Paul Pogba | Match Discussion thread 2021/22

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A lot of people questioning him in the build up to the season and he's silenced a lot of critics today.

Four assist on the opening day.
 
I think this thread might be a very popular place this season, with plenty of polemic opinions that change from one week to the next.

I’ll go first: That Pogba wins us the league.
 
First United player to get 4 assist in a premier League game.
 
I keep saying it, there is no one in our team that can spot and play a pass like Pogba. Need to sign him up. Top class today
 
Pogba makes the sublime look easy, like it was an almost accident. He was so nonchalant with a couple assists today if you hadn't seen him play before you might think it was a mistake.
 
Not sure many other sides will offer us that much space to play in but Pogba was ruthless yesterday his passing was excellent, that ball to Greenwood was a beauty.

There’s a chance he will keep that spot on the left for a while with Rashford injured let’s hope he shows some consistent form.
 
On that form he can't drop him.

I think he'll at least play the majority of games until Rashford returns.
 
Yeah with Rashford out I think Ole will use him either from the left or from the centre in some games.

Generally speaking whenever he's been fully fit Pogba has been in the side under Ole because as we saw on Saturday he can be so damn devestating.
 
The conundrum comes when Sancho is fit to with Cavani back and then Rashford to return. At that point do they move Pogba back to CM? But will that work? For now he's going to play from the left I think.
 
Well that's a problem down the road and it will come down to form those who play well on a regular basis will play and those who don't will be on the bench. Pogba was often used off the bench last season especially early on when his form wasn't great (possibly due to covid) so I see no reason why Ole wouldn't bench him again if he had too.

Utd can't keep trying to just fit Pogba into the side at all costs especially with his current contract situation there's no room for luxury if you are in the team play well and keep the other guy out of the team. That was pretty much the way under Fergie and it often meant really good players watched from the bench knowing they had to take the chances if they wanted to play.

The issue in central midfield is going to be the usual issue which is when we play him in central midfield we don't really seem to have a partner that works alongside him and with no new faces that problem hasn't been solved. So it's likely to be McFred most of the time this season I reckon.
 
Pogba doing Pogba things is a joy to watch. Thought he was a class above yesterday and has really turned it on so far this season. Can still be a little sloppy but when he’s on song he’s our best player no doubt.
 
Yeah on Sky when they showed the assist leaders he was first on 5. Salah second on 2.
 
Only caught the highlights on MOTD but looked like he was our best player on the day.

This new role sort of free on the left seems to suit him and is probably the only way you can get him and Bruno in the same side as it doesn't give either of them to much defensive responsibility they can just get on the ball and create.
 
Premier League: Manchester United 4-1 Newcastle United - 11th September 2021

7 assist for the season. Well that's what the stats will say anyway.

Not sure he deserves an assist for the Bruno one. And Martial should get some credit for the dummy.
 
That pass for the 4th though. The way he sells that! My god. What a pass. He was incredible in the build up to that goal. He may not necessarily deserve an assist for the Fernandes goal but he deserves 2 for that Lingard goal.
 
Firm believer that assist are the most pointless stats in football and no once cared about them until fairly recently.

Pogba’s had a great start let’s hope it can continue
 
The assist stat shows who is actually reading the game well and putting themselves in the right position to set up a teammate. I think the assists stat is incredibly important for measuring a player's contributions.
 
United primary focus post-summer should be to wrap up contract extension with Pogs. He is diff breed.
 
everytime I see a post in here I hope it's the new contract. Madrid are keen on him again
 
All his stats are top level so far, passes, passes forward, completion etc.
 
The assist stat shows who is actually reading the game well and putting themselves in the right position to set up a teammate. I think the assists stat is incredibly important for measuring a player's contributions.

An assist isn't always creating a chance for example Bruno banging one in from 25 yards after a simple sideways pass or on the Lingard goal Pogba plays a nice pass but it's Martials stepover and then Lingard's quick feet that creates the chance not the pass from Pogba.

Not sure if the official assist stats recognise some of the assists awarded in fantasy football for example if you are fouled to win a free kick or penalty that the team scores from you get an assist. Got a feeling Opta don't count these sort of assists in their figures.

Surely chances created is a better stat than the assist? You could be creating loads of chances for the team but if your mate keeps missing the chances you don't get any assists.

This was always an argument with a player like Iniesta who didn't really get many assists despite being a wonderfully creative player he'd often be the guy playing the defence splitting pass to release a wide player who'd then roll it across for a tap in so statistically his input wouldn't get picked up.
 
Not a great one for stats at any time tbh, I prefer to use my eyes. Stats tell you that the most passes tend to be by centre halfs, normally to each other.
 
Not sure if the official assist stats recognise some of the assists awarded in fantasy football for example if you are fouled to win a free kick or penalty that the team scores from you get an assist. Got a feeling Opta don't count these sort of assists in their figures.

Opta doesn't count these. Fantasy also count if you shot and hit the post of the keeper saves it. Like Greenwood for Ronaldo.

These aren't included in the actual stats either.
 
Any argument can be supported by some stat or another, including chances created. According to whoscored AWB made a key pass presumably the one he put across the box at the start of the second half, which came to nothing. DdG made no key passes despite his ball upfield contributing to Bruno's goal.

A winger who beats his man and squares it across for a tap in did more to make the goal than the CF who was just there to find an empty net. He should get credit for that.
 
It's more than he has managed in each of his last two seasons combined but Solskjaer says he's not putting too much focus on the Frenchman's statistics.

"Paul has come back in good shape and he's worked really hard over the summer, he came back lean and fit," said the United manager.

"What does an assist consist of? A square pass and Bruno [Fernandes] hits the top corner or when Paul plays a great pass through and Mason [Greenwood] runs through?

"Paul has always been a top passer, one of the best in European football, he's probably got assists from not his best passes this season. I don't count assists.

"I would give Anthony Martial an assist for Jesse Lingard's goal [against Newcastle], when he leaves the ball, like [Dwight] Yorke and [Andy] Cole."


The words of the boss he knows assist stats don't really count.

I'm not against statistics I think they play an important role in analysis but they have to be put alongside the evidence of the eye football can't be treated by pure statistics like other sports can such as cricket or baseball.
 
To be fair it could have been McTominay as well both of them were really poor.

I don't think the McPog combination will be a winning one.
 
I love Pogba, I think he's our best player.

But I don't see how fits in within this system. I guess if he hadn't fluttered his eye lashes all around Europe we may have built a team to suit him. But it feels a bit like he's been left behind and the assets of his game have been bypassed.

I don't see a future for him within this squad. Cue new contract announcement :p
 
I think the club have made a mistake hanging on to him he should have been sold two seasons ago but here we are.

He is a fantastic footballer but he needs to be accomodated into a team and have it built around him I think we've got to many players like that now to build something around him.

I think he should only be used in wide roles now going forward and in centre mid against sides who are only interested in defending.

Last night we basically played without a midfield Pogba was pretty much stood up front whenever our defenders had the ball and McTominay had no interest in taking it off them. Left a huge gap for Villareal to play in when we lost the ball.
 
McT isn't a DM. He's too similar to Pogba in that his focus is getting the ball forward.

Pogba, in a midfield two, needs someone who will take the defensive burden off him.
 

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