Pogba making the doubters eat their words

IT was the night Marcus Rashford stole the headlines and again proved himself as a match-winner on the European stage.

But Thursday’s crucial win over Celta Vigo could yet prove a turning point for Paul Pogba.

Having missed the draws against City and Swansea through injury, critics are finally looking beyond that £89.3m albatross around his neck.

The lung-bursting runs, the fearlessness to play the first pass, the rabbit out of the hat – few others can do it.

In the Manchester derby, the Reds missed that unpredictability and match-winning quality Pogba possesses in the middle of the park. Reduced to aimless long balls, there was a real disconnect between defence and attack, and United struggled for a foothold in the middle of the park.

That was not the case against the champions-elect, Chelsea, for example, when Pogba roamed about and earned a heartening roar from the Stretford End for a tasty challenge on N’Golo Kante.

While Kante has slowly defined Chelsea’s philosophy – without a season-defining individual performance – Pogba has been judged on not having that one incredible display.

And the 24-year-old strived for it on his return to Old Trafford in the autumn – attempting Hail Mary long balls, lofted cross balls and audacious long shots to no avail.

But, after a summer dominated by Hollywood trailers and cryptic hints, Pogba was always up against it.

Struggling to find his role under Jose Mourinho, and to readjust to the rigours of the Premier League, it has been an indifferent start – particularly in high-stakes games.

Jose Mourinho has never lost faith – refusing to take him out of the firing line and instead resorting to over the top praise.

And that is because the Portuguese has taken plenty of encouragement from Pogba’s first season back at Old Trafford.

While the 24-year-old has not been directly involved in a goal since a game-changing cameo against Blackburn in February, that only tells half the story.

In a stats-obsessed era, there is some value in the fact that Pogba has created 55 chances in the Premier League this season – more than any other player.

Only three of those chances have been converted – and it is a similar story in Europe where Pogba has set up 20 goalscoring opportunities.

That brilliant through ball for Henrikh Mkhitaryan against Celta was a case in point but, predictably, Pogba was let down by his teammate’s finish.

Had United’s forwards converted a handful of the chances he created, Pogba would be recognised as a dominant creative force.

Then there is the small matter of the woodwork – which Pogba has hit nine times this season.

Mourinho has prioritised a deep-lying midfielder and a pacey goalscorer – and both will alleviate the burden on Pogba and give him even more freedom.

By that point, critics will hopefully be talking about Pogba’s qualities rather than his Dita Union glasses.