Trevor Steven: Paul Pogba should be Manchester United’s Kevin De Bruyne but has failed to adapt to the Premier League
When Paul Pogba left Manchester United in 2012 it was in large part down to Sir Alex Ferguson’s hesitation to give him the first-team action that he felt ready for, perhaps due to doubts about whether the 19-year-old could adapt his game to be successful in the Premier League.
Pogba went to Juventus and thrived in the slower pace of Italian football, where the game is less helter-skelter and allowed him more time to show his skills. He was a tremendous success, helping Juve to win four Serie A titles and two cups.
So by the time he returned to United I was a firm fan. Yet 18 months on I feel like I need convincing all over again.
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Initially he looked thrilled to be back and it showed in some of his performances last season, which reached the levels we expected for a player who had been signed for a world record £89m. But those glimpses of his best have become less frequent – and Pogba more inconsistent.
The problem with Pogba is that he has not adapted his game to English football and nor has he shown the necessary hunger to do so.
His aggression and determination have dwindled, as have his willingness to defend and track runs. Physically, he is scary – or at least he should be – but he doesn’t close down enough. While he trots around the pitch, games are passing him by.
It stands out to United fans and neutrals alike: Pogba is not at it. He should be a game influencer, their answer to Kevin de Bruyne at Manchester City, but he hasn’t grasped the nettle. It’s a huge disappointment.
Now his relationship with Jose Mourinho is in the spotlight, but Pogba’s failings have not been the manager’s fault. Mourinho showed faith in him initially by committing so much money ons his signing and believing that he could adapt.
It has been suggested that Pogba is not happy with his position in midfield, and perhaps he would like more of a free role, but that doesn’t really exist in the Premier League, where you have to work hard whatever your position. It’s a poor excuse.
Despite his struggles since returning to United, Real Madrid are rumoured to be interested in signing Pogba.
What seems clear is that United and Pogba have decisions to make over the next few months. Is he willing to pull up his socks and improve all elements of his game? Or has he already decided that life looks easier in Spain?
If he isn’t ready to change then it puts Mourinho in a very difficult position, is also bad for dressing-room morale, and I suspect United would eagerly offload him to Real in the summer.
Mourinho’s team selection for the next couple of games – on Wednesday night in the Champions League at Sevilla and then on Sunday against Chelsea – should tell us a lot.
Having dropped him earlier this month, if Mourinho puts his trust in Pogba again it may be for one of the last times. And I can’t imagine that he would select him without a stern warning that it is now or never if he is to make a lasting impression at Old Trafford the second time around.
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