expected some kind of roy of the rovers due to the image thst had been built up in the media.
He is a very talented lad but has always missed a bit of drive .
Set up of team suits him better imo.

{Ed001's Note - agreed.}

11.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 11:34:15
Ed1 do you think he could renew and stay on? Obviously it’s been documented about wanting out etc. But I really see someone enjoying their football right now.

{Ed001's Note - right now I think he won't have much choice, because no one is going to pay the money to buy him in the current climate. It gives him time to realise that being happy is more important than more money and hopefully he will settle down. The fact that he has a much more understanding coaching set up than when he arrived is certainly a plus for him. He wanted more freedom on the pitch and he has been given it. There is certainly good reason to hope that he will change his mind and decide he is in a good place for him personally - but I do think he will need to see a chance to win medals.}

12.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 08:28:57
ed047 you can pick any midfielder from any age and put them behind jesse lingard and periera and infront of phil jones and co. Its not going to be a pretty result.

{Ed047's Note - see my reply to RJ mate

13.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 08:58:26
Ed047 well I can’t imagine playing with Andreas Pereria and Lingard with his form over the last 18 months is going to get the best out of anyone 😂.

14.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 10:12:02
I think you’re being a little harsh, Ed.

I don’t think Pogba is or has ever been ‘carried’, more he’s at times had players around him who have helped to lift the burden of expectation from his shoulders whilst also covering for some of the weaker areas of his game.

Like all players, Pogba has his strengths and weaknesses and when placed in a team who share those weaknesses, they’re obviously going to stand out a lot more. I think you could just as easily make the argument that those players that ‘carried’ Pogba were also being carried by him in much the same way. It’s a team sport, after all.

{Ed047's Note - see my reply to RJ red.

15.) 09 Jul 2020
09 Jul 2020 11:04:48
Yeah that's a fair point Ed but there are very few of the best players in their position playing in sides as poor as we have been across the last 3 or 4 years.

Looking back, you can imagine Pogba looking around for a pass across that time, playing in slow, predictable teams with no movement and seeing Lingard, Fellaini, Pereira, Herrera, Fred etc which isn't going to give him much confidence that if he plays the pass to them much will be created. Then if he gives the ball away he had a winger at right back (Valencia or Young), a winger at left back (Young), Smalling, Rojo, Blind, Jones etc behind him. It's clear why he's had to try to do 4 jobs in every game.

I still think we should look to sell him despite his clear improvement but the faults in his performances aren't all his own across his time here.

{Ed047's Note - but isn’t that a time to shine, how many times has a particular player in a lower team pretty much carried that team.

For an alleged world class player Pogba simply went missing and now Bruno is tearing it up he’s hanging of his shirt tail.

The same as he did at Juve and with France.