POGBA’S CHANCE TO SHINE
United star out to prove he can still make impact as he locks horns with old adversary Mourinho
IN Jose Mourinho’s worst nightmare, Paul Pogba will deliver a match-winning performance this week to boost Manchester United’s Champions League ambitions at his former manager’s expense.
Their r unning f eud at Old Trafford is well remembered by both men who meet again at the Tottenham Stadium on Friday night, Pogba’s first competitive game of 2020 after ankle surgery.
It came to a head in September 2018 when Mourinho questioned his star player about social media activity during a televised training session. The high-risk move backfired with the manager sacked less than three months later.
Pogba reportedly celebrated at the training ground by telling team-mates: ‘He thought he could make a fool of me. He picked the wrong baller.’
Despite winning that particular battle, Pogba has had his own problems in the past 18 months and the World Cup winner needs to hit the ground running postlockdown to stop the peak years of his career from slipping away.
The midfiel der bought for £89million, still a Premier League record fee, is now 27 and while popular in the United dressing room, the only headlines he’s made in recent times have been off the pitch. United refused to sanction a move to Real Madrid or Juventus last summer and this season Pogba has made only eight appearances, the last in December, though he did play i n a warm- up game against West Brom on Friday.
Once the undisputed No 1 at Old Trafford, Pogba is no longer allpowerful. Since he has been i nj ured, Harry Maguire has become United captain, new signing Bruno Fernandes a big crowd favourite and home- town boy Marcus Rashford a global face.
Inside the club, the feeling is that Pogba now has to prove he is worthy of Manchester United, rather than the other way round.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who coached Pogba at the club’s academy during the player’s first
United spell, has consistently supported him even when speculation about his future was rife.
But with football back, t he Norwegian has a stronger hand to play. His re- built United were unbeaten in 11 games before virus stopped play and have a genuine crack at a top-four finish.
Asked about Pogba and a potential dream partnership with Fernandes behind Rashford, Solskjaer is notably cautious.
‘That’s for the fans to get excited about. I’m thinking about the whole group not just three players,’ he says. ‘A team is more than 11 and definitely more than three.
‘Good players playing together is important but I’m not going to jump on any bandwagon. We’re going to have to rotate and give players a chance to get into the team and the team’s chemistry.’
The word ‘chemistry’ is significant. Solskjaer was worn down last season being asked for daily updates on Pogba’s future and his best position.
In the last six months, youngsters like Aaron Wan- Bissaka, Brandon Williams, Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood have given a glimpse into the future.
The dynamics have changed. The ball’s now in Pogba’s court to show he is part of United’s best XI. Additionally, any hopes he still has of Real Madrid calling requires a return to his best form.
For the first time, Solskjaer has t he cl out and confidence to prioritise team-building over bigname individuals.
It also applies to another ‘star’ name, Alexis Sanchez, due back from a loan spell with Inter Milan at the end of the season.
Asked about the Chilean, Solskjaer used an interesting analogy. ‘Sometimes when you decorate your living room, it might be a nice chair or nice sofa but it maybe doesn’t go with the rest of it.
‘ Of course there’s a place for good players and good people in this environment.’
If the comments were directly aimed at Sanchez, they will resonate equally with Pogba. He needs to prove this week that he’s still a top ‘baller’. Mourinho may not be sleeping too easily.