If United really want a new era showing Pogba the exit would be a good start
EVERY Manchester United player should pen a ring around the date of a Premier League fixture at Leeds United.
A white-hot atmosphere in a noisy cauldron of a stadium against supporters – and by extension opponents – pre-programmed to detest every move you make.
For years, big characters thrived. Eric Cantona withstood the baggage of previous love affair.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s team of the millennium would have relished it with every fibre of their being.
Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and the rest would have used it as motivation.
Stepping into the lion’s den – and then poking a finger in its eye.
Oh yes, that would have been right up their street.
So, it is to be wondered just how the world’s most expensive midfielder, Paul Pogba, views today’s task in hand. Will it set the juices flowing? Or will it be yet another example of why getting out of the bed on the wrong side is just so, so tiresome?
Who knows? And therein lies the problem.
The first rumblings about the 28-year-old have started during the past few weeks.
A goal at Burnley, a little midweek cameo against Brighton and the frankly boring stories about his contract start doing the rounds.
If Manchester United fall for this latest flirtation they deserve another five years in the wilderness.
According to the latest from the rumour-mill the French World Cup winner will ‘consider’ other Premier League options.
Even Everton wouldn’t be stupid enough to fall for that one.
No, despite the fact that Pogba has it all, even the club where rewarding failure is a pastime cannot be suckered into giving him another sackful of cash. Don’t get me wrong, when he fancies it, the fella’s electric. A fantastic physical presence with athleticism, power, skill and his passing ability is, well, magnifique.
Four years ago, in Russia, he carried his country to glory.
Sure, he had plenty of A-list help, but there weren’t too many dissenting voices when he landed at Old Trafford.
Fast forward and he’s the byword for inconsistency at a club where the best is demanded on a weekly basis.
But there has been no drive for excellence from Pogba. That’s only come when he’s fancied a megaexpensive new set of wheels.
It’s like he’s now auditioning for the part of Ralf Rangnick’s midfield dynamo/ enforcer/ talisman – take your pick.
There’s a four-month countdown to his deal running out and, guess what, his performances start picking up. It now needs a big personality within Old Trafford to stand up and look at the bare facts of the situation – however hard that may be.
Pogba arrived for a £90million fee and is given £290,000 every seven days.
For that cash, he should be running the midfield. Or at least giving every opponent a run for their own money.
He isn’t.
OK, so he could go elsewhere and, yes, someone else might get a better tune from him.
That’s life. The penny might drop when his agent is touting him around Europe and he’s finding lucrative deals tend to go to those who produce on a regular basis.
Manchester United should have seen the best of Paul Pogba.
They haven’t.
If they truly want to usher in a new era, someone needs to show him the door – and shut it firmly behind him when he’s gone.