Manchester United star Paul Pogba can’t escape unfair criticism from Roy Keane

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Euro 2020 will surely remain one of the great international tournaments of all time in living memory, both the quality and the excitement were there.

The best game of the competition so far, and perhaps one of the best of all time, was arguably Switzerland’s shock defeat to world champion France, which was suitably settled by a penalty shootout after finishing 3-3 in 120 minutes non-stop. blowing drama.

The best Blues player of the evening was without a doubt Paul Pogba, who was arguably the favorite for the Player of the Tournament title before his team were ruthlessly eliminated.

Although it was a catastrophic night for the French, the cast of Pogba was a sight to behold.

The Manchester United midfielder’s precise pass tore through the Swiss defense overnight, making more passes (73) than any of his teammates and with the third-best success rate (91%).

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But it was the technique and range of passes that fascinated viewers rather than their numbers. In the 21st minute, he sent a 40-yard pass over to put Kylian Mbappe in a great position to score with one touch.

In the 56th minute he set up the PSG forward again, but this time he rolled to the edge of the penalty area, sucking up all the defense before releasing his teammate in the box for a chance in gold.

In overtime, Pogba once again put Mbapp on the line with a magnificent through pass that knocked out all five of Switzerland’s full-backs, but the forward missed once again.

The 28-year-old’s piece de resistance, however, came at the end of a crazy 20-minute spell for France in which they scored three goals. He recovered a rebound from twenty yards before firing a rocket strike in the upper right corner of Yann Sommer’s net. It was a hell of a way to get his first international goal since the World Cup final in 2018.

It was on everyone’s minds as there was surely no comeback for the Swiss with 15 minutes remaining, but Hasan Seferovic scored his second header of the game soon after.

The decisive moment came in the dying seconds of regulation time, as Pogba received the ball in midfield but was stolen by Christian Fassnacht, who had come off the bench ten minutes earlier. From there, Granit Xhaka played it against Mario Gavranovic, who skinned Presnel Kimpembe before an excellent finish in front of Hugo Lloris.

Paul Pogba had a top-down game against Switzerland (Image: Mihai Barbu – Pool / Getty Images)

From that point on, it seemed fate was on Switzerland’s side, especially when Kingsley Coman’s raucous shot could only find the crossbar in the dying moments of a classic encounter.

What was to follow seemed inevitable as well, to the point that even Pogba’s superb kick and Mbappe’s miss was never going to be enough to spare the United man from the wrath of wheelchair critics online and in the cabins’ booth. experts.

As might be expected, he was excoriated on ITV, with former United General Roy Keane leading the choir.

“I would watch the goal they conceded in added time, where he was really sloppy in midfield. That’s what I would criticize,” said the Irishman.

“It sounds tough because he did brilliant stuff tonight. There’s no question about how good Paul is, but it’s just the other stuff, his maturity… he doesn’t have the discipline. [to play in a double pivot].

“Even tonight he leaves you frustrated. Despite all the shining qualities going forward, I still think he lacks discipline defensively. That’s the key. [to go to the next level].

“The best players do it week after week. Paul doesn’t do that.”

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Even Pogba’s staunchest supporter couldn’t argue that his time at United was not tinted with disappointment, as the midfielder failed to reach the kind of heights Keane is talking about. But it’s hard to see where Keane is coming from when he talks about “maturity” when that was not the problem with the game against France.

This begs the question: why is it always like this when it comes to Pogba? Why does a mistake always have to turn into a long discussion about her character?

Patrick Vieira stepped in to back Keane, saying Pogba needed a midfield partner like the Irishman to get the most out of him.

“It’s obviously frustrating because he can give a lot more than he gives to the team,” concluded the former Arsenal man.

It was an odd conclusion considering everything Pogba had given that night, in one of France’s best individual performances in a jersey since Zinedine Zidane against Brazil in the 2006 World Cup.

Paul Pogba expresses his frustration at France manager Didier Deschamps (Image: AP Photo / Vadim Ghirda, Pool)

Lack of focus and too much ball grip are elements of his game that deserve close examination. It cost United on occasion and it hurt France this week. But such moments should be kept in perspective and not be used as practical ammunition in a program against a player.

Pogba’s criticisms could be taken in good faith if there was a real analysis of what happened in the preparation of the lens, rather than reductive takes that leave no room for error or profit from the lens. doubt.

When Pogba received the ball from Karim Benzema in midfield, there were two Swiss players directly in front of him. For some reason, the top three Frenchmen were all pushed high on the pitch, despite having a slim lead, and were not available for the pass.

Barely a second after Pogba controlled the ball, Fassnacht came in from his blind side to steal it from him and give it to Xhaka. At this point, France were not in immediate danger, but their midfielder is completely exposed. With a pass, the Arsenal midfielder took N’Golo Kante out of the game and set Gavranovic in place.

Even after sitting Kimpembe down, it wasn’t an easy chance for the Dinamo Zagreb striker, but he hit him low and hard in the lower left corner of the goal just inside the box. A wonderful goal to mark a wonderful night for the Swiss, but it was a failure of the French systems, of which Pogba’s dispossession was only a part.

Of course, if Mbappe puts an end to one of the many brilliant chances that Pogba prepared him for, or scores the decisive penalty in a penalty shootout, then this conversation becomes irrelevant.

Do you think Pogba’s criticism is fair or has he become a convenient scapegoat? Have your say in the comments.

It was a game that should never have been in doubt for France when comparing the level of talent between the two teams, but Didier Deschamps made it unnecessarily difficult for his team with his team selection and his replacements.

Ultimately on Euro 2020, Pogba should come out of this tournament with his notoriety strengthened. But it shows, it will always be the same story as long as he is involved in English football. One has to ask what it will take to please the skeptics.

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