The Soccer Thread (Version 10)

Tottenham looked like crap in the first half and I thought Villa's 1 was going to be enough. Then the Spurs and Kane found another gear late.

 

Villa played a fine game but very visibly ran out of gas in the last 15 minutes.

 

Spurs just wore Villa down in the last 30 minutes. Totally dominated.

 

Villa got sloppy and couldn’t hold possession. At some point, the dam was going to burst.

 

My 'Orns got thrashed at home by Brighton. Not a good look. That back line was fucking putrid.

 

Well then ... did not see that hide tanning coming ... #GGMU

 

Scoreline flattered United but I really like AWB and Maguire. And when Pogba presses the gives a shit button, he can boss a game in the attacking half.

 

My picks are looking... poor.

 

Pogba is such a unique player that when he's mishandled it looks like he doesn't give a shit. It is my opinion that while he's amazingly talented, he's not very creative. Case in point: Euro 2016 finals. His assignment was obviously to dog Ronaldo across the field come what may. Ronaldo has to leave with an injury. Pogba has no idea what to do next and spent the next 80 percent of the game as a non-factor.

 

What is frustrating to me is that he is so talented but he rarely makes the simple pass. He’d rather have a defender almost steal the ball than just pass quickly. Carrick, Keane and Scholes were the masters of the 15 yard pass which allowed the next pass. Pogba wants to hit the 50 yard ball while making his defender slip.

 

It's funny how different players find different motivations in the same game, where the motivation seems like it should be winning. I can't remember who said it, but during the Women's World Cup, someone said that Tobin Heath gets more demonstrable joy from nutmegging an opponent than she does from scoring a goal. I get way more joy out of seeing a great save than a great goal. I think it's totally possible that Pogba likes doing things that don't necessarily help his team to win, and might even hurt his team's chances. Like he's wired to do the wrong thing.

 

Leeds United beat Salford City in the Carabao Cup. Beating a team that sounds like it's a county seat in the panhandle of Oklahoma totally makes up for 16 seasons in the wilderness.