Paul Pogba's final appearance for Manchester United was against Liverpool in April. Pogba started at Anfield but he lasted just 10 minutes on the pitch. Just three days before that game, Pogba had arrogantly cupped his ear to the Stretford End.
That gesture from Pogba was met by 'f*** off' and audible boos. Although Pogba claims to 'love' United, that was a strange way of showing it. The player's marriage with the club has been toxic for some time now and divorce this summer was inevitable. Pogba has failed during his second stint at Old Trafford and he won't be fondly remembered. The '#Pogback' experiment didn't work.
Pogba seemed to have the world at his feet when he re-signed for United in 2016 for a then world record transfer fee of £89million. Pogba had scored 34 goals and notched 40 assists across his four years in Turin and had established himself as one of Europe's finest midfielders. His return to Manchester was a transfer for the romantics, but this fairy-tale rarely looked like having a happy ending.
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The Frenchman leaves United on a free transfer this summer, 10 years after he last the left club as a free agent. Pogba was supposed to elevate United to the next level yet he is departing with the club at its lowest point in decades.
Pogba's exit feels symbolic. United are in transition and Erik ten Hag needs a fresh start, so it was best for all parties for the midfielder to leave. Although United had offered Pogba a new deal, he did United a favour by rejecting it.
Ironically, Pogba rejecting a new contract might be the standout contribution from his last year at the club. Pogba enjoyed a strong August and February last season, but he was unable to consistently produce, which has been the haunting theme of his second stint at United. The player's talent has never been doubted. His commitment, attitude and consistency certainly have been.
Pogba cupping his ear to the Stretford End after United scraped a 3-2 win against Dean Smith's doomed Norwich side showed an incredible lack of self-awareness. Pogba has earned millions at United and making such a gesture to his own supporters was a brazen insult.
Pogba continues to insult supporters after leaving the club. Amazon Prime have produced a documentary - it's actually called 'The Pogmentary' - on the player and it will be released this week, but The Athletic have obtained an early glimpse of the footage.
“Did Manchester (United) make a second offer?” Pogba asks his late agent Mino Raiola in the documentary, in footage filmed last year. “Yes. They absolutely want you to stay. For me, the offer doesn’t reflect that," Raiola responds. “They’re bluffing,” Pogba says. "How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and offer him nothing? Never seen that."
Contrary to his comments, United did offer Pogba a new contract, with improved terms on his existing £290,000-a-week deal, he just perceived it as not lucrative enough. Millions of people in the UK were on their knees, yet more than £15million a year, to Pogba, was seemingly 'nothing'. Pogba insisted United were making a mistake by not offering him an improved deal, but the most obvious mistake the club made is not getting rid of him sooner.
The sobering truth is that Pogba needs a reality check. Success is measured by silverware at United and Pogba won the Europa League and the League Cup in six years. Those two trophies were never going to be enough to negate the constant unsettling, disrespectful noise from his camp, his underwhelming performances and his dubious commitment to the shirt.
Just like all dysfunctional marriages, Pogba is not the only party that's at fault. United didn't sell him when they had the chance and incompetence from the hierarchy created an unhealthy environment surrounding the club during his second stint.
Regardless, there have still been players that have delivered on the pitch and that have won the respect of supporters across the last decade, in a period in which the club has wrestled with its identity. Pogba is obviously not included on that list.
It seemed Pogba's United legacy was destined to be failure and his latest comments to come to light have made sure of that.
Au revoir, Paul Pogba.
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