[ad_1]
Probably for the first time this season, Paul Pogba has given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a headache that he doesn’t mind having to deal with.
The French midfielder capped off a strong showing against Burnley on Tuesday with a magnificent triumph for Manchester United that took him to the top of the Premier League for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
He continued what appears to be a notable resurgence for the 27-year-old following comments from his agent Mino Raiola that his time at Old Trafford will end at the end of the season.
However, whether that claim holds up or not, Pogba’s main focus will now be on the club’s biggest game of the season thus far, when he faces the team he just replaced at the top of the pile in the archrival Liverpool on Sunday.
But despite his excellent recent display, and the club’s for that matter, will Solskjaer think twice before opting to switch tack and add solidity rather than style when facing the attacking threat of the Anfield team?
The team that put the Norwegian in the 1-0 win at Burnley was designed with a specific purpose, to combat the physical game plan employed by the hosts. It was a great United team. Eric Bailly was in the back, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic were in the middle, and Edinson Cavani received a top inning.
By the same token, the Norwegian will have to ring out more changes to help United counter the pace of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane and the magic of Thiago Alcantara in between.
But the best way to do it is not so immediate.
Scott McTominay, brimming with confidence after captaining and scoring in the FA Cup third round win against Watford, and Fred could bring more energy to midfield, and it’s likely to be in addition to Pogba, rather than.
But that in all likelihood would lead Solskjaer back to the diamond formation that saw mixed success throughout 2020, particularly when the pressure was on the Norwegian boss.
The system worked very well against RB Leipzig in the Champions League with a 5-0 win, with United showing some signs of stability behind while looking like they could score with most attacks.
But they were bland and boring a few days later in the home loss to Arsenal, while a 1-1 draw at Everton last season was also another frustrating display that caused the faithful to express concern over the diamond formation.
Against the German side, Matic held the base of midfield well, something Fred could not do to the same effect against the Gunners having started on the right of the diamond against Julian Nagelsmann’s men.
Pogba himself positioned himself on the left side of the diamond and Bruno Fernandes, as he did against the Gunners, will start as the most advanced midfielder at Anfield after becoming the lynchpin of United’s turnaround with 15 goals and nine assists already. season.
If Solskjaer returns to the diamond, it is less likely that the roles of Pogba and Fernandes will be altered, but it is who accompanies them alongside and behind them that will be of greatest concern given the performances that used the system in the last calendar year.
McTominay started on the right side of the diamond in both Premier League games but backfired by quelling Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s attacking threat, which is particularly critical given the lack of a wide right-forward in the formation.
Fred has looked a little more comfortable in that role with Matic at point guard, but the Brazilian was perhaps even more convincing as one of two midfielders with the Serb at Anfield last year.
Solskjaer described Fred’s performance as ‘superior’ in a 2-0 loss in January last year after being deployed centrally in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Furthermore, it is also questionable whether the former United striker could really bring out the best in Pogba on a diamond and could stop the momentum he has built up in recent weeks.
He recorded an assist playing down the left of a diamond against Leipzig, but was the player who fouled Hector Bellerin for a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty in a more abject display.
However, there are indications that the Premier League public could see the best version of Pogba for about 18 months in the coming months, having most recently featured with two other midfielders, especially since Raiola’s explosive comments on December 8 of the last year.
A period of good physical fitness has helped his cause and seen him complete 90 minutes on five occasions since the comments, and dominant performances like the ones United fans had come to expect after his £ 89 million move from Juventus in 2016 were easy to see against Aston. Villa and Burnley.
Such dominance from the World Cup winner could cause Solskjaer to prefer attacking style over defensive solidity if he thinks Pogba and Fernandes’ cruelty will be too much for Liverpool, particularly if Fabinho is forced to return to defense. once again.
United have been unable to win any of their games against the so-called top six this season, and apologizing for the exceptional circumstances of Anthony Martial’s red card against Tottenham, they have lacked drive and energy against others and have failed to score against Chelsea. , Arsenal and City of Manchester.
With arguably the toughest side they will face this season on Sunday, Solskjaer’s options finally come down to whether returning to the diamond formation will do significantly more damage to his chances of winning than the 4-3-3 formation he has. done wonders in recent times. weeks.
The safest option to counter Liverpool in the best possible way would be to place Matic at the base of the diamond, with Fred and Pogba on the left and right and Fernandes as the attacking midfielder.
That temptation may be hard to resist given that it is United who now have the top-of-the-table advantage, and a draw would preserve that three-point lead and make a small dent in Liverpool’s aspirations to retain their crown.
However, if the United stars want to replicate the achievements of their ancestors by fulfilling Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous promise to bring down Liverpool this time around, the usual choice of three midfielders could inflict a defeat that will increase the belief of the base. United fans at the first opportunity. title since 2013 and a first trophy in four years.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
