Didier Deschamps once said that he thinks the world has an 'image of Paul Pogba that doesn't really reflect who he is.
That was long the case during Pogba's time at Manchester United after making a then-world record move back to Old Trafford from Juventus in 2016. Beforehand, he had been viewed as one of the most promising academy talents in the club's history before deciding to head off to Turin to kickstart his senior career.
Pogba himself has admitted that he's made mistakes during his career. But somewhere along the way, an elite midfielder stopped being a player and became a symbol. Whatever was wrong at United, he often was the first name mentioned in the tabloids even if he'd been sidelined and results hadn't gone his side's way.
English football did Pogba a disservice
When United paid £89 million to bring him back in 2016, that number followed him everywhere. Every misplaced pass was judged against the fee. Every game where he didn’t dominate was proof he “wasn’t worth it”.
No other player in that dressing room was held to that standard. Not the ones who signed long contracts and coasted. Not the ones who were never going to be good enough from day one.
Pogba had the price tag, the personality, the haircuts, the agent, and that made him the perfect target. In actuality, English football should have been celebrating one of the most larger-than-life personalities who couldn't carry United out of a gloomy period by himself.
And yet, look at what Pogba actually did in the Red Devils shirt. He helped win the League Cup and the Europa League in his first season. Standout performances in 2017-18 pushed United to second in the league for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
Pogba's peak came during France's World Cup campaign and it felt at that time the football world realised he wasn't the problem at Old Trafford. Such was his influence on Les Bleus that he earned a place in the Team of the Tournament.
Solskjaer spell tells the story
Pogba at his best is simply unstoppable and if you want proof of that, look at his famous display in Manchester United's 3-2 comeback win over Manchester City at the Etihad in 2018. That came amid tension with Jose Mourinho and once Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over, the handbrake came off, and suddenly he became a different player.
Driving forward, scoring, creating, smiling, United went on a run that had the whole stadium believing again, and Pogba was at the heart of it. That wasn’t a coincidence, it was a midfielder given freedom and a manager who backed him.
"He can play anywhere, the whole midfield. He's a box-to-box midfielder. He can drop deep, play them long passes, get higher up and combine, [play] one-twos - him and Anthony [Martial] and Marcus [Rashford] creating chances down that side - so it depends on the game" - Solskjaer in December 2019.
It's no coincidence that Pogba's best season came under Solskjaer in 2018-19. He scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in 47 games across competitions, proving just how incredibly talented he is.
It's a United problem
United's lack of stability goes without mention when critics assess Pogba's time at the club. There are now countless £100m+ transfers occurring in the Premier League and none of them are under as much scrutiny as the Frenchman.
Pogba played under Mourinho, Solskjaer, Michael Carrick and Ralf Rangnick, four different managers and four different playing philosophies. The lack of a clear midfield plan and the constant churn of coaches is down to the club not the player.
"Changing (United) coach every year is hard - this was a difficult aspect for me. Then there were a few injuries, but I think it was also a mental thing - playing and not playing makes you lose pace. There is a bit of everything: coach, team, position. All this has blocked me a bit" - Pogba in July 2022
In July 2022, he left the Theatre of Dreams for a second time after his contract expired. This gave critics the perfect opportunity to pounce and point out midfield improvement.
Radio silence fell upon this because there wasn't a sudden shift in performances from midfield. Issues remained including under Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and now Carrick.
On this occasion, Pogba couldn't be scapegoated and instead the club's recruitment and squad as a whole are under heavy criticism. In fact, the Red Devils' midfield had been more stable and dominant with Pogba in it but inevitably there is no mention of this from pundits.
Heading into November in 2026 and United are sat 17th in the league, only above the relegation places via goal difference. But times have changed and now the media have their pitchforks out for those in the hierarchy rather than the club's most expensive footballer.
