World Soccer

Neymar Should Go to Paris Saint-Germain and Leave Messi’s Shadow

by

Neymar Should Go to Paris Saint-Germain and Leave Messi’s Shadow

Lionel Messi is holding Neymar back at Barcelona. Despite all the benefits of playing with Messi, Neymar doesn’t have the freedom to really play his game while playing alongside the world’s best player.

Messi likes to cut inside from the right and occupy the center of the attack behind Luis Suárez, and this prevents Neymar from occupying this same zone where he can orchestrate the attack and score more goals. The counter argument to this is that Neymar and Messi display a free-flowing style of combination play that creates lots of goals, but Neymar always has to defer to Messi.

When Neymar plays with Brazil, he’s a team player just like he is with Barcelona, but Neymar doesn’t have to limit his involvement and impact like he does with Barcelona. As long as Neymar plays with Messi, he’ll have to mostly stay on the left side of the field and stay out of Messi’s way.The Brazilian has shown that he can play with another superstar and that he keeps a good attitude while deferring to another player, but now is the time to lead his own European club team. Anyone of Neymar’s ability would look to play for a big team where he can be the primary attacking weapon and lead the team. This doesn’t make Neymar selfish or greedy. Messi just turned 30 years old, and he will likely be playing at a world-class and elite level until he is 35. This would be five more years of Neymar toning down his impact and flair to defer to Messi.

Going to Paris Saint-Germain would be an excellent move for Neymar because he would be able to be the Number 10 for a team full of other elite talents. PSG has an outstanding group of defenders and great midfielders would be provide Neymar with a complete team, and this sort of switch would be great for European football. It would distribute more of the truly elite talent away from just two teams: Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Neymar should transfer to PSG for his own interests. At PSG, Neymar has a better chance of winning the Ballon d’Or and continuing to improve his game. As long as Neymar plays with Messi, Neymar can’t play the Number 10 role, and he has less touches on the ball. Neymar is a Number 10, and he can’t truly play this role while being married to the left side of the field at Barcelona.

Leaving Messi was inevitable for the Brazilian. Messi is still in his prime, and staying at Barcelona for five more years as Messi’s second in command would be a bad choice for Neymar. Neymar is much better than he gets credit for, but no one is really going to know that as long as he has to only show 70% of his ability while playing with Messi.

Under Coach Tite Brazil Is Back

by

Tite Revives the Seleção with New Tactics

Brazil’s new boss, Tite, changed Brazil’s lineup and formation in a brilliant way. He used three central midfielders knowing that Brazil’s famous outside backs would provide plenty of width in the attack while Neymar and Coutinho up top gave the team plenty of creation and free-floating attackers to score and pass.

Let’s not forget that Brazil have found a new Number 9 in Gabriel Jesus. Brazilian soccer had been devoid of dangerous center forwards until Palmeiras’ and now Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus emerge as an excellent striker. Brazil hadn’t had an exciting center forward in years, but now the Seleção has one.

Tite separated himself from his predecessors by starting Coutinho as well, rather than starting Douglas Costa and Willian. Those are two great attacking midfielders or wingers, but Coutinho is a more creative attacking midfielder who is even harder to contain. Tite set both Neymar and Coutinho loose to play as Number 10s or wingers as they saw fit, and both know how to play free-flowing football.

With Casemiro injured,  Fernandinho, Paulinho, and Renato August proved to be a winning trio of central midfielders where Fernandinho played as the defensive midfielder, Paulinho played as the box-to-box midfielder, and Renato Augusto played as an attacking midfielder. Of course the team was really built around Neymar and Coutinho running the attack with Gabriel Jesus being a dream of a center forward. Without Gabriel Jesus, the team’s roles might have lacked enough definition, and he allowed Neymar and Coutinho to play in their preferred roles.

The most surprising thing about Tite as coach of the Seleção is that by going with a formation and a lineup that looked more defensive because it had three central midfielders he was actually taking Brazil back to free-flowing, attacking, and creative soccer. Tite must have decided than Coutinho was too good not to start in an attacking role with Neymar, and Coutinho brings more to the team than Willian and Douglas Costa.

Brazil is back to dominating South American soccer, and the Seleção also appear to be the best team in the world again. Germany, Italy, France, and Argentina will always be Brazil’s biggest competition, but Brazil is back to be the national team par excellence under Tite.

