Paul Pogba, France’s superstar midfielder, scored his team’s game-winning goal on Saturday. Les Bleus struggled against Australia, but pulled out a late 2-1 victory thanks to this incredible piece of play.
LET. POGBA. COOK.
It’s time to let him roam free.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
It wouldn’t have happened if Pogba didn’t make a risky, aggressive run into the box. It’s something he didn’t get the chance to do very often in this game, something that has sadly become the norm for France. Manager Didier Deschamps has a fairly conservative philosophy, and wants Pogba to be positionally disciplined.
The heatmap of where Pogba took his touches during the game, via SofaScore, is enough to make anyone who loves ambitious attacking play sad.
It doesn’t have to be this way. France can give Pogba a free role if they want, mostly because they have N’Golo Kante behind him. Kante has been the best player in the Premier League over the last three seasons. He was the best player on Leicester City and Chelsea’s title-winning teams. He can cover the same amount of space as three normal players. No one can make defensive plays like him.
One of the biggest benefits of having a player like Kante in your team is that you can let your other players take more risks, knowing that Kante can cover if they’re caught out of position. He covers up everyone else’s mistakes.
And that’s why France has no excuse for sticking Pogba in a role that requires positional discipline. He’s at his best when he has the freedom to do whatever he wants, and France has a player behind him who can cover up for any problems that creates.
Let. Pogba. Cook.
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