Paul Pogba
Flickr photo by dom fellowes shared under a Creative Commons (BY 2.0) license.

The real Paul Pogba has finally stood up

Mustafa Ismail·
Manchester United
·1 Comment·

After their victory over Brighton, Manchester United have now won seven games on the trot in all competitions – and Paul Pogba has played a vital role in his team’s resurgence…

It’s now fair to say that Mourinho’s presence in the dugout was causing problems for Manchester United as they’ve won every single game since Ole Gunnar Solskjær has taken the helm. Ole’s tactics have been simple, with the Norwegian legend taking the shackles off his players and allowing them to play with creative freedom. This has benefited each and every individual in the team – especially Paul Pogba, who’s bounced back from his disastrous start to the season and is contributing with both goals and assists.

Pogba has reiterated in recent interviews that he considers himself an attacking player, and now that he’s been granted the licence to play his natural game, he’s performing to the best of his ability. Under Mourinho, Pogba was playing in a more reserved role, making the Frenchman noticeably uncomfortable on the pitch. Admittedly, a player of his stature should’ve shown more professionalism, but you could see that a managerial change was necessary to unlock his full potential.

The spotlight has been shining on Paul Pogba ever since word spread of his verbal spat with José. After the Portuguese manager’s departure, the pressure was cranked up even further. However, Pogba is a completely different player under Solskjær as he’s getting into dangerous positions, taking the game to the opposition, and creating tons of chances for his side. Manchester United are finally playing the football their fans have been yearning for, and it’s a style that suits most of their players.

Pogba has scored five goals since the managerial swap and also has a few assists to name – including a match-winning pass to Marcus Rashford against Spurs. He’s now justifying his price tag with performances reminiscent of those he delivered at the World Cup and with Juventus. If he continues like this, Manchester United’s resurgence is bound to continue. Pogba’s dynamism will be vital against PSG in the Champions League, with the French champions boasting a star-studded attack. If he can push on and boss the midfield then the chances will come for United on the counter-attack.

Practically every player has improved under Solskjær; with Rashford thriving in his new centre-forward role; De Gea seemingly back to his best; and the entire line-up stepping up a gear when needed. The difference in Paul Pogba’s performances has stood out because of his alienation under Mourinho, and the French midfielder is now looking like the one of the best players in the league. This positive change is illustrative of the fact that he’s full of emotion and that influences his game on the pitch. He’s now a happy man playing the way that he desired – in an attacking system which allows him to step up for his side and turn match-winner.

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Mustafa Ismail
Contributor

Huge sports enthusiast. Writing and commenting on cricket and football for the last couple of years. The two tournaments that I have covered so far live from the venue are the GT20 Canada cricket tournament and the Asia Cup 2018. Turning my passion for sports into a career.

One Response

  2. I must say that I agree with the author, the real Paul Pogba has finally stood up. My personal belief towards team selection for any club is a healthy balance between merit (as in who is playing well at the time) and the probable tactics of the opposition.

    Towards the end of the Mourinho era I was very unhappy with Pogba’s performances on the pitch as I felt he lacked the intensity and dedication that was required at the time. I am guilty of supporting the manager till the last day as for me no player is bigger than the club and to me it looked like Paul couldn’t give a damn about the club.

    That being said, I will be the first to admit when I am wrong and it definitely looks like most of the club’s issues were strongly connected to the managerial style in play. Paul, by his own definition as well as mentioned in the article itself, is an attacking player – he prefers to play further up the pitch. Does he have the physical talents to play in a more holding role? Absolutely but at the same time we had been asking him to play in a position that he doesn’t believe to be his natural role and then vilifying him when he doesn’t perform in accordance with our unrealistic expectations.

    Now that Ole has given him the freedom to play further up the pitch in an attacking, aggressive role, Paul has rewarded us with some truly spectacular performances. He has already exceeded his single-season goal tally and his form shows no signs of dipping thus far. Forget about goals, look at the chemistry that has developed between him and Martial & Rashford – it is truly breathtaking to watch. I can quite confidently say that I have been the happiest I’ve been in footballing terms in the past 4-5 years and I now tune into each game knowing that we are truly capable of doing anything.

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