Manchester United Banter Archive September 27 2018

27 Sep 2018 22:01:46
The smartest management decision made with regard to Pogba was the one made by Sir Alex. It may not have been great for the books, but the player's recent performances on and off the field show Ferguson was right to let him go.

27 Sep 2018 22:18:14
Totally agree mate. Should never ever have been resigned. Made great commercial sense though didn't it.
Pogba came through le harve youth system, left them. 16-18 at United left us. 18 to what 22 at huge left them. Another 2 years and wants to leave us.
Get him out and quick troublemaker.

27 Sep 2018 22:32:32
Did he let him go? I thought it was common knowledge why he left?

28 Sep 2018 00:30:08
If Pogba goes it will be to a top team who will probably use him in his preferred position and he will probably shine. Then many will be on here asking why we let him go again. He is in many ways a conundrum. A luxury player which most teams actually need. It's a real shame we will probably never get to see him perform at his best in our colours. That said there are so many talented players around the world would it not be nice for a change to see our scouts pick up a gem for reasonable money. Even better would be for some of our youngsters in the under w3s to finally have a real chance to make the first team. In 10 years time Utd will still be around and Pogba will be retired and no longer in our thoughts. It's Manchester United Football Club that matters. It is not with due respect to him Paul Pogba FC. What would be a real pleasant surprise is for Pogba and the other under performing players to shut up and play their socks off. Then if at the end of the season if they still wanted a move they would go with our good wishes as Christiano did. I won't hold my breath though.

28 Sep 2018 07:48:59
Hendon, I don’t think Pogba will shine, where is he going to go, Barca, better players will shine there, Juve, he did well there in a vastly different league, PSG, he’d be playing with many stars, same for France he has stars around him so easier to look good. He is meant to be the man at united but struggles to live up to it, I just don’t think he’s that good.

27 Sep 2018 14:05:00
Banter please Ed’s if possible. I have a question for Yaz. I see you are clearly in the pogba camp in terms of who you believe is in the right and who should be the one to remain at Manchester United, over Jose. But can you honestly, hand on heart, say that pogba:

(A) has done anything or played with any sort of consistency to JUSTIFY the huge price tags we paid for him?
(B) has he acted in a way which is expected of a leader or captain of Manchester United football club.

Before you go on about pogba’s potential, it is plain to see to all how naturally gifted he is. But when has he actually consistently translated that on the pitch? He has started this season well to be fair, but he only shows up when HE feels like it. It is unacceptable and he should be taking games by the scruff of the neck and dictating them. He drifts in and out and messes around with the ball i'm areas he shouldn’t be doing so. Worst of all is his awareness of his positional duties and his work rate/ application. He should be the driving force and the leader of the team. Yet he cannot even undergo his duties properly.

I am not saying Jose has been in the right in this situation. It is well known his mouth runs him into trouble nearly everywhere he has been. But when the manager extends and olive branch to you and picks you as captain, it is extremely disrespectful and outrageous to come out with some of the comments he has done. It’s stoking the fire that just does not need to be done. Why cause the unnecessary unrest? He is disrespectful to the club, manager, his own teammates but worst of all, the fans. He thinks he is bigger than the club. How can you support this? We are Manchester United FC, not Pogba FC. This new age of fans where the support a player over the club is embarrassing. Where are the days where we supported the team and not individuals?

For the record, I am Jose out aswell. Not because I don’t rate him, but because I believe he has taken us as far as he can. He is a winner and a fantastic manager, IF he has the team and players he wants. He is just not the right fit for us. But both him and pogba should be shown the door because this circus they have created is not what I want to see at our great club. We have been mismanaged and unprepared since the day sir alex left. The next appointment needs it be very cleverly thought through, with a director of football being top of the list too.

27 Sep 2018 14:17:36
Totally agree park.

27 Sep 2018 14:31:00
Eddie Howe should be our next manager. We have missed all these new young managers, i think right now he is the one who could build for the future. Give him time, at least 2,3 years and i'm pretty sure we will be on top or pretty close. I just don't want to see old managers anymore, their tactics don't work anymore.

27 Sep 2018 15:07:29
Would much rather go for Nagelsmann, far better than Howe, no comparison. Billionare backed Bournemouth is what's making Howe even look half decent.

