Pogba shows his best position is in shop window
IT’S taken five long years, but at least Manchester United now know Paul Pogba’s best position.
Unfortunately for them, it’s in the shop window.
Despite Ole
Gunnar Solskjaer saying all is well with the £89million Frenchman, the bottom line is that Pogba can walk away from Old Trafford for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season.
For a second time. And Pogba (below) will have his pick of clubs from January.
On the opening day of the season, the midfielder was pure box office.
Bruno Fernandes may have grabbed a hat-trick, and Mason Greenwood scored a goal to show just what a superb natural finisher he is.
But it was Pogba’s promptings that drove United to victory.
He provided four assists and a brimful of brilliance as Marcelo Bielsa was packed back across the Pennines after an Old Trafford hiding for the for the second successive season.
Pogba should have got on the scoresheet himself when the game was goalless but sent the ball wide of Ilian
Meslier’s post.
Then
Pogba’s vision and first-time pass invited
Fernandes to put United ahead on the half-hour.
United had introduced new £41m signing Raphael Varane to the fans before kick-off.
But even the French World Cup winner from Real Madrid would have been powerless to prevent the strike that brought Leeds level from Luke Ayling.
But Pogba set up Greenwood for his goal and United were back in front.
Solskjaer would have approved – and he would have loved how his team then went for the kill.
Two minutes later it was all over. Fernandes scored again, with the help of Pogba’s pass, and got his treble on the hour – with Fred completing the rout.
Leeds lost 6-2 at
Old Trafford last year – with Bielsa claiming his team had been more than a match for Solskjaer’s side.
This time, he reckoned they played even better.
But with Kalvin Phillips left on the bench following his
Euro exertions, Leeds lacked their guiding hand. When Pogba went off to a standing ovation 15 minutes from time, on came £73m new-boy
Jadon Sancho.
United fans have every right to be excited.