Pogba vs Mkhitaryan

[donlos]

HI all,

First post, so be nice to the fish

Just as some people are in doubt that LuKaKu will hit the ground running, i have a feeling that Pogba could need a couple of games in before he delivers. Thus needing a Man U player, in my squad i sort of like the thought of putting Mkhitaryan instead of Pogba. Mkhitaryan started playing really well before an injury set him back last year, and everybody that saw his last season in Dortmund know what i talk about. He could be the one that hit the ground running! It's obviously a bit of a gamble, but assuming everybody would pick Pogba, i might go with Mkhitaryan, as i see some value if Pogba fails. What are people thoughts?

Best
Tobias

[Sutter Kane]

Welcome to FISO.

Mcki scored and assisted recently in a 2-1 win. Not that friendlies mean a lot. If he's a regular, could be absolute gold with his previous goal/assist record.

Having said that there's no doubt if Pogba is allowed to roam forward, he can be equally devastating. At 8mn I think one of these players will be in our squads at some point. So in answer to your question, I don't know.

[Zimmerman]

So it's just a hunch Pogba will start slowly and a hunch Mkhy will start well.

Fortune favours the brave as we say.

It pays off, you get an advantage. It doesn't pay off and youre trailing a lot more people.

For Mkhy to prosper he presumably needs deploying in the same role as he had Dortmund; something we did see fleetingly last season. Will depend if Jose wants to free him up or not.

[Baerardi]

Pogba's stats at least showed potential to improve from an FPL perspective last season. Mkhy's didn't. Pogba more likely to be in an advanced role next year whilst Mkhy probably will not get the same role as he had at Dortmund for the second season running.

Only one choice for me. But it wouldn't be the first wrong call I've made on FPL.

[Gambit]

the big advantage for Pogba is security, JM has "untouchables", he had them at Chelsea, and he's getting them at United too.

Valencia, Pogba, Ibra (pre injury). Lukaku will be one too, players who will play and play.

I like Mkhitaryan, he's a very talented player, arguably the most naturally gifted player United have (not counting Ibra), but there is serious competition for his place, the likes of - Mata, Lingard, Rashford, Martial, can all threaten him.

Pogba is the safer choice, he will play nearly every game, and was very unlucky not to score more last year, and having Lukaku to run in behind should help his assist tally.

I think Mkhitaryan will have a very good season, and could be gold at 8m, but at the start of the FPL season, where there are so many unknowns anyway, I think I favour the security of Pogba.

[donlos]

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes at the end of the day it is just a hunch and the security argument is quite strong and i agree with it, in the long run Pogba would also be in the bank vs, MK. But since Man U beginning schedule are probably the best of all the good teams, playing Mkhitaryan over Pogba makes sense, since they will attack more. If they started out with many away games and versus strong opponents i would play Pogba, but MK could be Wildcarded out after GW3-6 if he started in.

Best
Tobias

[Ruth_NZ]

Gambit's assessment is very good I think.

I expect to start with Lukaku plus one of the two. My preference is Mkhi but it all depends on my reading about his likelihood of starting the early games of the season. And that's something I won't assess for another 3 weeks yet. I don't mind Pogba if not.

[Gambit]

both played v City, and at times it was Mkhitaryan behind Lukaku & Rashford.

They both got an assist and looked lively, If Mkhitaryan could attain the same level of security as Pogba he would edge him out of my team I think.

I'd like to have them both but that's probably overkill + I'm on Lukaku and want a United defender so will have to be one or the other.

Still early in pre season but if Mkhitaryan can keep this form up he will start the season.

[boise1234]

Mkhitaryan for me if I had to pick between him and Pogba as think he is the more attcking of the two and think he will be a regular this year (just a hunch) but think William at 7m is better value than either and Coutinho at 9m will outscore both....

[KingMaalik]

I have Mkhi locked in my team... so yeah i agree with you.

[Skrtel]

Mkhita is a really good player that could be FPL gold if playing behind the striker or out wide. Pogba might be to take in consideration if Utd sign Matic so that he get's play in a more advanced role, if not, then Mkhita is my first choice of the two for sure.

[Zimmerman]

I keep seeing this.

Did Pogba play deep last season?
I don't understand this angle of thought.

Pogba isn't going to displace the likes of Mkhy, Mata, Lingard, Martial or Rashford (positionally).

All it means is Matic plays instead of Fellaini, Carrick or Herrera.

[Stemania]

If one of them gets a regular advanced role near Lukaku then I'm interested. The problem with Mkhi seems to be that Mourinho keeps going off him for periods of time then trusting him again. Would love him to play every week as he looks a good player.

Did Pogba play deep last season?

Many games he played as one of the two deep pivots in a 4231 I recall, and I think he (and we) would much prefer him in a 433 (equiv 4141) as one of the more attacking CMs. Unfortunately a 433 doesn't look as good for Mkhi's prospects of regularly starting as he's better in the hole than as a squarer peg out wide.

It could be that Mourinho keeps switching between 433 and 4231 leading to both players suffering a similar fate to last season.

