What was said?
Speaking to the Premier League Productions, Owen said, “I know every Manchester United fan around the world would agree: get Paul Pogba in alongside one sitting midfield player.”
“Then you can get an extra body going forward, the likes of (Edinson) Cavani and you can put [player 129602] in behind with the two normal wide players.
“However, as it is, you have to put [player 96088] on the bench because you don’t trust Pogba in the middle as a sitting midfielder so you have to stick him out wide. It’s a conundrum.
“Whenever they play against a very good side, he [coach 524307] goes back to basics. He goes back to thinking, ‘I need those two protective midfield players’.
“When he’s playing an average team at home, he’ll go and play all his stars. He lets the shackles off.
“But I don’t think he totally trusts Pogba in that role as a centre midfield player alongside one of them.”
Is Michael Owen right?
Since Pogba’s world-record transfer to [team 14], it’s not a stretch to say that he has not lived up to his expectations. At [team 625], he was a young, emerging player destined for success. He was in the team that made it to the [league 2] final back in 2015, eventually losing to [team 83].
[player 1992] was a crucial part of Allegri’s tactics for big games. Due to his excellent dribbling as well as powerful running, Juve relied on him in games when they struggled to play out. However, despite being a major player, Pogba was playing in an experienced and mature midfield. A midfield that complemented his strengths and reduced his defensive mistakes.
Pogba played as the left-midfielder in a 4-4-2 diamond. [coach 127989] and [player 128005] used to cover when Pogba used to get in the box. Also, he had a fellow Frenchman, [player 596] playing at left-back who helped him a lot. Overall, he was playing in a great side that had great players around Pogba. Although, we should not forget how brilliant Pogba was in that midfield that nearly won the Champions League.
After being one of the best midfielders in the world during his time at Juve, Manchester United signed him on a then-record transfer fee. Reportedly, he rejected [team 3468] and decided to move to Manchester to rejoin the club where he was not expected to achieve much.
Since his arrival, multiple injuries have been an issue but his performances when match-fit haven’t been good enough. [coach 455375] was the first one to publicly criticize Pogba’s defensive errors. Jose wasn’t happy with the Frenchman’s positioning in various big games and was disappointed due to his attitude overall.
[coach 524307] has got the best out of Pogba on a few occasions. However, the Norwegian doesn’t prefer Pogba in the midfield. It’s imminent that it’s due to his defensive mistakes. He made a poor mistake against [team 6] earlier in the season when the red devils lost 6-1 at Old Trafford.
For the last few games, the Frenchman has looked solid. Although, he is deployed in a wider role where the defensive responsibility decreases. With Man United about to finish a successful season overall, Pogba could have a major impact. He played a major role against [team 15] in yet another comeback win. Also, he could play a significant role as his side prepare to face [team 3477] in the [league 5] final.
