Paul Pogba was supposed to be Jose Mourinho’s problem solver at Manchester United, but over the past year, he has been more of a problem creator. When he signed for the English club in the summer of 2016, after a mixed European Championships with France, he was met like a prodigal son who had spent four years at Juventus finding himself before returning “home”, as he put it, to continue the journey he started at youth level.
It cost them a then-world record fee of £89million, but the Red Devils and Mourinho got the man they thought would spearhead the awakening of what has become something of a dormant giant since Sir Alex Ferguson, by their own standards anyway. The manager, who was hoping to win the Premier League title in his first season, broke a habit by sanctioning the deal; Mourinho prefers to ignore the flashy, superstar signings in favour of less obvious players he can mould into a team. Pogba is a marketable figure, United weren’t just signing a player, but a product; he was always likely he would demand something different of Mourinho, a freedom on and off the pitch that wasn’t afforded to other players under his watch before, not even at Real Madrid, the home of the ‘Galactico’. Although issues between the pair were never anticipated, two years on, it is far from surprising that their relationship has hit some bumps along the way.
Conservative would be a good way to describe Mourinho, both tactically and personally. When Pogba is at his best, he is flamboyant, expressive and attention grabbing, but the shackles on him at Old Trafford could hardly have been tighter last season. It was easier to see him at his worst; lazy, noncommittal and, in a strange way, rather entitled, looking as though he was doing his club a favour by donning the shirt.
He has been part of the problem; his attitude has not been right for Mourinho, and while his manager should compromise by perhaps playing to his strengths a little more, Pogba could have adapted to different demands. It is no secret that, when at Juve, he thrived alongside two deeper, more disciplined midfielders in Arturo Vidal, who had the energy of the best Duracell on the market, and of course Andrea Pirlo. Playing him alongside Nemanja Matic in a midfield two caused Mourinho headaches, but he may have just found the perfect third piece to the puzzle, and the key to unlocking Pogba.
A deal looks set to be completed to bring Fred, Shakhtar Donetsk’s talented all rounder, to the Premier League and the red half of Manchester. His ability to cover ground quickly and powerful left foot make him both ideal for Mourinho and the perfect protection for Pogba. Matic and Fred would not replicate the balance of that Juve midfield, which almost inspired the Italians to Champions League glory in 2015, and there would almost certainly be more pressure on Pogba to add style and panache to their play, but he would thrive with that responsibility. From his point of view, the biggest issue is the team is not currently set to up to allow him to dominate games. Fred will provide the extra security in midfield, and he could play the “Vidal” role in the new system, in terms of his excellent ability to run into space with the ball.
But the crucial element to getting the best from the Brazilian, and therefore Pogba, lies with Mourinho. Flair players have always looked forced into his rigid system; very few last if they do not adapt, and many have had their careers at clubs ended prematurely as a result. Mesüt Özil, for example, has been heavily criticised during his Arsenal career for similar reasons to Pogba at United, but Mourinho was able to get a tune out of him at Real Madrid, because he encouraged a work ethic that developed during their three years together. Eden Hazard has become the player he is at Chelsea in part because Mourinho demanded so much from him at Stamford Bridge. The next step is for him to common ground with Pogba, but there have been issues with Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez in recent months, because they too have not quite found their place. Creative freedom results in excitement, and that is what the fans want to feel when watching their team; but after dropping points against all three promoted sides last season, as well as Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion who were eventually relegated, it is a necessity to closing the monumental gap to rivals Manchester City atop the table next season.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was let go in order to sign Sanchez from Arsenal in January, and while Juan Mata has rekindled a relationship with Mourinho having fallen foul of his treatment of luxury at Chelsea, he is playing less of a role in games nowadays. Pogba, Sanchez and Fred, if all on song, would up the energy and bravery of the team with their propensity for dribbling and creating space, but there isn’t anybody there to pick the final pass, especially following the retirement of Michael Carrick; that must be something Mourinho deals with, as he did at Chelsea, by bringing in Cesc Fabregas, before winning the league in 2015.
After all this time, Paul Pogba has created more problems than he has solved at Manchester United, but Fred, in tandem with Nemanja Matic, can succeed where Ander Herrera struggled and give his career in England a new lease of life. A fully fit, confident and motivated Pogba would make his side a completely new proposition; he has the ability to lift everyone around him, but without somebody who can thread the eye of a needle, Jose Mourinho could fall short yet again.
