Paul Pogba 's return to Manchester United may not have been a successful one, but there will still be a huge whole to fill for Erik ten Hag according to Scott McTominay.
Pogba remains the club record transfer after being brought back to United for £89million in 2016, but he failed to take the Red Devils to the next level. Most United fans are happy to see the back of Pogba, and now Ten Hag can reset and adjust the midfield to cooperate with his system.
The Frenchman has moments of brilliance in a United shirt, and certainly did not lack ability although unfortunately for Pogba he couldn't show it consistently. But McTominay said back in 2020 that there are things Pogba can do that no other player can.
Players can be replaced, but certain qualities about them cannot, especially if they are unique. And McTominay clearly looked up to Pogba, who he claimed was one of the 'best examples in world football' from the midfield position.
His backing of Pogba came after Graeme Souness called out the Frenchman for being a "doddle to play against", in one of many outbursts by the Scottish pundit. McTominay said in an interview back in 2020: "You've got the physique and the presence to hold people off and the burst of speed where you can get through as well.
"There's so many good examples of it in world football. Paul's probably one of the best examples of it, he's very, very powerful and gets across the grass really, really quickly. It's a dangerous tool to have in the middle of the pitch as well."
McTominay is also a player that's waiting to take the next step at United, and will be hoping that he is in Ten Hag's plans for the upcoming season. He criticised himself and again drew inspiration from Pogba in an attempt to improve his game.
"For myself, someone who's quite strong and a good runner, I should be testing teams more than I do," he added. I should be breaking lines similar to what Paul does, drive into the box and create chances.
"We always have to have that balance of one goes and one sits, which is so important for a midfield player. Being box-to-box, there’s some amazing examples.
"Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, driving through the middle of the pitch and were exceptionally good at it. For me it’s important to keep watching clips like that, I get the guys to send them over as much as they can to analyse it."
Pogba isn't the only midfield asset that United have lost, as Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matic have all left the club this summer. The midfield is an area of priority for Ten Hag, although Frenkie de Jong is linked with a move.
They may not have the qualities that Pogba can impose anymore, but amidst a summer rebuild it was always imperative that the Frenchman moved on. There has been a dressing room problem at United for some time, and removing Pogba may be the beginning of a detoxification behind closed doors.
