Every time I watch anything to do with the Serie A or the Coppa Italia the name Paul Pogba is always mentioned in high regard. He was described by his former club Manchester United as a "powerful, skilful, and creative" player who has "an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular.
He received the Golden Boy award for 2013, given to the best under-21 player in Europe, followed by the Bravo Award in 2014, awarded to the best under-23 player who has participated in European competitions and has even been compared to Patrick Vierra.
He captained his nation to victory at the 2013 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, was voted the Best Player award for the tournament and was also awarded the Best Young Player Award for his performances at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, after helping France to reach the quarter-finals.
He has scored 4 goals in his last 4 games this season, including the opener against Chievo at the weekend. He is probably the best midfielder in Serie A at present and rumours have persistently been hitting the headlines regarding a transfer to Chelsea or Manchester United, particularly after Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri said a £75m offer would be hard to reject.
The £75m price tag is may be a fair price in this era. But what I truly find so confusing is that Manchester united, allegedly, are one of the clubs willing to pay such a huge fee. If that is true, how did such a big club like United with probably the best manager ever in football, let him slip away to Juve?
In 2009 he joined the youth academy of Manchester United from Le Harve, with the French club claiming dirty tactics and tapping up, for which United threatened to sue. This in itself shows the lengths United were willing to go to in order to get the player.
Alex Ferguson even said "I mean if we hold Pogba back, what's going to happen? He's going to leave. You know, in a couple of years' time when his contract is going to finish. So we have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first-team and he's got great ability".
Surely the main reason for a player to leave a big club with a great tradition and always fighting for trophies on many fronts is because he wants game time. He made his Premier League debut against Stoke City in January 2012, then substitute appearance against West Bromwich Albion in March, Four days later, he made his European debut in the Europa League against Spanish club Athletic Bilbao, again as a substitute. But its not enough, nowhere near.
You don’t treat a player that you consider to have such good abilities in this way. If he’s as good as all his awards point to, then play him more. Why not bring him on towards the end of matches that are already won? Especially when his contract is running out. This was at a time when United’s midfield was so undermanned that Paul Scholes came out of retirement at the age of 37.
Fergie was livid when it was confirmed that midfielder Pogba had left the club to join Juventus "I don't think he showed us any respect at all so, to be honest” he told MUTV. But what did he expect? What must have Pogba thought when Scholes returned to bolster the midfield?
What a mistake United made losing him. Would Bayern Munich or Real Madrid let such a talent slip through their fingers? Fergie may have been a great manager but If the mighty Manchester United are willing to fork out over £70m for a player that was already on their books, this has to be his greatest ever mistake.
It’s like that bloke who told the Beatles that guitar music is dead, or JK Rowling there’s no money in children's novels. It may only be a mistake, but it could very well be an extremely costly mistake at that. Especially if they buy him back.
Source: DSG
