For several minutes after the Manchester United players had left the Old Trafford pitch on Tuesday the TV cameras lingered on the youngster who had landed the ultimate souvenir from his night out: Paul Pogba’s match-worn shirt.
As the stadium emptied around him, the boy beamed in disbelief and looked at the red shirt in his hands with incredulity. You could have turned the Old Trafford floodlights off at that moment and the smile would still have illuminated the pitch.
You could hardly blame the family for lingering inside Old Trafford when the alternative might have been joining the masses trying to navigate the Metrolink chaos, but this was also the final memory of what was clearly going to be an unforgettable night.
The shirtless Pogba was the last player off the pitch and, as he headed towards the tunnel, the Red Army singing section roared their approval.
This had been another night of ripostes to those that believe Pogba is ticking down the days until his contract expires at the end of June and he can escape his United purgatory.
Make no mistake, the 28-year-old cares deeply about this football club.
He spent some of the first half doing some coaching from the touchline as he warmed up and he improved United’s midfield considerably when he did come on the final 17 minutes. The gift of his shirt was another show of appreciation to the supporters.
It’s nearly three years now since Pogba said he wanted a new challenge. That desire wasn’t fuelled by unhappiness at Old Trafford, but at the sense this was a club struggling to match his ambition. There have been some statement transfer windows since then but not the kind of joined-up strategy that is required to win the Premier League these days. United are still stagnating, if not stuck in reverse.
Pogba never forgot his first stint at United, despite the acrimonious circumstances in which he left.
When he returned in 2016 he reacquainted himself with some of his youth team colleagues. He struck up a good relationship once again with Jesse Lingard and got back in touch with former teammates such as John Cofie, who by now had left the professional game and was coaching at a school in the Ribble Valley.
Pogba cares, but a player of his talents also needs to see the physical rewards for his career. The World Cup win with France will never be topped, but for six years at Old Trafford he has a Europa League and a League Cup. It’s a paltry return for a player who has spent his prime years at the club.
He hasn’t always performed to the standard expected of an £89million signing but for the last 15 months he has been consistently good. After three months out with an ankle injury, he has hit the ground running under Rangnick in a midfield system that is starting to suit him. United’s interim manager even told him to put himself in the shop window with his performances
He could sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club at any time now and Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris St-Germain probably all offer better routes to a trophy now.
It’s very rare for a player at this elite level to enter the final six months of his contract at a club and still stay, but it’s not impossible. The pandemic has changed the nature of finances in Europe and the Premier League is where the power lies now.
But if there’s a very slim chance of Pogba extending his contract right now, it’s non-existent if United don’t qualify for next season’s Champions League.
United’s statements of intent in the transfer window haven’t worked. They need to show Pogba in the next couple of months that they actually have a plan. The identity of the next manager and a clear playing style are principle to that.
Pogba’s performances in the last four games have won the fans over once again, but unless United can present a clear plan for success, this is going to be the farewell tour.
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