When Jamie Carragher, ex-Liverpool footballer-turned pundit criticised Pogba earlier this year, many Manchester United fans seemed to agree. Then, later, when Jose Mourinho branded the Frenchman a ‘virus,’ some fans again jumped on the bandwagon and turned on Pogba.
After two displays showcasing his brilliance, it seems a shift in style was all that was needed for the central midfielder to perform to the levels we all knew he could. It’s not a miracle Pogba’s showings and confidence has suddenly picked up, but rather the brilliance of our new manager, Solskjaer. Recently, the gaffer has been giving Pogba the freedom he needs to operate as a midfielder. Throughout his time as a Manchester United player, he has had to alternated roles between attacking and defending roles, jobs which has to be done by two separate specialists in the modern game. Recently, Herrera and Matic have been doing those roles respectively which has allowed Pogba to drift into the remaining spaces, and with his impressive vision, allow him to pick out a pass which moves the team forward. So, in essence, if done well, it’s not only Pogba who benefits from giving the Frenchman freedom but the whole team, as it allows them to progress a developing attack.
So, one way The Red Devils have been dominating the midfield is by giving to central players assigned roles, and the remaining one, utilised as a box to box midfielder. But that’s not the only tactical adjustment made by the newly appointed coach.
Judging off the previous two games, as a team, they seem to be further up the pitch, both when attacking and defending. Their players are moving as a collective group, while the central players float in the spaces- mainly Pogba and Mata. But, when Manchester United lose possession, instead of drifting back into our own half and inviting an attack, they instead remain in the opponent’s half pressuring their players into making mistakes-something that was key to our town rivals winning the league last season.
In applying pressure, and defending from the front they have asserted their dominance, and shown the opposition who’s the bigger team, something Sir Alex Ferguson also used effectively on numerous occasions.
The Manchester United fanbase have been brought back to the old times by watching this football, the main learning their fanbase has made, however, is that even a couple of changes can allow a team to excel - which they have begun doing effectively.
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