 

Italy Wrong to Omit Mario Balotelli Again

by

Italy Wrong to Omit Mario Balotelli Again

Mario Balotelli’s reputation for misbehavior and some lack of maturity is really more of a media construct than a reality. Italy’s coach Giampiero Ventura left Balotelli off its most recent World Cup qualifying roster, but Balotelli has performed excellently for Italy in the past when it really mattered.

Italy is of course always open to recalling Balotelli, but it seems that Balotelli’s excellent form for Nice in Ligue 1 is being minimized due to minor comical incidents in the past that don’t matter.

It makes sense to contend that only two months of consistent, excellent form isn’t that much, but Italy doesn’t really have any other center forwards of Balotelli’s quality and experience. It’s also important to remember that Balotelli is a big-game player who really delivers under pressure. While Zaza can lead the line and Ciro Immobile is a talented striker, the thing about Balotelli is that he’s a world-class talent who really can score on anyone at any time.

The striker’s current form and goal-scoring rate more than merit a national team call-up for at least a back-up striker position. With Balotelli, one gets the sense that harmless, funny anecdotes about Balotelli are blown way of proportion. It’s a shame that Balotelli constantly has his past held against him. Currently, Balotelli is scoring a game per game for an excellent team in Nice, and an Italy selection based on current form and performances is warranted.

Additionally, there’s a strong argument that any possibility of Balotelli picking up a silly card is far outweighed by his ability to win games and score for Italy. Like other Italy coaches, Ventura was quick to say that no one has ever doubted Balotelli’s technical ability and overall quality as a player, but Balotelli’s two-month run of excellent form is still deemed to be not long enough. Maybe not starting Balotelli for Italy is a justifiable position, but not even having him as a center forward option off the bench comes off as being too confident in Italy’s ability to easily qualify from their group.

Good reports about Balotelli’s behavior from Nice should shift the focus back to Balotelli’s actual abilities. As a player, the Italian striker is excellent stretching the defense, holding up play, finishing with both feet, beating players 1v1, and taking and scoring off set pieces. Balotelli is an amazing athlete with world-class technical skill who doesn’t need to be told to aggressively attack the goal. More than a goal-scorer, Balotelli is a complete player who can quickly combine with his teammates with short 1-2 touch passes, and he can pass over distance and unlock defense. Matteo Bonetti of beIN Sports has often pointed out how Balotelli’s passing ability and style of play perhaps makes him more of a second striker than a Number 9, and this is another example of Balotelli’s range of skills.

A return to international soccer for the Italian would be good for Italy and good for the sport, as Balotelli is the type of player who brings quality and magic to the game. No matter how soon Balotelli returns to the Italy squad, he needs to continue his great form with Nice so criticisms of his behavior and mentality are a thing of the past.

 

Time for Neymar to step out of the Messi Shadow

by

Time for Neymar to step out of the Messi Shadow

After losing a match to Manchester City in the Champions League, Barcelona has been underperforming, and somebody on the team needs to make up for this. Neymar is one player who can look to be even more impactful in order to inspire his teammates because, while Barcelona is famous for its attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Luís Suárez, and Neymar, people think of Messi when they think of Barcelona.

One of the things that makes Neymar a world-class player is his ability to play in and for a team. While Neymar is arguably the most technically-skilled player in the world, even more so than the untouchable Lionel Messi, Neymar knows how to play within a team framework and improve his teammates. The same cannot really be said of Cristiano Ronaldo.

To be fair to Neymar, he doesn’t really defer too much to Messi, but he should view himself as good or better than Messi. Messi himself would play as good or better with a more assertive Neymar, so Neymar’s looking to dominate games more wouldn’t impede Messi from continuing to play more or less the same.

Messi loves to cut in from the right wing, and Neymar has been really impressive when he’s played more centrally, even if playing out left is where he has normally played. Messi’s game is all about his left foot, and Neymar is a truly two-footed player, who uses his weaker left foot to dribble, pass, and shoot.

Andrés Iniesta is injured, and this presents an opportunity for Neymar to claim the role as Barcelona’s primary playmaker. Let Messi play out to the right and continue to cut inside onto his left foot; this doesn’t stop Neymar from playing centrally behind Luís Suárez and Messi.

In a soccer world dominated by Messi and Ronaldo, the fact that Neymar possesses a better skill-set than both goes under the radar. Neymar could be said to be a combination of a Number 10 player and a Number 11, and this makes his game extremely versatile where he can focus on playmaker or focus on playing off of a center forward. If an opponent looks to shut down Neymar’s scoring, then he can focus on setting up his teammates to score.

