John O'Shea: Paul Pogba leaving Utd is best for both parties

1 June 2022; Assistant coach John O'Shea during a Republic of Ireland U21's press conference at FAI Headquarters in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

John O’Shea hadn't long left Old Trafford for Sunderland by the time Paul Pogba made his senior debut for Manchester United against Leeds in the Carling Cup but he’d already seen the young Frenchman’s potential as he rose up through the ranks.

Pogba joined in 2009 from Le Havre and returned in 2016 to serious acclaim after a successful four-year spell with Juventus, but it never really happened for him at his old digs and news yesterday of his impending exit came as no surprise.

“I played with Paul a long time ago and he was super talented back then,” said O’Shea. “I’m sure he’s hoping for himself too that he finds that consistent level of performance that he wasn’t able to find at different stages of the season over the spell when he came back.

“When you saw the goals and assists that he was able to get when he was fully fit, and the team was actually playing well, you saw what an important asset he was. Unfortunately, he had a few injuries too and couldn’t probably get back to that level.

“Not only Paul, the team suffered a lot too. It’s gotten to the case where a fresh start for everyone is probably the best scenario.” 

On the slide since Alex Ferguson stepped down almost a decade ago, United deteriorated into a laughing stock last season. The incoming Erik Ten Hag will be the eighth man to hold the reins, whether in a full or temporary capacity, since the Scot retired.

Patience, never a fruitful commodity at that level, will be required.

“Look, everyone knows it’s going to be a huge challenge for him, but he’ll hopefully get the backing and time like everyone talks about,” said O’Shea. “But whether they actually do it or not is the other thing. You need results too.

“There is that fine balance of, ‘is there progression and improvement, but are we giving him actual time to do that?’ And it’s going to be a case of what players he can get in. That will ultimately be the key, because of the turnover of players in the summer, with the players that are leaving and who he can get in.

“But you saw the work he did at Ajax. Look, it’s obviously very different, the Dutch league compared to the Premier League, but he was successful. 

"He brought younger players through, he was really competitive at a European level too, at the top level, and he looks like he has got that hunger and appetite to really compete at the top from his first press conference as well, which I thought was quite impressive.”