“There’s no point in dribbling in your own half” - Frank Lampard on what Paul Pogba needs to do to take the next step in his career
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has offered a brilliant assessment of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.
Pogba, 30, is undoubtedly one of the most talented midfielders of his generation, with an array of natural skills and attributes. However, the Frenchman's penchant for the spectacular and inability to fully capitalize on his talent has meant that he remains a case of what might have been.
Lampard, an accomplished midfielder in his playing days, said on the Hayterstv podcast that Pogba's decision-making on the field leaves a lot to be desired.
"Paul Pogba is more naturally talented than I was," said Lampard. "I mean, in the box, I used to work hard to score goals, but in terms of attributes, he would run all over me. He's got better feet in terms of how he can dribble with it.
"But there's no point in dribbling in your own half as a midfield player, unless you really have to to get out of trouble. So all that kind of flick and roll of the studs and all stuff looks great. I'm not a big advocate for that, and you see a lot of young players go 'Oh my God, look at that on YouTube. It's amazing.'(But) I don't like it."
Lampard made a mention of his overhyped numbers, especially during his first stint at Juventus, where Pogba bagged 34 goals and 40 assists in 178 games across competitions.
"His numbers are not good enough. Juventus, I think, we built up this kind of thing, this real magical thing that Paul Pogba was amazing at Juventus."
The Englishman urged the need for Pogba to make 'another progression', concluding:
"I don't know how many of us watch Italian football, if we're honest. Not that much of it, and I think he did well there. He progressed, but there's another progression he has to do."
Pogba is now in his second spell at Juventus, arriving on a free transfer last summer.
How did Paul Pogba fare at Manchester United?
Paul Pogba arrived with much fanfare for his second stint at Manchester United, in the summer of 2016. The Red Devils signed the Frenchman for €106 million from Juventus, but Pogba largely flattered to deceive.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner only showed flashes of his potential and mostly made news for all the wrong reasons during his six-year stay at the Premier League giants.
Pogba made 233 appearances across competitions, with all but seven of them coming since 2016. He bagged 39 goals and 51 assists but missed a whopping 115 games across competitions due to injury.