Maybe it would be better for Neymar to play for a different team, but even without leaving Barcelona, there is room for Neymar to boss games more than he does. Neymar can beat virtually any opponent – or crowds of opponents- off the dribble, and Neymar can destroy defenses with his passing as well. As a goal-scorer Neymar is prolific, and he scores with both feet and his head.

As Barcelona’s play features Messi, Suárez, and Neymar combining together, any improvement in Neymar’s play and work-rate just results in the other two playing better as well, but Neymar needs to make more of an effort to no longer just be Messi’s sidekick because Neymar is too good to accept this role.

Neymar is an electrifying player who is arguably the world’s most skilled player and the world’s best 1v1 dribbling because of his arsenal of tricks and fakes, and he should look to lead Barcelona just as he leads Brazil.

Pogba Early Leader for PFA Player of the Year

by

Paul Pogba is the early leader for the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year Award 

Paul Pogba has an early lead for the Professional Footballers Association’s award for Player of the Season in the English Premier League. In his first two games back with Manchester United after the same club hilariously let him go to Juventus for free, Pogba has looked like a professional playing an exhibition game against amateurs. A British pundit commented that Pogba looked like the best kid on the school playground dominating all of the other kids.

If Pogba weren’t so effective, he could almost be accused of playing too selfishly, but he’s involving his teammates too much to accuse him of this. His ability to dribble through crowds and embarrass opponents with the ball at his feet gives him free license to play the way that he’s playing. His individual play has been very effective because when he has the ball Manchester United is constantly getting in scoring positions. He has played so well that his teammates have all adapted to just letting him run the show. Even Ibrahimovic has been playing in his trademark style without getting in Pogba’s way.

The only minor critique that could be made of Pogba is that he’s not utilizing his left foot enough, but his technique and ability with his left foot have already been on display plenty of times. Pogba should use his left foot more since greats like Zinedine Zidane, Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and so many others used both feet to dominate opponents and win titles and awards.

Although Pogba’s ability as a two-way midfielder is so impressive, it’s difficult to not focus on his dribbling brilliance. Only Neymar, Lionel Messi, and few others are better 1v1 dribblers than Pogba, and Pogba also shields the ball so well that opponents frequently can’t even get close to the ball when Pogba is static with the ball.

Pogba was always expected to be outstanding in the EPL, but he has been embarrassing opponents so far. Once Manchester United face off against better opponents, Pogba will likely have to dribble less and pass sooner, but that’s not a problem for him.

 

The Luxury Player Fallacy

by

The Luxury Player Fallacy

The attacking midfielder or Number 10 shirt is often the most decisive and important player on any soccer team. Having a true Number 10 gives a team a player who can decide the game with one inspired or magical play. In major tournaments, having a gifted playmaker gives a team an edge over a team without one.

Often this type of playmaker is labeled a “luxury player” by many people. The accusation being that this type of player is surplus to requirements for not being a player who contributes much defensively or one who puts the ball in the back of the net. The problem with this mentality is that this supposedly luxury player is vital to linking the midfield to the attack and creating goals. Goals are the most important thing in soccer, and having a playmaker puts the primary goalscorer in the position to have more scoring opportunities.

Players like Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane, Diego Maradona, and Pelé have always separated their team from the others. At the highest levels of soccer, every team has technical and athletic players at every position, and only the magicians and grandmasters can break the deadlock. Besides the Number 10 players, a prolific center forward like Brazil’s Ronaldo is the other most valuable player. Of course, every position is vital and valuable, but finding a Number 10 and a Number 9 is the hardest thing for a coach.

In the last two World Cup Finals in 2010 and 2014, we saw two Number 10s decide the game with goals themselves. Andrés Iniesta, an absolutely legendary Number 10, scored the winning goal in 2010 for Spain. In 2014, Mario Götze, another Number 10 who is often left on the bench by coaches for being a luxury player, scored the winning goal for Germany. It was a goal that only an absolute master could have scored. There was no time to think before he struck the ball and no angle to beat the goalkeeper, but he scored anyway. So the last two World Cups were decided by Number 10s, and we still hear these players called “luxury players.”

