Paul Pogba

[manimanc]

This only makes sense if Pep is leaving..... :-(

 

[burning blue soul]

If I had the time or inclination I would check the post history of all on here supporting this move. 90% will have slagged Pogba off/ridiculed him for his lack of effort in games.
The number of posters on here who were agog at his performance to stop City winning the league, pretty much on his own, shows how little we think of his talent.
That kind of performance is what City will be looking for in EVERY GAME.
You really think he can achieve that constant level of performance, just cos he's now wanting to come to City?
An unreliable player for 100m or free, is still an unreliable player.

 

[bluenova]

Get where you’re coming from but I’d guess that would add about £60m+/annum to our wage bill

Aren’t there plans afoot to make it so as you can only spend 70% of turnover on wages?

Ours were 62% in the last accounts. If players come in then others will leave, so I am sure we'd be fine.

 

[John Wayne]

I think you know he’s coming mate and after thinking about it this morning I’ll back pep to get his France performances to city! On a free at decent wages he deserves the chance to prove himself if he wants it.

Certainly sounds like more than just a rumour and there is a distinct possibility that this could happen. I probably wouldn't entertain him but it certainly is intriguing.

I think it's good to register our feelings now, but if he does sign then he will need total support from the fans.

 

[RayCTID]

This is not entirely about Pogba, it’s something I’ve been thinking for a while…Does anyone else think that this team actually lacks a bit of ego?

We’re the greatest side in English football history and yet often appear almost embarrassed by it, overly reverential or even meek in games against big sides.

If you look at Pep’s Barcelona you had quiet hard workers like Xavi, Pedro and Iniesta but also Pique, Alves and Eto’o who would say “Yeah, we’re the best side in the planet and we’re going to show you why”. Brazil 1970, Ajax in the 70s, Milan in the 80s … they all had players who weren’t shy about being the best side in the world.

Going back to the Real first leg, after 20 minutes there seemed to be an air of “I can’t believe this is happening” among the players, and we were way too respectful of PSG and Atletico. We were overawed by the CL final last year.

Pep is brilliant but he can squash players’ personalities a bit and we have a few who seem to constantly doubt themselves despite their quality and successes. If I have one criticism of him compared to Klopp it’s that he doesn’t seem to instil the same unshakeable confidence in his players which clearly makes them play better.


You have to have the performances and quality to back it up, but a bit of swagger would be a good addition to this squad IMO and maybe the last bit missing to make them go down as one of the greatest sides of all time.

Trouble is with too many egos in the side is that we could easily end up just like Utd (or to another extent Everton) when things goes tits up and it becomes a completly toxic environment and near enough unmanagable. We had a taster a few seasons back under Roberto Mancini

 

[burning blue soul]

He would have been about 25 in season 4 and 41 in season 5. A big drop off - although still not far off many of our players, even in a much less successful team. As I said, that could be due to injuries disrupting his season, him not fitting into whatever 'system' Ole thought he was playing, or a genuine drop off.

Even at those levels, he's slightly above Declan Rice for example. If you think about how many spots City and Liverpool take up, and then the best players at the other big teams, he's still in the top few % of PL players.

If the club are convinced his injuries haven't diminished him physically, then I think it would be interesting to see just what Pep can do with him.

I trust in the club management, however, that drop off, as a trend, means even the club don't know for sure if he can do it at our level anymore.
It's a risk, and pretty much all the risk is being taken by City.

 

[Gumzy97]

With Pogba that is another creative player, Haaland is probably dancing with joy with all these options that could supply him

 

[manimanc]

Trouble is with too many egos in the side is that we could easily end up just like Utd (or to another extent Everton) when things goes tits up and it becomes a completly toxic environment

What??

 

[Phoenix900000]

Sorry but I still don't think he is good enough to be in this team imo.

Doesn't work hard enough and his age is a bit of a concern.

The only thing I think it might work is if Pep thinks he can make it work.

I would prefer De Jong over him :)

 

[SalfordGrimble]

If I had the time or inclination I would check the post history of all on here supporting this move. 90% will have slagged Pogba off/ridiculed him for his lack of effort in games.
The number of posters on here who were agog at his performance to stop City winning the league, pretty much on his own, shows how little we think of his talent.
That kind of performance is what City will be looking for in EVERY GAME.
You really think he can achieve that constant level of performance, just cos he's now wanting to come to City?
An unreliable player for 100m or free, is still an unreliable player.

But how many players are completely different at a different club, It happens all the time. His talent is undoubtably there, and if Pep can get him in a system where we get the best out of him, consistency might come.