[Zimmerman]

I'd disagree. He played as a good old fashioned CM

[Ruth_NZ]

Yeah, I agree with Stemania, so much depends on team structure here. If United start to play 3-5-2 more often then I think that could help Pogba a lot (and he did hit the woodwork 9 or 10 times last season anyway so his stats may be a bit misleading). I am also somewhat persuaded that no Zlatan may help him - Zlatan tended to want ball to feet and that compressed the space Pogba could run into. Lukaku (or maybe even Lukaku/Rashford as a pair) will offer much more in terms of the threat in behind the opposition defence and that could well create more room for Pogba.

It's kind of an awkward conundrum because I am rather inclined to start with 3 United players in GW1, one of which would be Pogba/Mkhi. But the possible arrival of Perisic could complicate the picture still further.

[Stemania]

Aye Zimmerman, it could be that in practice the two roles were for all intents and purposes the same due to the way Pogba plays (either the more adventurous of a sitting two in the midfield triangle or the less offensive of the forward two in the inverted triangle). At some point I might have a little look at difference in the stats he posted in the two 'nominally different' roles, depending on which formation was officially recorded.

The woodwork thing is indeed a promising stat. A 352 would certainly perk my ears in the Valencia direction too (and make me more interested in finding who the regular LB/LWB will be).

[SFC_Fan]

Wait and see for me with both of them. They could both be great value, either could easily get 10+ goals and 10+ assists this season but it's too much of a gamble at 8m with players like Willian and Zaha for 1m less

[Skrtel]

Pogba would be able to play almost like a second striker, like a deep lying Zlatan in a combined nr 10 role and target player and be the main focal point in the attacking play. If he does, then I might use him. Last season he didn't play that advanced, in my opinion.

[Carlb5253]

Mkhitaryan for me, expecting a big season from him.

[ClaudeRains]

If I had to choose it would be Pogba.

Guaranteed start v player with more potential to score points due to his creativity.

Start of the season it has to be boots on the pitch

[thebillfella]

Not quite - the guaranteed starter is Pogba but Mkhitaryan has more potential to score points due to his creativity when he plays.

Here lies the quandary - if Jose plays a 4-2-3-1 or diamond 4--4-2 then this suits Mkhitaryan in the no. 10 role but Jose will also play 4-3-3 and on occasions 3-5-2 which will give Pogba more opportunity and make Mkhitaryan more likely to be rotated or played for only 60 mins (actually with the creative players on the bench he probably won't complete 90 mins very often at all). 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other I'm afraid.

[Gambit]

Mkhitaryan scored tonight and had a good 1st half, Pogba played well but didn't get forward as much as I'd like considering Matic played (lost the link a few times so may have missed some things).

I think there may be another player to add to this debate from what I've seen the last couple of games - Martial, he was electric when he came on and looked good in America too.

Doubt I will be brave enough to pick him but if JM gives an indication that he will start the first game I may just take the gamble.

[FatRonaldo]

Mkhitaryan for me.

Remember ahead of his move last season he scored 11 goals and got 15 assists for Dortmund.

He seems to reapproaching this form.

[blahblah]

He seems to reapproaching this form.

Care to explain this as it is the 2nd of August with his last proper match however many months ago?

[Gambit]

in the game tonight, Mkhitaryan was almost up alongside Lukaku:

Smalling-Lindelof-Blind
Valencia-Peiria-Matic-Pogba-Darmian
Lukaku-Mkhitaryan

You would think that in the normal 4-3-3 it would be

Herrera-Matic-Pogba
Mkhitaryan-Lukaku-Martial

Rashford, Mata, Lingard will challenge those either side of Lukaku in the 4-3-3

and with the 3-5-2 then Rashford/Martial could feature up with Lukaku

The pre-season games have reinforced my view that Pogba is by far the safest as regardless of shape he will play. Martial/Mkhitaryan both far more exciting though, I also like the fact they have just 1.2% and 5.2% ownership compared to 20+% for Pogba.

[Droughton]

Pogba

Top 10 mids averaged 4 times hitting woodwork, Pogba was way out in the lead at 9 so it's fair to say add 25 points to last season tally... 140. Looks better but still not 8m worth considering Zaha + Wiji beat that @ 7.0

However his early fixtures are great so I'll happily pick him for the start

[yttod1010]

Neither for me

[hancockjr]

Pogba

Top 10 mids averaged 4 times hitting woodwork, Pogba was way out in the lead at 9 so it's fair to say add 25 points to last season tally... 140. Looks better but still not 8m worth considering Zaha + Wiji beat that @ 7.0

However his early fixtures are great so I'll happily pick him for the start

Surely if he hit 9 and 4 is normal then we should assume 5 don't hit the post. Assuming half go wide and half in (big assumption - some could be saved) he'd get 2.5 more goals , i.e. 12.5 more points, and maybe some bonus. 25 seems too many.

[xJosh-]

Is there an argument that Pogba could be on pens this season? Its more likely to be Lukaku IMO but I'm pretty confident Pogba took them at Juventes. Ibra and Rooney took them mainly last season so is there a possibility the pen taker is up for grabs?

[Stemania]

If Lukaku isn't on pens I'm not sure he will be worthy of his price!