Gary Neville has given his views on how Manchester United could make Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes’ partnership work.
There have been lingering doubts over whether Pogba and Fernandes together in midfield would work out ever since the latter’s arrival from Sporting CP last January.
Fernandes has become an ever-present figure in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s line-up and arguably one of the Manchester United boss’ most important players.
But while one star midfielder thrives, the other continues to struggle.
2020 hasn’t been kind on Pogba, having missed a huge chunk of United’s games through an ankle injury. The former world-record signing is also struggling to bring his A-game into the fold. In fact, Solskjaer has benched him in the club’s last three games.
Furthermore, the Norwegian’s decision to play two holding midfielders behind Fernandes appears to have left Pogba out in the cold. So much, in fact, that Jamie Carragher believes it proves the pair cannot function alongside each other.
Can Paul Pogba & Bruno Fernandes play in the same midfield 🤷♂️
— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) October 27, 2020
But Neville feels Solskjaer should take a leaf out of Pep Guardiola’s book on how the Manchester City boss managed Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva in the past.
“I think it’s a problem when you’ve got £150m worth of midfield players on the bench,” the former Red Devils defender said on Sky Sports.
“In Pogba, you’ve got a player who has won a World Cup and been dominant in Europe with Juventus. He’s Manchester United’s record signing. And yet he can’t get in the team on a Saturday,” said Neville.
“For me, I’ve never understood why Ole hasn’t tried – and maybe he’s looked at it in training and hasn’t liked it – one sitter with Pogba and Fernandes in front, like Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva at Manchester City.
“De Bruyne and Silva weren’t disciplined midfield players before Pep Guardiola came into Manchester City. He made them into that.
“That’s the only system I can see where it would be an obvious way of getting them into the same team. More often than not, Ole has played Matic and Pogba sitting alongside each other with Fernandes in front.
“Pogba can’t play there because in that position you need to be disciplined. But with a one then a two, I think you can have a bit more freedom to run forward.”
United will return to action on Wednesday for a Champions League match at home to RB Leipzig.
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