Mourinho’s desire for defensive improvement from Pogba is conflicting with his desire for a steady, defined formation.
A football manager typically builds a team around his star player, using a formation that best suits the star’s strengths. That’s not happening at Manchester United–at least not yet.
Courtesy: umaxit.com
United acquired Paul Pogba from Juventus largely because he flourished playing in a midfield three. But as good as is Pogba, Jose Mourinho has yet to build United around him.
Instead, Mourinho has tried different formations since Pogba’s arrival, including systems that accommodate midfield three and midfield two, respectively.
Mourinho has used the two more often, which is a sign he may finally adopt it, but his recent disagreement with Pogba over a preferred formation may tell us that the French midfielder prefers to play in a midfield three. What we know, for sure, is that Pogba has been substituted in games recently.
Why has Mourinho failed to utilize Pogba’s qualities in a midfield three? One reason may be Mourinho’s preference for defensive football. Mourinho’s assessment of his attacking players is based on their defensive contributions. That may explain why he prefers to deploy Pogba’s physicality in a midfield two scheme.
Playing two in the middle restricts the midfielders from joining the attack because they have more defensive responsibilities in terms of protecting the back four. In that kind of system, the two midfielders must be defensive-minded. Pogba isn’t.
In my view, Pogba is best suited on the left of midfield three. He has the intelligence and creativity to open up teams in the final third. Midfield three is also a system that serves Pogba’s goal-scoring instinct, something that seems to have disappeared since his arrival at United.
Courtesy: Daily Express
But I also understand Mourinho’s stand. He believes that good players should be able to play in any kind of system. That’s why Pogba must improve on the defensive end and adhere to tactical instructions.
On the other hand, Mourinho’s desire for defensive improvement from Pogba is conflicting with his desire for a steady and defined formation.
In my assessment, ManU is more convincing whenever they play three in the middle. I draw that conclusion based on games against Huddersfield in the FA Cup and the league contest versus Everton at Goodison Park.
A system that accommodates three in the middle provides the back four with more protection and also allows the midfield trio to dominate the midfield area with their passing ability. It also allows one of the midfielders to join the attack when the team is on the front foot.
I believe Pogba is the real fit to anchor United in a midfield three. With the qualities he possesses, Pogba helps his side create more openings in the final third, including retaining possession a bit longer in the opposition half.
