Home » Bruno Fernandes or Paul Pogba: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s greatest dilemma

Bruno Fernandes or Paul Pogba: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s greatest dilemma

by Marwan Harraz

Manchester United fans have long held the view that if the team is going to enjoy any success then getting the best out of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes would be the key to that.

However, it must be asked, is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer using the pair in the right way or did he sacrifice the wrong player for the wrong position.

For the most part, Pogba has been used deeper in comparison to Bruno and while some will say it’s merited, it’s arguably the wrong call.

Solskjaer’s preference for a 4-2-3-1 is obvious and The Peoples Person wrote an article on how he sometimes uses the wrong personnel in the formation.

In that formation, a lot of Pogba’s best qualities have been sacrificed for Bruno, so much so that some fans have called for a switch to a 4-3-3.

While that might not be the best call simply because of a lack of a pure and top defensive midfielder, it would mean the dangerous pair would be played alongside each other without sacrificing their game for one another.

However, if one had to assume a 4-2-3-1 was a must, then there’s a real case to be made to consider playing Bruno deeper instead as part of that double pivot in central midfield.

The Portuguese magician has a higher work-rate, is more willing to track back and put in a tackle, and his high-risk passes might be better suited to a deep-lying playmaker role.

His long shots would be pulled off better from that position too and Bruno is less likely of the two to lose the ball in a deeper position.

Pogba was tearing it up for Manchester United in the early parts of Solskjaer’s reign when he was playing as an attacking-midfielder and it’s worth exploring that option again.

Putting Bruno deeper isn’t as much a sacrifice as it is when the sensational Frenchman is forced deep.

Pogba would be free to roam in an attacking-midfielder role, picking apart defences higher up and his physicality would add more strength to a rather unaggressive forward line.

He also seems to lose the ball less often in a more advanced position and his tendency to drift to the left-wing wouldn’t be as costly over there, if anything it would suit Marcus Rashford cutting inside.

Bruno has certainly played remarkably well as a number 10 and it’s understandable why fans or even Solskjaer would like to keep him there but switching his role with Pogba’s is a real option to consider.

This summer’s transfer window has been one of the strangest in living memory. So cast your mind back to less stressful days and test your knowledge of past United arrivals and departures in our quiz below.


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