With eleven players on a side and normally almost seven players designated as defensive players, it makes little sense for one of the remaining four players to not be an attacking midfielder or playmaker. How else will a team unlock the defense, connect the midfield to the attack, and score goals? You can’t really expect the ball to make its way to the striker or strikers with a midfield stuffed with defensive midfielders.

Too many coaches and teams continue to push this mentality of the “luxury player” and the game of soccer suffers as a result of it. There is a direct connection between technical skill and winning.

Who Should France start at Euro 2016?

by

Who Should France start at Euro 2016?

Les Bleus have a stellar and deep roster. France produces the best footballers along with Brazil and Argentina, and this French generation is full of world-class players. From Raphaël Varane to Paul Pogba, France is an amazing squad, and Antoine Griezmann has gone from being elite in recent years to being a world-beater this season.

Didier Deschamps and France use a 4-3-3 formation, but and it’s possible the Front Three could be somewhat narrow on paper with Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann deployed as playmakers behind a center forward.

At goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris is the regular starter for France, but Steven Mandanda is an impresser goalkeeper who was injured during the 2014 World Cup. Lloris has been the French goalkeeper since the 2014 World Cup, but Mandanda is fresh off winning Goalkeeper of the Year in Ligue 1.

At right back, Bacary Sagna has to be the starter. No younger right back has proven that they should start over the Manchester City right back, and Sagna is far from over the hill.

Raphaël Varane (the world’s best center back along with Thiago Silva) will be one of the starting center backs, and his center back partner was supposed to be Kurt Zouma who suffered a knee injury earlier in 2016. A Zouma-Varane pairing would have been a sight to see and arguably the best central defense pairing in the world. Now either Laurent Koscielny or Eliaquim Mangala will partner with Varane.

At left back, Patrice Evra is more than up to the task, and he enjoyed another great season with Juventus. Lucas Digne is the Roma left back, and he’s a younger player than Evra. Still, Evra doesn’t appear to be a liability due to his age. People tend to write off footballers once they reach 30, but there is a lot of evidence that age is really just a number.

The French Midfield Three should be Paul Pogba, Lassana Diarra, and Blaise Mautidi, but it’s possible that N’Golo Kante could possibly start over Big Bad Blaise. It’s also possible that Kante could start over Diarra, but both Diarra and Kante are defensive midfielders that all of the top European clubs want. Kante can play as a defensive midfielder or as a Number 8, but Matuidi deserves his due as a world-class Number 8.

The French attack should be Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet play deeper and/or wide of some central forward. Karim Benzema was left off the squad for his behavior, so Anthony Martial could be the center forward unless Deschamps goes with the duller options of Olivier Giroud or André-Pierre Gignac who are both essentially big bruisers. Martial is actually a lot more muscular, taller, and more physical player than he gets credit for as a skill player. Make no mistake. Martial is a skill player whose technical ability is light-years beyond that of Giroud or Gignac who are capable strikers.

 

Below is the French lineup that we could see starting in the Euro Cup now called the dumb name of “UEFA Euro 2016”:

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris/Steven Mandanda

Right Back: Bacary Sagna

Center Back: Raphaël Varane

Center Back: Eliaquim Mangala

Left Back: Patrice Evra

Right Midfielder: Paul Pogba

Central Midfielder: Lassana Diarra

Left Midfielder: Blaise Matuidi

Right Forward: Antoine Griezmann

Center Forward: Anthony Martial

Left Forward: Dimitri Payet

Raphaël Varane Key for Real Madrid in Champions League Final

by

Raphaël Varane Key for Real Madrid in Champions League Final

While Sergio Ramos and Pepe are dirty, dirty butchers, Raphaël Varane is an artist and surgeon of a central defender. Comparing Varane to the classless hackers and divers that are Ramos and Pepe is insulting.

Varane defends better than Ramos and Pepe. Varane is a better ball-winning and ball-playing center back than Ramos and Pepe. Varane is more technically-skilled than Ramos and Pepe, and Varane is faster and quicker than Ramos and Pepe.

Varane is possibly the best defender in world football. He’s mabe even better than Thiago Silva, the gold standard for defenders. Zinedine Zidane was pivotal in Varane coming to Real Madrid as a teenager from France, so it’s suprising that Zidane has favored Pepe and Ramos in the center of the defense. Basically nobody that follows soccer believes that Ramos and Pepe are better than Varane, which makes it very strange that a soccer grandmaster like Zidane has made Varane sit on the bench.

