The last few weeks have not been kind on the Frenchman who has played more than just a bit part to his team’s inability to come away with crucial wins.
During his side’s 1-1 draw against rivals Liverpool, the Frenchman rose high above to meet a header, looking to take the ball out of the danger zone. Little did he know that it would prove to be a huge error of judgment as the ball hit his flaying arms.
The referee made no hesitation but to award Liverpool a penalty kick. The attempt to handle the ball was not intentional but neither was the manner to go for a header!
It was poor judgment on the part of a midfielder who is supposed to be good at basic things such as heading a ball clear.
That miscalculation saw all of Manchester United’s hardwork being undone as Liverpool took the lead, a lead they largely didn’t deserve based on how they fared up till James Milner promptly tucked away the ensuing penalty kick.
It was only the predatory instincts of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the dying embers of the game that the Red Devils were able to snatch a point. They could have had so much more but their talismanic star, their marquee signing just did not live up to the expectations that come with such a hefty price tag.
We are not even going to discuss the exact amount that Jose Mourinho’s side splashed out to have Pogba make a return to Old Trafford. Regardless of the manner in which he conceded a penalty could have been forgiven had the young Frenchman gave any impression of a man trying to make amends.
The remainder of the game saw Pogba’s influence wane with the Frenchman struggling to deliver the sort of accurate passes that made him such an influential member of the Juventus side.
The recent encounter against Stoke City was no different where he failed to dominate proceedings. It appears that Pogba has started regressing after some promising displays during the November to December part of the current campaign.
An extravagant lifestyle and a proclivity to flash haircuts may not have affected his performances but it would eventually start irking fans if the midfielder fails to realize the potential which is there for all to see.
At the moment, the United faithful are being traditionally patient with their marquee signing. However, the longer this continues, it would be interesting to see if Pogba faces the same wrath from the vocal supporters which Marouanne Fellaini received a few weeks ago.
At the age of 23, Pogba has time on his side, has a great coaching staff around him and senior players to reach out to. But then again, that’s exactly what Memphis Depay had but the Dutchman didn’t make full use of it.
Unlike the Dutchman however, Pogba has shown flashes of brilliance here and there but then again, for a player of his reputation and price, the world will always expect the sort of consistency big name players bring to their teams.
The clock might not be ticking fast for the world’s most expensive player but it sure is ticking and the next few weeks could give us an indication of whether the current form is just a blip on the radar or he would be another expensive flop at Old Trafford.