Build Up: Pogba to United

https://twitter.com/adidasfootball/status/759296194984022016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The entire Adidas ad

Pogba has said 10000000x times that nothing will happen until he returns from vacation. At some point, you have to believe him.

sportsczy wrote:Pogba has said 10000000x times that nothing will happen until he returns from vacation. At some point, you have to believe him.

Yup. My thoughts exactly.

Rofl, did you guys notice Zidane at the end of the ad with that troll smile ?

Is this all an elaborate Madrid marketing campaign ?

Pogba missing CL football already

Thought it was dealio on Friday @Firenze ?

What happened ?

I actually did quite like this ad apart from the part between 1:00-1:20.

God I miss those old school Nike ads tho

The most pertinent question here: When is Pogba coming back from vacation. Anyone know?

sportsczy wrote:The most pertinent question here: When is Pogba coming back from vacation. Anyone know?

7th August is when he'll be back to training at Vinovo(Juventus training ground). Remember that interview with Evra ?

So any deal involving him should be completed before 7th August.

Ideally yeah. But it could drag out until Aug 30th. It did with Bale and De Gea. If it drags out, you can start to think that Madrid is the team he's going to though. We tend to roll like this.

This coming week is when Man U needs to close the deal or he's just not going there.

Not sure if we would let it drag out until then to be honest.

Don't forget that we'll have to find his replacement asap.

He's not going to Woonited guys lol. Do you think we left #15 vacant for Cacktrao ?

Valkyrja wrote:He's not going to Woonited guys lol. Do you think we left #15 vacant for Cacktrao ?

How would your midfield look with Pogba in it ? I mean which players would be starting in the midfield.

sportsczy wrote:Ideally yeah.  But it could drag out until Aug 30th.  It did with Bale and De Gea.  If it drags out, you can start to think that Madrid is the team he's going to though.  We tend to roll like this.  

This coming week is when Man U needs to close the deal or he's just not going there.

All evidence suggests it's all but done. A few weeks later than this thread's title claimed (which was Nick's desperate attempt at a jinx), but still.
It won't drag until August 31st, and he won't go to Real.
Zidane might want him, but Perez won't pay so much wages and fee to a black player.

Andrew_p wrote:

Valkyrja wrote:He's not going to Woonited guys lol. Do you think we left #15 vacant for Cacktrao ?

How would your midfield look with Pogba in it ? I mean which players would be starting in the midfield.

Kroos will play deep with Pogba and Modric next to him to start. If that fails, then Modric will play the deep role like he does with Croatia NT, Pogba will play on the right and Kroos on the left. If that fails, then Kroos or Modric get sacrificed and Casemiro comes in.

Madrid have very balanced midfield right now with Casemiro as DM, messing with it for glorified Yaya wouldn't be a good idea imo.

Problem is that we don't.  We're forced to sit low and counter attack because none of our midfield profiles have athleticism and/or speed.  In essence, our three forwards are left to create goalscoring all by themselves with some help from the fullbacks.  You need a CM that can pierce lines and fill open spaces on the attack when a forward dezones or when the other team is playing very compact.  You don't want to do this detrimentally to your defense... hence the need for a B2B.

Second issue is air presence both offensively and defensively.  Defensively, only our CBs are good defenders in the air.  Offensively, we're ok because Ronaldo and Bale offer very good options there...  but we are very fragile defensively on set pieces.

Third issue is the ability to hold the ball.  Only Modric out of our three CMs is capable of managing the ball under pressure.  Kroos and Casemiro can't.  So many teams flood the midfield and we can't handle it.

I mean you saw it in CL...  we didn't win by playing wonderful football and/or dominating our opponents.  We won because we got lucky with our draw first of all.  We also were able to hold on defensively and get a goal from individual brilliance.  In the final, it was a PK shootout so that's just russian roulette.  You can't say that we played a style and imposed our game on anyone.  We did the best we could given our weaknesses.

It only makes sense to try and address those weaknesses because you're not always going to get a lucky draw, get individual brilliance or win PK shootouts.  You want to offer solutions that have better chances of consistently succeeding.

Hapless_Hans wrote:Perez won't pay so much wages and fee to a black player.

You really think that is what is making the difference because I have been wondering how Florentino Perez of all people has become reluctant to open the cheque book?

Don't fall for it dude. Lass, Drenthe, Mahamadou Diarra, Essien, Adebayor, etc. are all recent Madrid players. It has nothing to do with race or color.

Lucifer wrote:Madrid have very balanced midfield right now with Casemiro as DM, messing  with it for glorified Yaya wouldn't be a good idea imo.