For Real Madrid to win the Champions League Final over Atlético de Madrid, it will be crucial that Varane starts in the center of the defense, so that he will not be goaded into hacking Atlético’s attackers. Either Pepe or Ramos will have to start with Varane in the final, but only having one reduce the chance of a yellow or red card. Given how well fellow Frenchman Antoine Griezmann has been playing, a more graceful and athletic central defender like Varane is a smart decision for the final.

Looking toward the Champions League Final, Zidane must make the correct decision and start Casemiro as the defensive midfielder and Varane as one of the two center backs. Atlético de Madrid’s excitable coach Diego Simeone will be looking to make the Champions League Final an ugly affair full of hacking and diving, and Varane can reduce the likelihood of both Real Madrid center backs being carded in the Final.

With that being said, it bears mentioning that Varane does not like Simeone. Varane has spit plenty of verbals at Simeone during games, and he has also purposely kicked the ball into Simeone on the sideline.

Whereas Ramos and Pepe commit more cardworthy offenses, Varane seems to understand how to goad Simeone into crazier and crazier behavior.

Perhaps the 2016 Champions League Final will be the game where Varane cements his status as the world’s best center back with his electric speed, effortless skill, and graceful and dominating defending.

Seven Snubs from the Seleção Copa America Centenario Roster

by

Seven Snubs from the Seleção Copa America Centenario Roster

Dunga’s Brazil roster for the 2016 Copa America Centenario was good enough, but several players were criminally snubbed from the roster while other snubs were less criminal.

Coaches everyone in world soccer seem to be making bizarre roster and lineup decisions, and these range from Pep Guardiola’s nonsensical Bayern Munich lineups to Jürgen Klinsmann’s misguided coaching decisions for the United States.

Here are Dunga’s snubs from the Brazilian National Team (Seleção):

Thiago Silva (Center Back – Paris Saint-Germain)

Thiago Silva is still the best center back in the world, and he is also the best defender in general in the world. This snub is clearly personal. Any defender can become the scapegoat for a loss or goal, but the snubbing of Thiago Silva is unforgiveable. This is a clear case of a coach rating himself too highly, and it’s a clear case of a coach on a shameless power trip. There’s no universe where Gil or Rodrigo Caio are better than Thiago Silva.

Marcelo (Left Back – Real Madrid)

Marcelo and David Alaba are the best left backs in the world, and for however good Douglas Santos is, he isn’t more deserving than Marcelo and Alex Sandro. It would have made sense if Marcelo and Filipe Luís made the Seleção roster but not Alex Sandro, but it doesn’t make sense than both Marcelo and Alex Sandro were excluded. The Real Madrid left back is a force of nature that has a hugely positive impact on games.

Danilo (Right Back – Real Madrid)

The argument can be made that Dunga snubbed both the starting right back and the starting left back of Real Madrid from the Brazil roster, and that statement already calls into question Dunga’s coaching abilities. Dani Carvajal is sometimes the starting right back for Real Madrid over Danilo, but Danilo is an impressive right back full of non-stop running and excellent two-way play. As a right back, Danilo also has an excellent left foot, and he’s capable of cutting inside toward the penalty box in attack and scoring. Danilo’s speed and overal skill-set make him hard to get past, but Fabinho is an impressive and versatile right back in his own right. Both players are quality, but Danilo is above Fabinho right now.

Lucas (Forward/Wing- Paris Saint-Germain)

Snubbing Lucas wasn’t as bad as the Thiago Silva and Marcelo snubs. Lucas deserved to make the roster, but so did the other players that made the roster instead of him, except for Hulk. At his best, Lucas is unplayable, and he plays on both the right and left wings. Lucas’s 1v1 abilities are world-class, and he isn’t a consistent starter for Paris Saint-Germain only because of Laurent Blanc’s obsession with playing Edinson Cavani, a center forward, as a wing. Snubbing Lucas is understandable given the fact that Hulk can play as a center forward and the fact that Willian, Douglas Costa, and Coutinho are all playing better. Nevertheless, one has to wonder why Hulk and Ricardo Oliveira are on the roster over Roberto Firmino and Lucas. Even if he isn’t starting for Milan, it would make more sense to have Luiz Adriano on the roster over Hulk and to give Lucas a roster spot.

