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The Norwegian is tempted to stick with the formation used in RB Leipzig’s 5-0 win, especially since he brought out the best in the French.
How do Manchester United get the best out of Paul Pogba?
It has been a question that many have asked at Old Trafford in recent years. It is encouraging that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has found an answer.
The Frenchman, for all his talent and skill, has had a tough couple of seasons at United, his fluctuating form marked by spells on the sidelines.
Pogba started the campaign looking slow and grumpy and then added some inflammatory comments about a possible transfer to Real Madrid into the mix, which only sparked further speculation and debate about his future at the club.
However, Solskjaer admitted that he may have rushed the 27-year-old too quickly after the midfielder contracted Covid-19 in August, resulting in Pogba being relegated to the bench for some games.
However, in his four outings since the international break, Pogba has proven to be strong when called upon and had a significant impact on last week’s victory at Paris Saint-Germain, which boosted morale, providing the assist for the Marcus Rashford winner at the Parc des Princes.
Pogba impressed again in Wednesday’s 5-0 win over RB Leipzig at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer operated a diamond in midfield that was spearheaded by summer signing Donny van de Beek, and gave Pogba the freedom he has been lacking in the former 4-2-3-1 favorite, which often has him. Go paired with Nemanja Matic in the engine room.
“Paul can do everything on a soccer field more or less,” Solskjaer said ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal. “He can play long passes, he can get into the box, he can play combinations outside the box, but I played very well against Leipzig, I have to say.
“We love seeing him as he’s moving forward and affecting the game. Since Paul has been injured for so long and then he’s sick, it’s all about getting back into shape for him now.”
“He needs to regain his sharpness because the fitter Paul is, the more he can do for us.”
Pogba’s preferred position, and where he excels, is to the left of midfield. Therefore, Solskjaer’s use of a diamond offers the most expensive signing in United history the freedom to express himself fully.
Fred is much more adept at defensive tasks than Pogba, so the Brazilian’s deployment on the right side means he can back off alongside Matic when needed.
So there is less need for Pogba to sink deeper, which in turn means that he can focus more on moving forward, as Solskjaer put it.
The benefits were there for all to see against Leipzig and were best exemplified by his sublime assist for Mason Greenwood’s first goal. Pogba was able to lunge forward and played the teenager with a perfectly weighted pass that split the defense.
Sunday’s opponents are likely to prove tougher to take down as Arsenal are playing a lot more defensively lately with Mikel Arteta in hopes of hitting the teams at halftime.
Solskjaer, then, has some tough decisions to make as he tries to figure out which formation is most likely to give United the first league win of the season at home so far.
“We have the possibility to play a 4-3-3, a diamond, a 4-2-3-1 or a 3-4-1-2,” admitted the former striker. “But it’s about execution, principles and pace of work. . They are the keys here. “
Of course, if Solskjaer got the midfield diamond, he would have to sacrifice one of his flying forwards, relegating Greenwood, Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial to the bench.
That may sound counterproductive, given how integral the trio was to United’s rise during the second half of last season, but look at the impact Rashford had as a substitute against Leipzig.
Players of that pace can rampage against tired teams, so perhaps this weekend Greenwood or Martial could make a big difference from the bench.
The bottom line is that after lamenting the lack of depth last period, Solskjaer can now keep would-be game changers in reserve.
“We see ourselves as a Man Utd team,” enthused the coach. The challenge now, of course, is to make the most of the talent at his disposal, starting with Pogba.
Now it’s your turn, Ole …
