Pogba’s foolish red card has left United chasing City’s shadow
It’s the question that all Manchester United fans have been asking.
What would have happened in last Sunday’s derby if Paul Pogba had been playing for them?
A “schoolboy error” in getting sent off at Arsenal in the previous league game saw him suspended, and without the influential French midfielder, United couldn’t halt City’s winning run.
The difference between Jose Mourinho’s side with and without Pogba has been marked this season, and former Reds defender Arthur Albiston knows it.
“Every team has a different range of players, and Paul Pogba is the one who can play that pass which can unlock a defence,” says Albiston.
“Last season, he struggled. I thought he was average. But this season, he’s been one of United’s best players.
“Nemanja Matic has been very consistent, but he’s a holding player. He doesn’t play those killer passes.
“We definitely miss Pogba. For him to get sent off the way he did at Arsenal was a schoolboy error.
“It was a stupid tackle that he didn’t need to make. He had been playing well and it was a game we were winning comfortably away from home.
“He has suffered for it with a threematch ban, so have the supporters, and I hope he learns from it.”
Pogba will serve the last of his suspension this afternoon when United travel to West Brom as they try to remain City’s nearest challengers.
Jose Mourinho’s side are eight points better off than they were this time 12 months ago, and have a healthy advantage over the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool. But that won’t put a smile on the Portuguese’s face.
That’s because having the runaway league leaders just across the city is enough to upset anyone of a United persuasion, according to Albiston.
“I’m not sure Jose Mourinho would be too interested in how much better United are doing this season when the team above us is only five miles away,” he states.
“Last season was a one-off because the club had to get back into the Champions League, which they eventually did through the Europa League
“But this is Manchester United. We can’t think about finishing second, third or fourth. It’s all about winning.
“I speak to supporters and the performances at Old Trafford have been a lot better than last year, and the year before. Fans cling onto that.
“United could be sat on top with the number of points they have but it’s unfortunate that City have been so good.
“Players and supporters must be fed up of reading in the papers about how well City are playing, but they might be reading about that for a few months yet.
“What United have to do is grind out results. They did that to get a win against Bournemouth.
“Losing the derby was hard to take, but they had to stand up and be counted after that. So that win last Wednesday could be the biggest of the season.”
Romelu Lukaku grabbed the winner in that Old Trafford victory – just his third goal in his last 15 games.
Yet that barren run came after starting his United career with 11 in his first 10 matches. It’s no wonder, then, that people are unsure which is the real version of the £75m striker.
Albiston knows that the Belgian is still a work in progress, but the ex-Scotland internationalist believes he needs more help from his team-mates.
“United strikers are expected to score and Lukaku knows where the goals are,” he adds.
“He got off to a flyer, but when strikers don’t score, they snatch at things and lose a bit of confidence.
“He’s not smooth on the eye and has a lot to learn, but he’s not had the best of service in the last couple of months. It certainly has to get better from wide areas.
“He needs the type of service where he can play off the cuff and have balls played in front of him.
“But he scored a great header the other night, and I can’t emphasise enough how big a result that could be coming off the loss to City.”