Nostalgia is a dangerous thing, certainly chief among the perils of a rich and successful history.
Nothing is permanent and in football success is cyclical. The greatest empires struggle to grasp the concept though, developing a false sense of entitlement, and few were greater than the one Sir Alex Ferguson built at Manchester United.
For some, their ongoing fall from grace spanning seven long years was inconceivable. Glory days of the past haunt the current Old Trafford contingent because everything is measured against what was. But United aren’t what they were and these players pale in comparison to their predecessors.
That’s something Paul Pogba has struggled with. His boundless talent comes at a price – no, not the record sum of £89 million paid to Juventus for him just four years after he was lured away for free as a teenager, though that does complicate matters.
His tremendous ability comes with massive expectations. He’s burdened with being the catalyst of United’s great revival and leading them out of the doldrums. As a World Cup winner and one of the best midfielders in the game, he’s expected to take a game by the scruff of its neck.
Perhaps that stems from comparisons to compatriot Eric Cantona who was the catalyst for United’s new and successful era 27 years ago.
Pogba is certainly capable, he proved as much in last season’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium when he scored a brace in a terrific second-half display which saw the visitors recover from 2-0 down at the break to claim a thrilling 3-2 win.
"We let the manager speak, he told us the truth" @paulpogba reflects on how the #MUFC dressing room reacted to Sunday's humiliation at Everton.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 23, 2019
Watch full exclusive interview with Pogba: https://t.co/QUgYqCU8ny pic.twitter.com/H90m6kNhsh
But does he have the temperament to perform such heroics repeatedly? The evidence suggests not.
He could do little to steady the ship at Goodison Park. In such an insipid team performance however, Pogba was far from the worst player. Some of his stats during the 4-0 humiliation at Everton were even impressive as he created four big chances.
In fact, there was one moment in the first half while trailing 1-0 when Pogba produced the kind of quality that didn’t belong in that United display.
The Frenchman dropped deep in a hurry, yelling frantically to receive possession while his side tentatively inched the ball away from their own area. Chris Smalling eventually obliged and in one swift motion, Pogba turned with the ball and pinged a long-raking pass forward which was inch-perfect for Marcus Rashford.
He created a big chance out of nothing and a world class striker or certainly one further along in his development would’ve drawn the visitors level and changed the game.
Think Ryan Giggs’ pass for Robin van Persie to score a stoppage-time equaliser during an FA Cup third round fixture at Upton Park back in 2013.
The Dutchman’s sublime first touch cushioned the ball into his path perfectly before slotting his finish into the far corner with his weaker foot – ice running through his veins.
In contrast, Rashford showed little faith in his ability to bring the ball under his spell with blue shirts bearing down on him. A great opportunity turned into a half-chance the moment he decided to let it bounce. He didn’t have the confidence to strike it with his left foot either, awkwardly prodding it over the bar with his right.
It’s a harsh criticism to make of a budding 21-year-old who may one day scale the heights of world football but such are the margins at the highest level.
And that brings us to what hinders Pogba the most, more than tactics or the position in which he is deployed. He doesn’t have the support cast around him to flourish. Love him or hate him, there’s no escaping the fact that he’s the most talented player at Old Trafford right now.
What he is not is the strong character his team-mates look to when the chips are down. He is not Eric Cantona and United must accept that. Maybe he doesn’t have to be Cantona though, maybe he’s Dimitar Berbatov instead and simply needs fighters around him.
Pogba requires the likes of Wayne Rooney, Park Ji-Sung, Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic. He needs fierce competitors around him to run and fight so he can thrive and create.
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is serious about wanting to build a team around Pogba, then those are the kind of players and characters he should be pursuing to do so.
The frustrations over the mercurial Frenchman from United fans is understandable but they’re also misguided. Demands of him to be something he’s not are unreasonable and his potential departure in the summer would only be to the detriment of a team sorely lacking star quality as it is.
Stop comparing him to Cantona or players of that ilk. Nostalgia is a dangerous thing.
