On The Ball | Paul Pogba’s popularity is rising at Old Trafford but Manchester United need much more from their star player
- It has been an amazing turnaround for the unpredictable Frenchman, whose goals have helped United to the top of the Premier League
- Six weeks ago, fans wanted him out but his recent performances have made him a crucial part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side
What a turnaround for Paul Pogba in a Manchester United shirt. Six weeks ago, you’d have struggled to find United fans who wanted him to stay – or thought that he would remain at the club long term. Not now.
There are echoes of Wayne Rooney in 2013 when he wanted to leave Old Trafford. Rooney got the fans back onside by being the stand-out player for six months and went on to become United’s all time leading goal scorer. Pogba is doing himself no harm with his performances and has scored two winners in away games in a week, but why? And how?
Pogba isn’t yet a hero: shirts with his name on have long been eclipsed by more popular players, but while he’s rightly being praised, fans don’t want to be emotionally burned again by the Frenchman. His time at United has been a roller coaster: passages where he looks like a talismanic World Cup winner with more skill than any other player – set against months of injury or poor form.
Now? An ankle injury hampered his 2020 and then he contracted Covid, which took him longer to recover from than he admitted at the time.
Pogba was dropped after three league games (and two defeats) at the start of the season and United became better without him, a point reinforced when he returned against Arsenal and United were again defeated. As United’s season got on its feet, Pogba didn’t feature against West Brom nor Southampton – two victories. Then he scored a wonder goal at West Ham and his agent came out agitating about his unhappiness.