27 Sep 2018 15:08:07
Reman I am actually a big of Howe. Bournemouth play some great football and create a hatful of chances. My issue always with his side is that they concede far too many goals. Defensively they are so suspect. Another worry would be can he handle the big egos. That is almost half the problem at the moment. Perhaps an experienced director of football would be the way forward with a Howe type of appointment. I am still leaning towards Poch, Jardim and I really like Fonesca of Shakhtar, he has done some great things there. I think it will be Zidane. Not sure how he will fare but I imagine the football will be much more entertaining. Poch would be perfect. The brand of football is brilliant and his teams always work very hard. A little doubt over his trophy credentials but he could do some great things with some of our players.

27 Sep 2018 16:09:23
Was Ferguson a big success when he signed? I mean i understand he had just won an european cup but he wasnt that big but as soon as he got the job, he laid the foundations of what he wanted to accomplish. that's why i want a young manager because i know in the not to distant future we will have a plan, right now i don't even know what these clowns do at training. I think howe will do very good but any other hungry young manager who plays footy the right way is fine with me.

27 Sep 2018 16:16:58
Really good OP park, can't fault that at all.

27 Sep 2018 18:14:32
Reman
Was Ferguson a big success when he signed; but he wasn’t that big. You are seriously asking that? I think you need to check your history, he broke the old firm in Scotland. He was vastly above where Howe is. The club can not afford to take huge risks with what might be a nice idea.

27 Sep 2018 18:57:51
Out of curiosity, how do you think Cantona would have fared under Mourinho?

27 Sep 2018 19:42:12
Beat me too it Redman. If you remember Spurs and Barcelona were in for Young Alex in 1985-6.😆😆.

27 Sep 2018 19:54:07
i just felt last season united wanted to erase Mino Raiola. his clients moved on or changed agents. something has obviously happened.

27 Sep 2018 19:58:03
Cantona would have fared well, very similar mentality and character to Zlatan.

27 Sep 2018 22:01:35
Park it's very difficult to blame everything on pogba when more then half of the team including mou's own singings aren't pulling any trees.

Mou has spent a lot of money and the club backed him from fulback defence midfield winger to striker that's almost a full team

Think would be a huge mistake letting any of your big players leave before Jose. As we've seen in the past.

27 Sep 2018 22:21:42
To reply to the original post by Park. Pogba orchestrated most of the chances in the first part of last season, then was injured and came back fine before picking up a red and being dropped by Mourinho following that. Likewise, he's been the main creator so far this season, scoring and assisting and at least attempting to create something during games, but it looks hard to do with static players who are well marked.

Statistically, Pogba was the best midfielder in the PL last season, it didn't come across in his style, but he passed a lot, created chances and even scored some goals. In terms of leader, just looked how he pushed us on against City in the second half last season and if reports are true, he fired up the dressing room and went against Mourinho's instructions, which were probably to bring on Fellaini and lob the ball up to him in the hope that something would come off.

I see a lot of people getting upset about Pogba's online persona, I don't know much about it to be fair as I don't follow celebs on social media. But that to me is irrelevant on the pitch, and on the pitch, he isn't taking selfies, but creating more chances and orchestrating more play than any of our other players. Sure, Shaw has been great so far and without De Gea we'd be screwed, but someone needs to create something, and Pogba has been doing so, problem is he's the only one doing so. Lukaku is a great finisher and works hard, but he doesn't create. Rashford, Lingard and Sanchez just constantly give the ball away and are too predictable. Martial doesn't get enough time. Fred looks promising but leaves us vulnerable behind.

Sure Pogba made a mistake against Wolves, but either player does now and then, even the mighty De Gea. Thing is we should be able to score more than one goal in case someone (likely so) does mess up at the back. Pogba's cry for attacking football seems in line with what most want, but he did it behind his manager's back, so it becomes wrong. I for one am glad someone has to balls to speak out.

27 Sep 2018 22:59:24
Park, I'm not in Pogba's camp.

I just hate the fact that many people who attack him do so because of his price, wages and social media "antics".

I don't want any player to be sold, I want Mourinho changed.

He hasn't been able to get the best out of ANY player.