I agree with that. While I do not deny Pogba's potential the hype around him has become unreal. He could easily turn out to be another of those promises not quite fulfilled. I think a player deserves this kind of hype only after he has delivered in a few of the really big games. Every season has a new flavor but this time the emphasis on it is just too much. The closest that I am reminded of is for another French player Franck Ribery in the summer of 2009 when so many clubs wanted him for astronomical amounts and Zidane even said he would take him over Messi and Cristiano. Those very same people who are now touting Pogba so much will be out with knives for him if he doesn't reach the Ballon D'or podium in three or four years.

http://www.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2015-2016/how-paul-pogba-will-fit-in-at-manchester-united-and-why-jose-mourinho-needs-to-rip-up-his-plans_sto5701915/story.shtml

The ignorance of these articles is amazing:

-  You don't go from being an offensive left side B2B to a defensive right side B2B in a few games.  I mean, look at Rakitic ffs.  It took him 2-3 continuous months and 15-20 games to start getting comfortable (he was a 10/CAM before Barca and he took over for Xavi which was much lower).  Pogba has played the pivot in a 4231 exactly 3 games... and all in this last Euro (not to mention on the right side as opposed to his preferred left).  He was very good against Iceland and Germany in the role.  He struggled a bit against Portugal MAINLY because he was tired.  Remember that the final was 48 hours after the semis for France.  Both Griezmann and Pogba were cooked after the Germany game.

-  Pogba isn't unproven.  He's been proving himself fine at Juve for the past 4 years at the highest level.  Just because you haven't been watching him play doesn't make him unproven.  EPL is a much easier place to impose yourself as a midfielder than Serie A because EPL isn't as tactical or varied in terms of how teams play. Maybe that change with all the new managers.

Mourinho just needs to make sure he plays him on the left so he doesn't have to make such a massive adjustment to both scheme and role...  at least he already has his marks on the left.  On the right, it's a much bigger adjustment for him.

S wrote:Thought it was dealio on Friday @Firenze ?

What happened ?

Calma. I know you're desperate to sign Witsel or Sissoko with the funds. Will be official Monday. Heard it was all ready and done yesterday but our fax machine broke down.

sportsczy wrote:Problem is that we don't.  We're forced to sit low and counter attack because none of our midfield profiles have athleticism and/or speed.  In essence, our three forwards are left to create goalscoring all by themselves with some help from the fullbacks.  You need a CM that can pierce lines and fill open spaces on the attack when a forward dezones or when the other team is playing very compact.  You don't want to do this detrimentally to your defense... hence the need for a B2B.

Second issue is air presence both offensively and defensively.  Defensively, only our CBs are good defenders in the air.  Offensively, we're ok because Ronaldo and Bale offer very good options there...  but we are very fragile defensively on set pieces.

Third issue is the ability to hold the ball.  Only Modric out of our three CMs is capable of managing the ball under pressure.  Kroos and Casemiro can't.  So many teams flood the midfield and we can't handle it.

I mean you saw it in CL...  we didn't win by playing wonderful football and/or dominating our opponents.  We won because we got lucky with our draw first of all.  We also were able to hold on defensively and get a goal from individual brilliance.  In the final, it was a PK shootout so that's just russian roulette.  You can't say that we played a style and imposed our game on anyone.  We did the best we could given our weaknesses.

It only makes sense to try and address those weaknesses because you're not always going to get a lucky draw, get individual brilliance or win PK shootouts.  You want to offer solutions that have better chances of consistently succeeding.

My only question is: while I LOVE Pogba as a player, is he really the best option for the particular role you are describing?
It sounds like what you're describing is more of a #10 that sits deeper within the midfield three. Someone who's always playing on the front foot, looking to carry the ball in transition and create opportunities for he front 3. I've always seen Pogba as a #8 with goal-scoring ability. With Kroos, Modric and Casemiro, you already have (pardon the slight oversimplification) two #8's and a #6. If Pogba goes to Madrid, it sounds that you believe the most likely lineup would be Pogba (an offensive-minded #, Modric, and Kroos (2 controlling #8s).

I'm just curious whether a more natural #10 wouldn't be a better choice, especially considering the funds that will be required to secure Pogba. Perhaps someone akin to Rakitic, who can function as a traditional #10 behind the striker AND within a midfield three. I'm perfectly aware that Pogba has played as a #10 in his career. However, to me, that always felt like a somewhat desperate attempt by Juve to get goals in particular matches. Perhaps that's simply my limited exposure to Juve this past season.

Not trying to troll. I'm honestly curious. As an aside, I would much prefer to see Pogba playing in Madrid for Zidane, rather than Manchester for Mourinho. I also think it's the better career-move for Pogba. However, these type of moves aren't always made on the basis of the better career move, but the basis of who's offering the better agent's fee.

veratti instead of Pogba wouldn't be so bad imo. That guy is the next Modric for me

No we have plenty of 10s.  That's not the issue.  Marcelo and Ronaldo don't defend so we need someone that can do the work defensively on the left while contributing to the attack.  Di Maria did that for us the one year we were truly balanced.  If you didn't have Marcelo/Ronaldo to completely mess up that side defensively, i'd agree with you.

That's why I'm adamant about Pogba.  He's about the only guy other than Di Maria (in a different way) that can bring speed, good enough defense, work rate and attacking flair on that left side to compensate.

Right now, Casemiro is basically a 3rd CB because Ramos is basically a LB (poor one) with Marcelo/Ronaldo/Kroos out there. We're messed up because of the left side tbh. You need a freak athlete out there so the entire team isn't forced to compensate