POGBA CONFIDENT UNITED HAVE TURNED CORNER
FOR a fixture built-up as one of the biggest in Europe, between two of the continent’s biggest clubs, Jose Mourinho didn’t exactly get the briefing.
“Juventus is not a crucial match for us,” the Manchester United manager said ahead of his side’s match there. “I think, independent of the result, our next matches against Young Boys and Valencia are the matches that are going to define the qualification…”
Mourinho is of course correct, but that’s why this match against a team who he described as a “super favourite” – and who so humbled United in a 1-0 victory two weeks ago – feels important for a host of other reasons.
It might not be a defining week, as the Portuguese similarly argued ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby, but a match against such a benchmark team could point to how the side are developing.
For a start, can United actually put in a better showing against such a side, given how far off they looked in the first game? Can they finally offer a signature display in this competition under Mourinho, or even a fully convincing display over 90 minutes?
Can Paul Pogba take command and energise an attack that still feels like it has so much more potential than it is showing?
The fact this is the French midfielder’s first match back at Juventus since leaving in 2016 meant there was even more focus on him, and he did admirably front up as United’s player for yesterday’s pre-match press conference.
Juventus have won three more titles since his departure, and got back to the Champions League final as they’ve evolved as a side. In other words, they haven’t missed Pogba. And it was put to him how he hasn’t yet lifted United to greater heights.
For his part, the 25-year-old admitted he has no regrets about that, and addressed a number of other obvious issues. He maintained he is entirely happy at United and to take instructions from Mourinho.
There was also one Pogba line that says a whole lot more about the actual state of United and their form.He stated that the previous run of poor results, that brought the manager to the brink of the sack, was down to a complete lack of confidence. Pogba spoke of how the players rallied together, and there is a new optimism.
“I think it came from everyone. Everybody, we start realising we are Manchester United and obviously we have to play. Before that it was really bad. I think we didn’t have any confidence and stuff on the pitch. Altogether we didn’t give enough. After this game we went to the national teams, came back and played very well against Chelsea.
“Very good performance, the whole team played together. When you play together it’s always easier.”
And it’s easier when you build confidence. That is a big difference in the space of two weeks. United were still rather fragile before the first Juve game, even allowing for the 2-2 draw at Chelsea beforehand, but have since come through hard-fought wins over both Everton and Bournemouth.
That will embolden them, even if the displays in both of those victories displayed their performance level is still on something of a knife edge.
What is ultimately more reflective and “truer” of the team: the awful first half against Bournemouth, or the supreme response?
Another full match against a side like Juventus, with a bit more confidence, will start to tell. It may not be a defining week, but it could help define some of this side’s qualities – not least that of their star midfielder. (© Independent News Service)
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