Old Trafford had been waiting far too long to see a performance like this.
Returning son Paul Pogba elegantly bestrode the Theatre of Dreams, recovering from an amateurish first touch to look every inch a world-record £89 million (Dh425m) recruit. He oozed confidence, eating up the yards in possession and never once showing any reticence.
Fellow home debutant – and Mino Raiola client – Zlatan Ibrahimovic stole the headlines by claiming both goals in the 2-0 triumph against Southampton. Yet it was the France midfielder who put in Friday’s defining performance.
A midfield malaise which has lasted since the indefatigable Roy Keane’s powers waned is at an end. Measured anchorman Michael Carrick has proven a credit to the club since his arrival a decade ago and Owen Hargreaves promised much before injury cruelly robbed him of a playing career. But neither of them has reached the ceaseless levels recorded during the explosive and trophy-laden 12-year stay experienced by ‘Keano’.
Jose Mourinho’s mind would also have surely switched back to the year the Republic of Ireland icon departed in 2005 and his own actions. In situ at Chelsea at the time, a push for the talismanic Steven Gerrard would ultimately fail at the point when a transfer of cataclysmic proportions from Liverpool seemed destined to go through.
VIDEO: Individual highlights of Paul Pogba's first game back at Manchester United. #Pogback #mufc https://t.co/MkIv78YPYa
— United Prodigy (@UnitedProdigy) August 20, 2016
The manager’s desire for an all-action figure in the middle of the park now appears sated at his new home in the north west of England.
Pogba – whom the Portuguese trailed last summer prior to his second stint at Chelsea entering its death spin – was magnificent, his four years hoovering up trophies at Juventus alongside the likes of Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo providing the perfect finishing school.
Among his team-mates, his 103 touches was 30 more than second-placed Antonio Valencia. Revitalised Marouane Fellaini registered 25 passes less than his exalted partner in top spot, while goalkeeper David De Gea’s seven accurate long balls was just one more than the returning superstar who notched the most of any outfield player.
Vitally, Pogba’s giant stride and graceful feet saw him complete a monster eight dribbles. This was five more than right-back Valencia and way above countryman Anthony Martial’s 2.7 average per game last term, which was the high-water mark during Louis van Gaal’s stodgy denouement.
The effectiveness of the repeat driving runs forward made Pogba resemble the biggest boy on the schoolyard. That this came in the most-competitive league in the world and against the team who finished only one place below United in sixth speaks volumes for his impact.
This dynamism was also key off the ball, his five interceptions the most of any United player and way above Chris Smalling’s 2.8 average last term. He also won the most duels, with 20.
Pogba's game by numbers vs Southampton:
— Squawka Dave (@SquawkaDave) August 19, 2016
2 key passes
3 tackles
3 shots
5 interceptions
11 take-ons
67 passes#MUFC pic.twitter.com/lzCf5233oC
Such omnipotent performances were glaringly absent in the final years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s momentous reign, as a befuddling blind spot to his midfield ails occurred. More recent purchases such as Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera have also looked incapable of consistently delivering such searing excellence.
The days of seeing the inapt Tom Cleverley and ever-expanding Anderson are long over. A true successor to the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton and Bryan ‘Captain Marvel’ Robson has been recruited.
