French midfielder Paul Pogba scored a brace in Manchester United’s 3-1 home win over Huddersfield to emerge as the Man of the Match in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game in charge at Old Trafford.
It’s been a wonderful Boxing Day for the Frenchman who endured a fractious relationship with former manager Jose Mourinho. Pogba is back with a smile on his face as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims his player “is happy now”.
Happiness the Key
As a World Cup winner and a midfielder widely perceived as one of the best on the planet, Manchester United’s record returnee has been unable to display his true value for the majority of time back at Old Trafford.
And even though Pogba failed to produce goods at the pitch and justify the hefty price tag Manchester United had to dig deep into their pockets for in order to bring him back from Juventus, it’s fair to say his poor performances were not exclusively his doing.
For one, Mourinho’s pragmatic – and overall defence-oriented – approach did not suite Pogba’s set of skills and qualities. Secondly, Paul Pogba is a player who needs support and an occasional tap on the back in order to be on top of his game.
At Manchester United – especially during the 2018/19 season – Pogba has constantly been on the wrong foot with Jose Mourinho who went from installing the Frenchman as a captain to stripping the captaincy off and making him a sub player.
The two were involved in several clashes outside the pitch and it’s fair to assume Pogba was not happy playing for the Portuguese. And happiness seems to be the secret of his success. Paul Pogba enjoyed a friendly relationship with Juventus manager Max Allegri and videos of these two playing basketball and getting involved in all sorts of challenges after training hours are a clear indication of their bond.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked with Pogba during his time as a United reserve team manager and knows that keeping the Frenchman happy would help him get back to his absolute best.
So happy for 3 points and 2 goals at home with our supporters and family there. Have great blessed holidays everyone, loads of love 🌟 @ManUtd #mufc #heretocreate pic.twitter.com/R8gVwIxOzP
— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) December 26, 2018
Numbers Don’t Lie
“That’s the Paul I have known since he was in the reserves and youth team”, enthused Solskjaer following the 3-1 win over Huddersfield.
With a brace he contributed towards the final result and with two assists from the 5-1 drubbing of Cardiff in Solskjaer’s first game in charge, Paul Pogba has now been involved in four goals in two games. To further illustrate his direct impact under the Norwegian, let’s just point out that Pogba made eight shots with five of them going on target.
.@paulpogba: Man of the Match vs Huddersfield @ManUtd
Goals – 2
Shots – 5
Shots on Target – 4
Key Passes – 3
Dribbles – 4
Interceptions – 3
Touches – 117
Rating – 10.0 🔥Full player ratings — https://t.co/8VQCVABMEC pic.twitter.com/JRmt3jPKfD
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) December 26, 2018
His four involvements in two games is the same number as in his final 12 Premier League games under Jose Mourinho. During this time, the World Cup winner managed one goal and three assists. Furthermore, he only spent 15 minutes on the pitch in Mourinho’s last three matches in charge.
Different Style, Different Man
Manchester United as a team look completely different under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Paul Pogba is benefitting from the change.
The Red Devils – and Paul Pogba as the bannerman – have been liberated. With their true attacking potential finally unlocked, Manchester United got their swagger back. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought an immediate change into the way Manchester United approach the game and it is already bearing fruit.
One of the key changes is letting Paul Pogba becoming the focal point of Manchester United’s play.
With the likes of Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and/or Fred keeping the base of the midfield just ahead of the backline, Paul Pogba has got enough support behind him to finally go forward. Under Jose Mourinho he was in constant restraint, forced to drop deep back and focus on defensive duties.
Finally unleashed, the Frenchman is now allowed to charge forward with a smile on his face. The advanced midfield position is his natural habitat and a place in which Paul Pogba is most productive. In two games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Paul Pogba attempted 68 and 61 passes in the opponent’s half, respectively, which are his second and third best returns this entire season.
Solskjaer’s tactical shift resulted in a clear revitalization of Paul Pogba who is once again a focal point of Manchester United. The Frenchman thrives in that role and Manchester United supporters should be happy about getting the old Pogba back.
Manchester United continue the festive run with a home game against Bournemouth on Sunday and Paul Pogba is given 13/8 betting odds to get his name on the score sheet again.
Will he?
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