Paul Pogba is all set for a move to Serie A Champions Juventus following half a season of uncertainty. Sir Alex Ferguson told MUTV this evening that as far as he was concerned, the move was sealed a while back. Pogba was reported to have wanted more playing time and a hefty pay rise, which was subsequently turned down. The scenario echoes that of Ravel Morrison, who signed for West Ham earlier in the season following a similar dispute (although the latter also had many off the field problems). The young Frenchman, who has inaccurately been likened to former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, signed for United in 2009 from Le Havre.
Pogba made his first team debut this season against Leeds in the League Cup. United won the game 3-0, with Michael Owen scoring a brace and Ryan Giggs netting the third. He went onto make six more substitute appearances (three in the league), but failed to make a first team start in any competition. He was part of the infamous FA Youth Cup winning midfield in 2010/11 and was produced an inspired display against Chelsea in the semi finals of that competition where he ran the second half (scoring a goal and assisting the other), getting United back into the game (although United lost 3-2, Chelsea were hammered 4-0 at Old Trafford.
Pogba’s loss will mean little for United’s first team right now but the club have lost a talent. Whilst his ability has probably been overstated at present, his potential is unquestionable. That said, he endured a poor season in 2011/12 at Reserve level, only rarely hitting the heights that many know he can. Ferguson played his part in it all too – claiming Pogba was part of his first team squad but then not using him until the latter part of the season. In truth, Pogba wasn’t ready for more playing time at United but a seed had been sown in his head an he clearly wanted more.
The move to Juventus probably is primarily about money – Juventus are clearly willing to pay more than United in wages. After all, why should United be held to ransom by an agent for a player who’s never started a game for the club? Even at Juventus, Pogba will find it hard to break into the team – Pirlo, Marchisio, Vidal and probably soon Asamoah are just a few of the players ahead of him. It’s been suggested he may be loaned to either Udinese (as part of a move for Asamoah) or to Pescara (as part of a move for Verratti); either way, it’s unlikely he’ll be wearing the stripes of Juventus regularly, any time soon. You can hear more in detail about his move on our upcoming podcast with Anto from Beyond The Pitch.
Best of luck to Pogba – there’s no point pretending to not be disappointed about a) his loss, and b) the club’s inability to retain talent. Pogba’s arguably one of the top midfield talents in Europe so there’s little way to positively spin losing him, talent-wise. Given the chance and plenty of patience, he should have a good career. It’s just a disappointing way to leave the club with Ferguson seemingly particularly angered by it suggesting Pogba had shown the club no respect.
Pogba can fuck right off! Gutted the lad has gone to be honest! Was a joy to watch the lad over the years in the touth and reserve teams + best of luck to him @ Juve.
Just want to say that u rarely hear Fergie talk a player up like Pogba the way he did last season. He said a number of times the lad was a def 1st team player and could have a great career at MUFC. Looking back on it now, Fergie must def feel embarrassed by the whole situation and rightly so. The kid has treated MUFC with no respect whatsoever just as Fergie has said. His agent is another story as well. Whatever what can u do.
Ravel…and now Pogba gone eh. It just shows u that Youth and Reserve Football doenst mean much. United supporters including myself get way too excited when we see a player like Pogba coming through the system. Its basically impossible to come through Uniteds youth system and make it into the 1st team to play week in and week out. There’s just too much competition and rightly so. When Giggs, Scholes, Becks, Butt, the Nevilles etc came trhough the youth system, in those days it was nothing like how things are today. Yes they were unbelievable players at that age but its just very different in todays game. Pogba would have and could have been a terrific player for United had he stayed and there’s no doubt about it in my mind.
