SCOUTED Name: Paul Pogba Age: 21 Position: Midfielder Game watched: Juventus vs Olympiakos – Matchday 4 of the Champions League from Turin, Italy on Tuesday November 4th, 2014. Reason for watching: An enormous game for Juventus in Group A. Pogba’s 100th for the club at a time when many are starting to look to him to be the talisman to carry them forward in the wake of a recent five year contract extension. Tactical Team Shape – Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri kept people guessing up to kick off how he would fit Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba in the same team. In the end the team played with a back four, a midfield diamond with Pirlo at the base, often sitting between the centre-backs, the full backs pushing high and Marchisio and Pogba (circled) interchanging as narrow wide midfielders who often switched flanks. Vidal operated in behind strikers Alvaro Morata and Carlos Tevez. Attacking – Pogba spent the majority of the match on the left side of, effectively, a midfield three when in possession, occasionally switching with Vidal to go central, which is where he was positioned to powerfully strike home the winning goal in a thrilling game his side won 3-2. The Frenchman is aware that many of his side’s attacks start from the back and regularly showed a desire to come deep off the flank and provide the outlet to continue the attack. Defending – Pogba understood his role superbly often doubling up with left back Kwadwo Asamoah when Olympiakos had a rare attack on the wing but the match was tactically very narrow and Pogba showed a great desire, and temperament, when hunting after the ball. Physicality Strength – Pogba’s strength is a valuable asset to his game. He is very comfortable shielding the ball in possession with his back to the opponent and won four fouls in this manner throughout the match. Power – Such a crucial aspect of a modern day midfielder and he has it both in attack and defence. Speed – He is not slow but his speed comes from his mind. Reaction – This is perhaps his greatest of all strengths when defending against an attack. Has the capability to read a game superbly, drift into space and often press a man who is a key outlet for an opponent in possession of the ball. His reactions also help him in the final third when attacking. Olympiakos defended narrowly by design and occasionally Pogba was able to drift wide and find space where he wanted deep balls played over the top, much like a striker would. This is ideal when playing with a deep lying playmaker like Pirlo. Endurance – Better than anyone else on the field. Never stopped running. Work rate – Doesn’t waste energy running around a lot and diving into unnecessary challenges like teammate Vidal. Was intelligent in his runs, often recognizing situations where he can drift in between the lines. Technique First touch – Always looking to use it to help him co-ordinate the next move. Enjoys one-touch layoffs with teammates before running into space and receiving the ball again. Can often be the coordinator of such attacks on the flanks when doubling up with the full back to create a move (17 of his 45 passes in the game were to the full backs) such as this play with Stephan Lichsteiner. Weaker foot – His left doesn’t get used often but his balance is exceptional, particularly when dribbling the ball as he keeps the ball close to his feet, not always an easy trait for a man of his size. Passing – This comes easy to Pogba who completed 45 of 50 attempted passes on the night, 19/23 in the final third. The youngster moves into space effortlessly always thinking about becoming an outlet and then finding one with the ball. Being used wide in a midfield three means it is crucial for him to often continue or ignite attacks that look like being phased out and he relishes this. Juventus rely on him a lot to treasure the ball in this manner as too many of their players were careless in attack and turned the ball over too much. Tackling – Olympiakos defended very deep and narrow so Pogba wasn’t required to do much tackling although did successfully win one of the two he challenged for independently. The one he lost came late in the game when Ibrahim Affelay sprinted away from him and he caught him to stop an important transition. Even showed some sporting traits by helping the opponent recover from cramp. Heading – Won one of three aerial duels but one he lost played a major part in the second goal scored by substitute Fernando Llorente as Olympiakos defender Alberto Botia was determined to beat Pogba to the ball but only managed to head it backwards and on to the Spanish striker’s head. Dribbling – Pogba rarely got too much space in front of him to penetrate the defence with a run but when he did the opponents had little answer for him. He is not a man who uses great strides to sprint at top speed, instead he superbly glides past defenders with outstanding balance and that was how Juventus won the free kick that led to Pirlo’s opening goal of the game. The run….. The foul… Decision Making – At such a young age, surrounded by veteran, experienced internationals, Pogba could be excused if he tried to do too much but instead he often looked like the smartest player on the field. Is a player who could play in any position on the field and excel. He is that intelligent. Mental Courage – Pogba constantly wants the ball and wants to make a difference in the game. He is not a midfielder whose first thought is sideways or backwards. Confidence – Is a player that is now used to playing around stars and is starting to realize he is one himself. Communication – Occasionally pointed to areas the ball should go but, understandably, still seems to allow others to dictate the verbal game. Concentration – Outstanding positional awareness wherever he was asked to play. Temperament – Very impressive for such a young player in a monumental match. Conclusion Pogba has all the attributes of a player at this stage of his development that will be a genuine world-class star in the next couple of years. Fully knows his role at the moment and is not always in positions to change games but will eventually play a massive part in transitions with a move to a more central position, where he will ignite quicker counters and prevent ones from the opposition. Still only 21, on a night of real importance in Turin for Juventus he was the man of the match. Chester Marcol Jersey . The 23-year-old McNabb was an All-Star with the American Hockey Leagues Rochester Americans this season, posting seven goals and 22 assists in 38 games. In 12 games with the Sabres this season, McNabb has accumulated six penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating. 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Each and every week it changes. The NFL creates a unique interest of not who is "the best", but much more who is "the best this week".Wichita, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - Ron Baker scored 18 points to lead No. 8 Wichita State to an 81-52 drubbing of Saint Louis on Saturday. Evan Wessel and Rauno Nurger each chipped in with 15 points for the Shockers (5-1), who responded from a 69-68 overtime loss to 25th-ranked Utah earlier in the week that snapped a 35-game regular-season winning streak. I thought we came out and we bounced back from a loss, said Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall. The guys practiced hard for two days and we swallowed the bitter pill and we came out ready to play. Wichita State shot 54 percent from the floor and had a 32-10 edge in the paint. Theyre an excellent team and their guards are superb, praised Saint Louis head coach Jim Crews. The Billikens (5-3), meanwhile, lost their fifth straight game against a ranked opponent. Austin Gillmann led them with nine points off the bench. The game was actually cclose in the early stages as Brett Jollys 3-pointer just over six minutes into the contest cut Saint Louis deficit to 14-10.dddddddddddd Wichita State then ripped off a 25-5 run to take control. Nurger started the flurry with a layup, Tekel Cotton and Fred VanVleet each chipped in with four points during the run and Rian Holland capped it with a basket to make it 39-15 with under four to play. The Shockers led 45-25 at the half and the game started to get out of hand early in the second. Baker opened the scoring with a three-point play, then Cottons dunk pushed the margin to 58-25 with 16:46 remaining. The lead swelled to as many as 34. Game Notes Saint Louis shot 36 percent from the floor ... The Billikens starting five scored a combined 11 points ... Cotton had seven points with seven assists ... The Shockers had a 41-20 rebounding advantage. ' ' '