Roberto Firmino (Forward/Attacking Midfielder-Liverpool)

Roberto Firmino isn’t exclusively a center forward, but he has shown well there for Liverpool. He’s proven to be full of running in his off the ball movement and pressing of the defense, and Firmino can score with both feet and his head. Firmino can stretch the defense or combine with teammates, and he can score and create. While Firmino can play any attacking position, he isn’t a False Nine, but rather he can play as a legit Number 9. If Firmino had been on the roster with Gabigol, then Dunga could have been said to be making a real attempt to improve the Number 9 spot for Brazil.

Allan (Central Midfielder-Napoli)

Allan is the type of Number 8 or segundo volante that the Seleção traditionally try to start, but it makes sense to have Elias and Renato Augusto on the roster. The Napoli midfielder provides plenty of ball-winning and attacking forays in Serie A, but his exclusion is a case of two other capable players being selected instead of him. Still, Allan played too well for Napoli to not make the roster. A strong argument can be made that his play in Serie A was more deserving of a roster spot than Elias’ and Renato Augusto’s play domestically in Brazil. Nothing wrong with Elias and Renato Augusto, but Allan got a raw deal here.

Felipe Anderson (Attacking Midfielder/Forward-Lazio)

Felipe Anderson has been designated as an Olympic team player for this summer, but several other players will be selected for both the Copa America Centenario roster and the Olympic roster. The attacking midfielder and wing positions are the deepest for Brazil, but Felipe Anderson is an amazing attacking midfielder that plays in Serie A and plays wide or centrally. It’s fair to say that Felipe Anderson is better than Lucas Lima, who is widely praised in Brazil and a target for Europe’s top clubs. The argument can be made that Brazil’s six best attacking midfielders and/or wings are Neymar, Willian, Douglas Costa, Felipe Anderson, Lucas, and Coutinho. On this roster, Rafinha, Lucas Lima, and Hulk all made the roster while Felipe Anderson and Lucas did not. A questionable decision.

 

Paul Pogba, Technical Master

by

Paul Pogba, Technical Master

Paul Pogba should be praised more for his technique and creativity, but his physique and athleticism often receive more commentary from journalists and commentators.

The French midfielder is already a master with the ball, but he should use his left foot more. Pogba does have an excellent left foot, and using it more frequently would make him more effective and more unpredictable. Every year, Pogba has displayed more ability to beat multiple defenders off the dribble, and this is just one example of how his skill-set is much more advanced than he gets credit for.

A complete midfielder would be a better description of Pogba than an athletic and physically imposing midfielder. Pogba isn’t a player that can be categorized easily because he’s a Number 8 midfielder that also plays like a Number 10. At Juventus, Paulo Dybala is deployed as a second striker or trequartista, so this makes Pogba less of a Number 10 than his Number 10 jersey suggests. As a Number 8, Pogba is free to defend when he sees fit and attack and create when he sees fit. Raving about Pogba’s physical gifts is warranted, but his technique and skill are equally as praiseworthy.

The French midfielder will continue to improve his ability to control games, and that’s what Pogba brings to his teams: the ability to take over and win games. It would be a shame to see Pogba go to Barcelona and Real Madrid if that meant that his game was stifled or forced into some cookie cutter mold. With Barcelona or Real Madrid, Pogba would likely be forced to defer too much to other teammates. It’s important to defer or take charge as situations demand, but being forced to a deferential role over some South American player would be a waste of Pogba’s talent.

Pogba should be allowed to lead his team even if there were more than one leader, but Pogba’s skill shouldn’t be undervalued just to have a hardworking midfielder. Juventus values Pogba, and any description of Pogba where his physique and athleticism are mentioned without mentioning his masterful skill are incomplete and biased descriptions.

The French midfielder has a rubberband-like flexibility like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and that ability allows Pogba to deftly control the ball in almost any situation. In addition to being a master of controlling the ball, Pogba is also an expert shielder of the ball, and he often makes defenders look helpless as they try to take the ball off him.

To go along with the dribbling, control, physicality, and running, the French midfielder is also a world-class passer and dead ball specialist, and these qualities make him a player with no real weaknesses. He can beat you off the dribble or beat you with passes, and the goal is under threat when Pogba is within 45 meters of it.

Who knows why journalist Mina Rzouki makes a point of always highlighting Pogba’s physicality while taking subliminal shots at his footballing mind and technical skill? This characterization of Pogba is way off base and fails to accurately describe the player.

The Ballon d’Or is certainly a possibility for Pogba, and he is the best midfielder in world football.