So now our atttention turns to youth players such as Daehli, januzaj, blackett, Perreira, Barmby etc. Don’t get your hopes up fellas. They may well do great in Uniteds youth team and reserves just as the likes of ravel, pogba, norwood, james etc have done but at the end of the day people have to realise that in todays world, players of this callibre won’t wait forever to be given a chance to break into Uniteds 1st team and to be honest – how can u blame them?? Its all about playing regular football and making a real name for themselves in the football world and playing reserves football and making the odd 1st team appearance hear and there is just not going to cut it gor them.
that’s a huge loss in terms of talent as well as more abstract commodity like reputation and prestige also had been dented (explain: in a nowadays football money is one of the most important tools to keep hold of talent or to get one, and obviously that plays big part in future football stars minds – nobody wants to be undervalued these days especialy like clubs round the corner can offer better conditions.people just need to get on with what, and that fergie bollocks about disrespecting the club is ridiculous (sour grapes) and it’s just a one of those fergie little lies frankly, anyway the matter of fact is we lost one of the greatest talents in europe and i’am sure we will keep losing/not attracting much more because of our perilous financial – managerial situation (everybody not with rose tinted goggles understands what it’s not just glazers a bad guys, but fergie as well, indeed he is one of them. club like united shouldn’t haggle over penies that’s for sure
yeh minimal is right, that ferguson guy is too blame, and if you dont agree with that then your clearly biased as its obvious right. I mean, what has that ferguson fella everdone for united anyway, right?
Haha city have better conditions? lol what are they then? they can offer better wages but a lower standard of everything else, that why their best youth player also just packed his bags
@collyhurst red fergie was great for us for last 20 years or something, but his alliance with glazers ruinining all his legacy i’am afraid because glazers regime eventualy drag us down to l’pool level for sure. i mean we are making 100million pounds profits a year. and where all these money gone?? we could outbid chelsea and city in any deal if glazers were not in charge.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jul/04/manchester-united-fans-concern
just read this fucking bit and you will understand how fucked we are and how much fergie is to blame for that. forget the fucking past mate look to the future and it doesnt look very bright for sure
Oh, no, it’s all doom and gloom.
if care about club you should be concerned to..
Doom and gloom? No it’s not. We missed out on championship on goal dif. Yes fergie is culpable in his liaison with glazers, but we are still a good side. The dissapointing thing about losing pogba is he’s the type of player we need to strengthen the side, even if he wasn’t quite ready.
Thing about close season is you reflect, but in your mind you magnify both the teams strengths and weaknesses. We may or may not win league next season, and it’s in the balance in
my opinion dependent on signing the right players over next few weeks, but we will definately be there or there abouts.
Fergie to blame for that? How so? U’re an idiot. Show some respect to the man who made United today!
I’d found its ridiculous if ‘supposed’ united fan believe in the media more than his own manager. Didnt they realized, we’ve been fucked up eversince 90’s according the media?
I think that the time for reflection is not the close season but during-the-season. I doubt that UTD make up a list of targets at the end of May – from what I can understand, this is done in March, after extensive scouting and cross-checking.
About Pogba – maybe he was the “type of player we need to strengthen the side” but, then again, maybe he had the physicality and skill but not the heart to be a UTD player. Same goes for Morrison and, it seems, Fryers. Additionally, the very fact that when UTD’s midfield crumbled over the Xmas/NewYear period, SAF went back to Paul Scholes seems to tell a significant story in-and-of-itself with regard to Fergy’s valuation of Pogba’s real value as opposed to his “potential”.
Secondly, the fact that UTD were happier plunking down 4,000,000 for Nick Powell rather than giving M. Pogba 20,000 a week tells another story – if my math is roughly correct then the Powell-transfer (including wages) would cost MORE than Pogba would be given for a “beginner’s” four-year contract. AND, UTD have traditionally torn up first-time contracts and doubled or tripled a player’s wages when/if he proves his value – as seems to be the case with DannyTheLad.
The reality of the current situation is that for a player to choose to play in Manchester he has to be bribed (as in the case of Nasri, Tevez, et. al., at ManShitty) or else have some sort of “affinity” for UTD (as seems to be the case with KagawaBunga). No “foreigner” in his right mind is going to choose rainy M/C over the glitter and bling of LondonTown. Selling M/C is an uphill task – it might have been Sir Matt Busby’s “heaven” but it’s surely not Joao X’s or Juan Y’s idea of paradise. AND, I’d imagine that the selling-job is even harder with a kid of, say 20 who has significant choices in this matter. Back to Pogba – Torino/Manchester ??????
It remains to be seen if Paul Pogba grows into stardom – or swirls down the footie-toilet like Ravel Morrison.