Mourinho did not keep asking Pogba to play in a two, Pogba started the 2017/2018 season in a two with Matic and was playing well, United, were scoring three of four goals per a game, Pogba got injured some time in September.
When Pogba came back in Dec 2017, Pogba started playing up as the papers and pundits alike kept barking on that Pogba can only play on the left of the three, when the truth be told both Allegri and Conte tried Pogba on the left of a three in a 4-3-3 and it effected the balance of their team so they both went back to the tried and tested 3-5-2, with Pogba starting postion as a central mdifielder, drifting out left.
This power play between Pogba and Mourinho continued till the end of the season, Jose actually played Pogba in a three in the midddle of Jan 2018, and Pogba was no better in his application or work rate.
Jose continued to play Pogba in three and sometimes a two thru Feb, until the champions league resumed, and if you cast your mind back to the incident of Jose and Pogba argueing on the touchline, as Pogba was not following the managers instructions, Jose tried to discipline Pogba, and as a result had to field Fellani in the middle of the park against Sevilla.
The truth is Pogba thinks he is a Messi or Zidane, and when challenged about his work rate, his response was nobody questions Messi work rate,
Pogba skillset is not that of a 10, hence the reason why he always gets disposed so often, whether in a two or three.
Pogba is not quick enough in the head to play the role of a 10 role in the mould of an inform Ozil,Isco or our very own Dele Ali, Pogba does not move about enough to create space or options, Pogba’s pressing is also half hearted.
Pogba needs time and space to play his equisite passess, so playing him deeper makes sense, where he can see the full spectrum of the pitch.
If you think this last statement is false, ask yourself, if he went to Real Madrid, where would he play in that team, I would say he would be tasked with replaciing one of Modric or Kroos, who both contribute to the defensive aspect of the team, Modric, more so than Kroos.
Sheesh. Mick Cooper’s gonna love you.
Surely all the above affirms what I said, not contradicts it. Pogba needs to be in a CM3 to get the best out of him, with a strong busy fucker 6 to do the grafting and another 8 or 6+1/2 (as Mourinho calls them in there too.
You do realise that even in Conte’s 352 he was effectively still playing as the L8 in a CM3 system - which again affirms what I am saying.
I’m not saying Mourinho never played him as a L8 in a CM3, he did, often (and against us) but he also often asked him to play in the CM2 as a 6/8 which just does not suit him best. He's having to do more of the defensive stuff he's not so good at and less of the offensive stuff he is good at. Last season for example Mourinho used a 433 approximately 15 times.
And I agree, if he went to Real Madrid I think they would play him as a L8 in a CM3.
I did not say he should play 10?
As for your comment on yesterdays game, there is nothing wrong with getting an early lead and seeing out games, it actually teaches you about building character, focusing on the task at hand, and being confident and assured that no matter what life ‘football’ throws at you, you can cope.
Even Jurgen Klopp has taken leafs out of Mourinho’s book of tactics, building on a strong defence, confident that the team can see out games, look at what he done to us in the Champions league final, killed the game, to win the trophy,something that Pep has failed to learn and could have been 5 nil down against Man U, last night in the 1st half, by neglecting the defensive side of the game and Pep can’t understand how his team has 20 plus chances and still lose or draw.
I didn’t criticise what we did yesterday, I applauded it? Pointing out that it was very Mourinho (at his best).
Alot of people want us to play a 4-3-3, but that would shunt Ali to the wide forward role or a deeper role, where the game would hamper his strength, also people have been banging on about Le Celso, whose best position is the attacking midfield centre role, in which Ali currenly occupies, Jose wants his attacking wide men, starting position to be closer to the touch line.
Yes we could opt for the 4-3-1-2 role if needed, thus accomadating Ndombele alongside a ball winner and deep lying or central playmaker, with Son alongside Kane, meaning the purchase of Le Celso would be seen as redundant, as would the services of Lamela,Sess and Moura. If we choose or decide to opt for the 4-3-1-2 formation, we would need full backs who can defend, aswell as support attacks if and when required.
Hopefully Ndombele will make the grade, he has the skillset, his passing will improve, as this is one of his strong suits, but this is the premier league, and if you are tasked to ply your trade in the midfield then you have to be a good tackler and reader of the game, or simply focus on just reading the flow of the game, making interceptions,tackling now and then.
Firstly, I don't think Lo Celso's best as a ACM, I think he's best as an 8 where he played mostly for PSG (and where he plays for Argentina) he's a good combination of work rate, tenacity and vision of passing. He can play as an ACM or inverted ARM, but I prefer him as an L8 in a CM3. So playing 4312 doesn't necessarily render Lo Celso moribund. But it does cause other problems.
Secondly, it's not Ndombele's passing that has to improve, it's already better than any CM we've had in recent years (in terms of it's incisiveness) it's all the other facets around it that need to up a gear. He needs to be a bit more dynamic in this league, but I think if we played him in a CM3 with a proper busy 6 next to him, that would mitigate his deficiencies somewhat.
To accommodate Alli we need to play him in that 10 (almost second striker) role he's playing now. But that means, as you say a 4231 or a 4312. But then in the 4312 we don't see the best of Son (who is definitely best more as a wide forward or inverted ALM) or Kane who is best operating as the fulcrum 9 on his own, without another striker taking up his oxygen.
If we play 433, then Alli either plays as an 8 or as one of the wide forwards, but he lacks the composure to be a truly good 8 and he lacks the dynamism to be great in the wide attacking roles.
Personally, as good as he's been recently, if I had to make a sacrifice, I'd sacrifice Alli and play a 433, because IMO it would be more conducive and easier to work consistently than trying to find two CM's that excel at the all round skill set you need to play CM2 systems well. And we all know no matter how good Alli is, there will always be some bumbling compromise with him - as we saw yesterday when he contrived to bumble away a simple 2 v 1 with the score at 2-0 (which could have been the difference between clinching the game or not).
And in Ndombele and Lo Celso we have two 8's with real creative vision. With Son we have one of the leagues's best wide forwards. It should be easier to find a good 6, than two 6/8 hybrids to play the Cm2.