Pogba’s priority is not football, it’s fun
COLLY
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has had some tricky issues to navigate since he took charge at Manchester United a year ago.
But perhaps the biggest of all is about to test his managerial skills more than any other – the return of Paul Pogba.
Pogba has made more headlines off the pitch than he has on it and he is still grabbing football’s attention, despite missing the last 18 games through injury.
The Frenchman, who could be on the bench for today’s clash with Watford, continues to be a story for all the wrong reasons and that sums up his time at United.
It has been three-and-a-half years of wasted promise, too many false dawns and too few of the golden moments fans hoped they’d see for £89million.
But, during his 88 days out injured, he has made sure we’ve not forgotten him.
We’ve been treated to a raft of social-media posts, watching him play basketball in Miami with a dodgy ankle, dancing at his brother’s wedding in France and chatting with Zinedine Zidane in Dubai.
To me and, I’m sure, to plenty of others as well, that just screams of mucking Manchester United around. Instead of keeping a low profile, getting fit and not aggravating frustrated fans, who help pay his wages, Pogba’s seemingly been on a world tour – with fun his first priority, not football.
And what message does that send to the exciting crop of young, hungry players trying to restore some credibility on the pitch for a team left floundering in the slipstream of their two great rivals Liverpool and Manchester City?
Imagine Pogba getting away with those kinds of shenanigans in a dressing room that included Roy Keane and Gary Neville and presided over by Sir Alex Ferguson? Me neither.
And that’s why Solskjaer faces a challenge that could spectacularly backfire if he gets it wrong.
Realistically, selling Pogba in January after a long injury lay-off wouldn’t bring in the kind of money United might expect.
But, having found a new harmony with young players willing to spill blood for the cause, Solskjaer might risk poisoning that atmosphere by restoring Pogba to an instant starting role, however good he can be.
Pogba could be a corrosive influence if his body language isn’t right and that’s why Solskjaer must
THE
Champions
League is wide open for English teams to strike another blow. Jurgen Klopp’s stars won’t have it easy against Atletico Madrid, but Liverpool can score against anyone and could go all the way again. Manchester City will get past Real Madrid, Spurs will edge RB Leipzig and Chelsea will be the only English team to fall, against Bayern
Munich. gauge what’s correct for his young team – and not Pogba.
For the sake of youngsters such as Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Dan James, Scott Mctominay and Mason Greenwood, Solskjaer simply cannot allow it to be all about Pogba.
He’s got to get him performing as part of the new United – not a solo act. And he can’t let him become a mardy-a**e in the dressing room and have a negative impact on the team.
This is a dangerous time for Pogba, too.
Because we’re not in the era of maverick players any more.
Top teams are all about being a collective force these days and it’s no longer about one man or one ego.
Pogba’s stand-out moments have been few and far between at United and, if he left now, you’d only pick out three or four games when he’s delivered.
Turning up once in 15 games isn’t acceptable.
And it wouldn’t be tolerated at Real Madrid – Pogba’s first-choice destination.
The Madridistas would be waving their white hankies in a flash.
So let’s hope Solskjaer doesn’t undo all his good work building a new United – and raise the white flag over Pogba.
United are bigger than that.