Pogba’s critics are lining up to talk nonsense
FOR such a garlanded sports writer Eamon Dunphy’s musings on football have become so surreal even Robbie Savage asked ‘who is this guy on TV talking nonsense’?
Dunphy is maybe the most outspoken pundit many United supporters had never previously heard of.
He dismissed Cristiano Ronaldo as a ‘cod’ before he collected the first of his five Ballon d’Ors and gradually tweeters are becoming more familiar with the Dubliner.
Dunphy continues to write a column for the Irish Daily Star but is more prolific on RTE’s media platforms. And the most effective method to get noticed is to discuss Paul Pogba.
“I more than anyone have questioned Pogba’s ability and I don’t think he has it,” Dunphy proclaimed on RTE. “I don’t think he has the brains to play there. He doesn’t have the knowledge, he doesn’t have the instinct to be a playmaker and I’m not sure what he is.
“If I was to chose between him and Juan Mata to play in midfield I’d chose Mata every time and now that Sanchez is at the club, he’ll want to play in the position that is probably Pogba’s best position, which would be wide off a front three.
“So [Pogba] is going to have to fight for his place. Sanchez is going to start, Lukaku is going to start and then Rashford is there, Jesse Lingard is there, and Pogba is an expensive luxury.”
Mourinho does not view Pogba as a midfielder and Juan Mata is a forward who does not play in midfield, which makes the very comparison moot. Pogba has never started on the left in a front three for United and Marcus Rashford is competing for that left flank role with Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez.
Pogba was rebuked and substituted by Jose Mourinho at Tottenham a week ago in what should have been dismissed as an aberration. By dropping him for Scott McTominay against Huddersfield on Saturday, Mourinho poured fuel rather than water on the fire and again Pogba’s positioning has become topical.
McTominay is risk-aversive with the ball and United fired blanks in the first-half. They improved once Pogba emerged in the 64th minute.
The scrutiny is always going to be on the £89m midfielder rather than the £35m addition. Particularly when Matic is so low-maintenance – he has only just joined Instagram, whereas Pogba has a knack for outraging some just by enjoying himself. It was still a major about-turn from Mourinho, who defended Pogba just a month ago after Paul Scholes said Pogba was ‘strolling’ through the goalless draw with Southampton. Mourinho’s withering New Year’s Day response came in light of Pogba’s man-of-the-match performance at Everton, where he started on the left in a midfield three and assisted Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard’s humdingers. Ryan Giggs believes Pogba is ‘at his best’ in a midfield three. United’s ninegame winning streak between December and January last term primarily came in a 4-33. Pogba has maybe played his best football in an axis with Matic but bullied Arsenal and bossed Chelsea in a three. Chelsea visit Old Trafford on February 25, four days after United travel to Sevilla for their Champions League first leg, and that week is undeniably their biggest of the campaign so far.
Those are the occasions when Herrera is required and Pogba should occupy his favoured left midfield role.
Matic sufficed as the sole holding midfielder during United’s auspicious August but additional cover is required as he wheezes through games. Especially when a European away knockout tie and encounter with the champions are on the horizon.
It may stop Dunphy talking nonsense. Eamon Dunphy on Paul Pogba