Why is Martial not performing? Why does he play so well but is benched for a month?


Why is Sanchez so bad? Can a player just lose it overnight?


Why is Lukaku shockingly bad? Must we play to his feet when he prefers to be sent through or crossed at? How many times do we cross to him in a game?

Why has Herrera regressed?


What happened to Matic?


Lingard has suddenly turned poor.


Valencia - I don't even want to go there.


Bailly and Lindelof dealt with for errors. Why aren't they given a chance to grow, to learn to build understanding?


If Mourinho had his way, Luke Shaw would have mentally broken down or sold well before now.


But of course you guys don't see all these.


Fellaini held us to ransom (no disrespect intended because he's a fighter though not a first team quality) but his contract was renewed.


People forget Pogba is not only an athlete but also a poster boy for the club. That's part of the reason why the club brought him back and also support his media "shenanigans".


Funny thing is Pogba will go to another team and blow like the Pogba we want before you guys open your eyes and see that when a coach doesn't base a team to his players' abilities then it'll be doom.


As a coach you can't say I must use this formation or tactics the players must adjust.
No!

You blend the ability of the players with your formation and tactics.

Why does Mourinho keep a grudge and never let's go or forgive?

There are a lot of things but I'll stop at this point.

27 Sep 2018 23:33:41
Good post yaz.

27 Sep 2018 23:48:53
Yaz I don’t disagree that mourinho is the problem here. I think we need a change of manager. But if you really think pogba will suddenly become the player we all expect with a new manager you are wrong. Yes he has all the footballing ability in the world. But he is so inconsistent it’s infuriating. He is solely responsible for his form and he has to take responsibility. We most probably will see pogba shine in Barca. But the same problems will always follow him wherever he goes. I have no issues with what he does on social media or his haircuts. By all accounts he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. But the way he has conducted himself has been thoroughly unprofessional and is causing massive unrest for everyone in the club. Same goes for Jose. Get rid of both and let’s start again, with player and manager that want to fight for that badge on their chest.

28 Sep 2018 06:03:55
‘Statisrically Pogba was the best midfielder on the PL last year’. I guess that depends on how you define midfielder. I like my my midfielders to drive the team forward, to play with energy and passion, to dominate games. I really don’t remember Pogba doing that.

28 Sep 2018 09:00:06
Spot on Tony.

28 Sep 2018 21:22:13
AJH, I was going of the stats on whoscored, he was ranked 9th best player in the league last season, with Aguero, De Bruyne, Salah, Hazard, Have, D. Silva, Sterling, L. Sané above him, all of which are either forwards or wide players. Fernandinho round the top 10 off.

Pogba's stats, 6 goals, 10 assists, 85.3 pass precision, 2.8 shots per game, 1.9 aerials won, 4 MoM, average rating of 7.48.

Sure there's more to that in a game, but they are not bad stats, and Mourinho loves his stats, as they seem to prove everything.

Current campaign, he stands at 4 goals, 2 assists, roughly around 83.3% passing, 2 aerial wins per game, 2 MoM, 7.36 average rating. So similar stats as it stands.

27 Sep 2018 11:44:09
Question to any ITK Ed’s if possible please:

Given Pogba’s alleged social media posting and consequent alleged friction with JM, do players now have it in their contract to follow the club line/ not post anything harmful to the club? And if they break this policy, could it lead to disciplinary action? This is something I feel modern contracts should address, if they have not done so already.

When I was a teacher, we were banned from posting anything in social media given the potential abuse mischievous students could extract from the personal info.

{Ed002's Note - I don’t know about what has happened on social media with PP but clubs are typically wanting players to not do anything dumb on social media. An example used by someone (I don’t recall who) to me was Juan Mata’s use of social media. Some clubs discourage social media usage and some have training and guidance provided to the players. The expectation is that the players will not abuse it.}

27 Sep 2018 13:13:29
Interesting Ed002,thanks as always for the quick response!

{Ed002's Note - You are welcome. Always worth remembering the dumb as a box of rocks/bonehead quota for footballers is very, very high.}

27 Sep 2018 15:04:42
I think that's a little harsh on rocks and boneheads Ed.

27 Sep 2018 07:29:01
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 27th September 2018