Pogback 2.0

Paul Labile Pogba. He really is one of the most polarising figures in football, isn’t he? No matter what you think of him, he’s a special talent. Blessed with all the natural ability in the world, he was destined for stardom. When he re-signed for United, he was meant to take the league by storm. Two trophies and six years later, he’s returned to Juventus a shell of the footballer he once was. This week we’re going to switch things up a bit and talk about why United and Pogba are to blame for his second spell turning out the way it did.

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Manchester United

Mismanagement

In his first season back, Pogba was played as a left-sided holding midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. Whilst at Juventus, he thrived on the left side of a midfield 3 alongside Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. In that position, he was able to have a free role. He could make a late run into the opposing penalty box, pop up on the left flank or even make a last-ditch tackle in his own penalty area. He was never going to have that freedom as in a more defensive-minded role. Mourinho had his preferred system, which didn’t cater to Pogba’s strengths. Under Solskjær, he was played in many positions: left DM, left winger, attacking midfielder, the list goes on. Although he had his best scoring season playing as a 10 (scoring 16 goals in all competitions), he has always played best as an 8. Maybe if he was played in his actual position, United could have got the best out of him.

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Underperforming Teams

When Pogba arrived. the club was still going through its post-Fergie transition. They had won the FA Cup the season before but failed to qualify for the Champions League. During his time at Juventus, he was so accustomed to success that he probably took it for granted, having become a 4-time Serie A and 2-time Coppa italia winner. It was always going to be an uphill battle to recreate that success at United. It’s unrealistic to expect one player to completely transform a club and in that sense, maybe too much pressure was placed on him. During his second stint back at United, the team never came close to winning the league and only won two trophies, none of them being the league or Champions League. It’s not like there haven’t been good players at the club during his time: Ibrahimović, Lukaku, Ronaldo, Fernandes, and many more. Even with all these great players during Pogba’s time, United never really had a team capable of challenging for the major honours.

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Paul Pogba

Mentality & Sacrifice

Not many players have the natural ability that Pogba possesses. However, you can’t just rely on talent alone. You’ve also got to put the work in. I’ve always felt that he doesn’t put the same shift in as everyone else. It’s the little things like not tracking back, or just letting your man ghost past you. Even the greatest players must sacrifice a bit for the betterment of the team. It’s not just his inability to put the team first, but also his mentality. I can recall times where, when the going got tough, Pogba was nowhere to be found. As an athlete, you’re judged on how you perform in the face of adversity. There aren’t too many times where I can recall Pogba rising to the occasion when the team needed him most. I look at a someone like Wayne Rooney who, during his legendary United career, always did what was best for the team. Pogba could have learnt a thing or do from Wazza about sacrifice for sure.

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Attitude

Pogba is a bit of a maverick, living his life to the beat of his own drum, which I admire. The thing that irked me was his general attitude, with various well-documented bust ups while at the club. I remember when he was substituted in the 3-2 win against Norwich this year, he was being jeered by the fans as he was walking off. Obviously, it’s not nice to be on the receiving of boos but what did he do? He cupped his hand behind his ear in retaliation. Fans can be overly critical of players; we all know this. Still, childishly reacting in such a way does no favours. That wasn’t the only time when he annoyed the fanbase. On his way out of the club, he had the nerve to say that United offered him nothing to stay and he was going to make them regret letting him leave. You’re telling me £290k a week is nothing! To any normal person, that’s life-changing money but to him it’s “nothing. He has no right to be demanding more than that given how he performed for United over the last six years.

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Last Thoughts

I’m sure Pogba is going to succeed back in Serie A. United have a history of their former players thriving once they leave. Even if he is a success at Juventus, I’m glad we’ve seen the back of him at United. It never felt like he wanted to stay for the long haul and it’s a good thing that we’ve got rid of the drama that he brought. Do I hate the guy? I wish him all the best at Juventus. It’s time for us to move on from the Pogba debacle and get back on track.

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This Week’s Hot Take

Paul Pogba’s transfer from Juventus to United will rank as the worst transfer in Premier League history. Think about it. He was signed for a then world-record £89m. He was so hyped that there was a whole promotional campaign involving Stormzy and #Pogback. Here’s the kicker. United let him go for free TWICE in the space of 10 years, firstly back in 2012 and then again, this summer. For someone who was meant to become the best midfielder in the world and set the Premier League alight, he ended up being a catastrophic failure at United, both down to his own shortcomings as well as the failings of United.