Man Utd verdict: Paul Pogba scores on the pitch… but actions off it cost Solskjaer dear in Leipzig disaster

HAVE no doubt Paul Pogba played his part in this result. 

On the pitch Pogba gave Manchester United a lifeline with his late header. Off it, however, he had already damaged them.

The player who blames Covid for his early season form popped Manchester United’s bubble on the eve of this game by allowing his agents mouth to run riot again.

United were up and pumping and confident as they looked ahead to facing Leipzig. On the back of another comeback victory away from home they flew out to Germany full of confidence.

Then the narrative changed. Suddenly it was all about Pogba.

The player sat amongst his friends and team-mates on the plane to Leipzig had already planted a seed of destruction.

His agent Mino Raiola was being quoted in Italy about how Pogba’s time at Old Trafford was over, he was unhappy,  the tactics did not suit him etc etc..

Of course we have heard all this whinging before from Raiola. But the timing of this ahead of United’s biggest game of the season was disgusting.

Big games like this require big names putting in big performances. Yet while Pogba’s name might resonate his performances certainly do not.

What his name should not then do is become a sideshow that affects the main event.

It may surprise people that Pogba is a popular guy in the dressing room, not just a virus bringing people down like Alexis Sanchez was.

That in a way makes things worse because it will affect teammates more if he is rocking the boat.

Ole Solskjaer has been at pains to defend him again and again. Credit to him for that, but the credit has run out.

It was right Pogba was not in the starting line-up in Leipzig last night. He should not have been on the bench either.

He should have been sent home on the next plane back to Manchester as soon as Solskjaer became aware of what Raiola had said.

If Pogba was unaware of what was coming then he should have publicly denounced it when it hit the online headlines.

No doubt when he does next speak he will claim he still loves United and wants to win things with them blah blah blah.. Don’t bother.

Rarely have I known such anger amongst United fans against one of their own as there was in the run-up to this game. His goal will not have tempered that.

They have already grown sick of his pathetic performances in a United shirt. He was awful again on Saturday before he scored at West Ham, barely breaking sweat.

Compare what he puts into a game with the likes of Scott McTominay. It is little wonder he gets the nod ahead of him.

Goodness me does he put a shift in every time he pulls the United shirt on.

Roy Keane will tell you that is the least you should expect, but his high standards have dropped considerably in recent years

People may draw comparisons to his own stance when he refused to sign a new contract because he wasn’t being offered enough.

He was trying to break the £50,000 a week barrier for United players and was within his rights.

As was Wayne Rooney when he threatened to leave because he felt the Glazers were not investing enough in the team.

On both occasions these were players doing it on the pitch. Pogba doesn’t.

Solskjaer claimed it was tactical that Pogba did not start last night. I don’t doubt he was always going to start McTominay and Nemanja Matic, which tells it’s own story where Pogab is concerned.

He did bring him on after 60 minutes more in hope than anything else with the game already wandering away from United.

He couldn’t pull it round. They had lost this in the opening 13 minutes and maybe before even a ball had been kicked.

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