Former Premier League star Darren Bent has highlighted Manchester United's midfield as a stepping-stone for Ole Gunnar Solskjær to turn things around. He said this following United's devastating 0-5 loss to Liverpool.
The Red Devils' midfield has been a matter of much debate in the last few weeks. Fans and pundits have criticized Solskjær for struggling to find the right balance in Manchester United's midfield.
Here's what Bent had to say on the subject:
"[Scott] McTominay and Fred I get that because people say ‘well I wouldn’t play them’ but you’ve got to play somebody. Quite clearly [Paul] Pogba doesn’t want to play that role. When I look at Pogba in terms of when he plays that holding role, his best work is either when he’s coming off of the left, or when he’s driving forward when he’s got someone like a [N’Golo] Kante next to him."
He further added:
"Pogba’s problem when he’s playing holding midfield is that he doesn’t sense danger. Now if you’re a holding midfield player, you’d always be looking at the positions on the pitch thinking ‘right if he loses the ball there, am I in a position to affect it’.
'It’s always like what happens next but when Pogba’s got the ball and he’s playing that holding role, when he’s going forward he’s not thinking about ‘well if I turn the ball over here, what’s going on behind me?’ because he just doesn’t want to play that role."
Manchester United gaffer Ole Gunnar Solskjær benched Paul Pogba for the game against Liverpool
Pogba started on the bench against Liverpool in what was seen as a big decision by the United manager. The Frenchman was brought on in the second half, but the damage had already been done.
Liverpool had already scored four goals past United's backline. Pogba came on for Manchester United, but was sent off for a horrible foul on Naby Keita which saw the midfielder stretched off the field.
Pogba's cameo ended in just 15 minutes as he was shown a red card after VAR overturned the referee's decision for a yellow card.
Manchester United had slipped out of the top four after their 2-4 loss to the Foxes. Despite their Champions League triumph against Atlanta, Solskjær's side has looked devoid of any creativity.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been given a few games to showcase his true mettle. The board has apparently shown a bit of faith in the Norwegian manager. However, Manchester United's subsequent fixtures, like the next one on Saturday against Tottenham Hotspur, will more or less decide Solskjær's fate.