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PAUL POGBA

Pogba: What is the Real Madrid target's best position?

The Man Utd man has played in a range of roles, performing best in Max Allegri and Didier Deschamps' Juve and France set-ups, respectively.

Pogba, en el partido de cuartos de final de la Champions ante el Barcelona.
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Under Mourinho at Man Utd:

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Paul Pogba never felt fully comfortable in José Mourinho's Manchester United team. The Red Devils' former manager tended to field Pogba as one of a two-man partnership anchoring the midfield, often alongside someone like Marouane Fellaini - a player who, like the France international, also relishes getting forward. As a result, Pogba was left with less freedom to drive into attacking areas, and was often forced to hold a more rigid, deeper-lying position.

Under Solskjaer at Man Utd:

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United's decision to sack Mourinho saw Pogba freed of his defensive responsibilities, with replacement Ole Gunnar Solskaer opting to cover the 26-year-old's back by placing either one or two sitting midfielders next to him. This allows Pogba to make the most of his physical prowess, striding up and down the pitch and pushing into dangerous positions in and around the box. Against Barcelona, he had Scott McTominay and Fred protecting him in the middle of the park.

At the World Cup with France:

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At the World Cup in Russia, Didier Deschamps set up his France side in a way that certainly got the best out of Pogba, who played alongside N'Golo Kanté at the base of the engine room and could rely on the Chelsea man to mind the shop while he bombed forward. On the left-hand side of the midfield, meanwhile, Blaise Matuidi also made sure to be ready to step in and cover for his team-mate.

Under Allegri at Juventus:

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Max Allegri's appointment as Juventus boss in 2014 saw the Bianconeri switch to a 4-4-2 diamond formation, with Pogba tucked in behind the strikers at the forward tip of the midfield. It is the role in which the Frenchman has produced the best and most consistent form of his career to date. Given licence to roam, he would frequently drift to the left and burst into shooting positions.