Paul Pogba takes first steps on road to becoming Man United great
A brittle ego, a desire to win, a temper, a frustration at watching life not quite go to plan during his time in Manchester and an impatience to get the world’s most popular football club back on track; this personality is a complex mix yet his ability to win is without question.
Yet, for once, Jose Mourinho is not the name that should spring to mind.
It is Paul Pogba.
And he might have taken his first shaky steps on the way to United greatness.
In this riveting, pulsating utterly fantastic occasion — as skilful and as entertaining a match as anyone could wish to close a year out — United, and Pogba, were something else.
After Grant Leadbitter gave Middlesbrough the lead with 23 minutes to go, Aitor Karanka’s men somehow looked on course to pull off a shock victory agains the run of play.
Yet United escaped, in the end, with a wonderful win that Pogba played a central role in achieving.
Alongside Marcus Rashford from the bench and the equally impressive Anthony Martial, Pogba is at last displaying the consistent ability that United paid £89m (€104.4m) for in the summer.
Namely the capability to bend matches in his and United’s favour.
Of course, at 23 he is not the finished article yet.
He is not yet as combustible and as vital as Roy Keane was nor is he the same kind of creative genius that is Ronaldo. But he is getting there.
“He gets into dangerous positions,” Mourinho said of Pogba.
“He has a good shot. He can score goals from outside [the box] and is good in the air. Today he almost hit someone that was behind the goal, but he is a good free-kick taker so he can score goals like that.
“He’s a good penalty taker, but that is no problem because we don’t get penalties! He has a lot of qualities to score goals, so let’s see.”
Mourinho has never been the kind of manager to stroke a player’s ego — ironically enough, given his own is approximately the size of Old Trafford — and he has not changed his policy for Pogba.
Namely, the United manager is demanding that he keeps working in training to fulfil his vast potential.
“If Paul keeps improving and if Manchester United keep improving and doing well in European football then I think he can be a phenomenal player,” Mourinho added.
“A player always has to improve. I think Michael Carrick is still improving. When the moment comes a player thinks there is nothing to improve on or a manager thinks there is no way to improve then it is not good.”
After Leadbitter’s opener — a fine far-post finish following an intelligent headed knock-down by Alvaro Negredo — Mourinho introduced Rashford from the bench.
The United youngster plagued Middlesbrough and linked up superbly with Pogba as well as the evergreen Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial.
With five minutes to go Martial swept United level as Victor Valdes’ goal was finally breached — United had twice hit the post in the first half and Ibrahimovic had also had a goal harshly disallowed during the opening 45 minutes — before Pogba began repaying his transfer fee and then some.
After so much dedicated resistance from Middlesbrough’s defence, all of a sudden their composure and will snapped, a cross came in from Juan Mata and Pogba was there to head home, and thus began writing his own chapter in United’s fabled history.
Middlesbrough’s fans went from delight to desolation in no time at all and the manner of the loss was difficult for a side that is clearly committed, disciplined and up for the challenge of trying to remain in the Premier League.
De Gea 6, Valencia 7, Smalling 7 (Rashford 72, 8), Bailly 6, Blind 6 (Rojo 64, 6), Fellaini 6 (Mata 64, 6), Herrera 7, Martial 8, Pogba 7, Mkhitaryan 6, Ibrahimovic 6.
Romero, Jones, Lingard, Schweinsteiger.
Valdes 7, Chambers 6, Espinosa 7, Gibson 7, Friend 7, Traore 7 (Fabio 82, 6), De Roon 6, Leadbitter 7 (Clayton 78, 7), Forshaw 7, Downing 6 (Ramirez 63, 6), Negredo 7
Guzan, Ayala, Stuani, Rhodes.
Lee Mason
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