Paul Pogba's Time To Shine

Despite having never been embroiled in any scandals, controversies, or run-ins with the law, Paul Pogba is one of the most polarizing players in world football. Some love him and praise him as one of the game’s best players. Others say he’s overrated and isn’t worth the price. There's a mountain of expectations for a guy who moved to a club like Manchester United and with the fee of €89million, you can see why. Fans want to see Pogba perform every week and fulfill his world-class potential. They expected Pogba to arrive at Old Trafford and light up the crowd with his impressive dribbling skills, they expected him to hit thunderbolts into the back of the net. After the highlights we saw of him during his time at Juventus, it was impossible to not be excited, and not to expect him to seamlessly transition to a new league with the same excellence we saw at Juventus. He was brilliant for the Italian giants, and alongside Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, and Claudio Marchisio, Pogba shined and did more than enough for Manchester United to break the world transfer record for him in the summer of 2016.

We're approaching two years since Pogba Part 2 at Manchester United began, yet there's still a lack of consensus surrounding the Frenchman. In his two seasons at Manchester United, Pogba tallied up 15 goals and 18 assists. He played an important role in United's Europa League triumph to seal Champions League qualification in his first season, and, despite form issues, was a vital cog in United's 2nd-place finish in his second season. Now in the World Cup, alongside N'Golo Kanté, Pogba has shown glimpses of what he is truly made of not merely in brief spurts, but in full matches.

 Being the versatile player he is, it's never been nailed down where exactly Pogba's best position is. His energy is exceptional, as is his reading of the game. These attributes, along with his passing ability, make him an ideal “plug wherever and play” type of midfielder, but that doesn’t mean he will perform at his full potential no matter the formation. Pogba is best suited in a midfield attacking role or a box to box role, and if you limit his creativity in the role you play him in, you are ultimately hurting your team’s chances of winning. He needs the freedom to get forward and make things happen in the final third. We saw numerous times that the Manchester United attack was better when Pogba was further forward; even if he’s not scoring, Pogba is always looking to set up his teammates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TutBYB4KCi4