COMMENT: Paul Pogba and his legacy. What he leaves, it can actually be positive. From the top, down. From the chief exec. To the manager. To his teammates. This six-year spell can be a lesson of how not to indulge a player at Manchester United...
So he's off. The end of an era. And it has been one. No matter what you make of Pogba's contribution over these past six years, United's No6 has been the club's headline act. Not on the pitch. Not where it counts. But in terms of press. Of media. No player has driven the profile and characterisaton of this club more than Paul Pogba.
August 19, 2016. A performance celebrated. A second debut heralded. Against Southampton on a midweek night at a sold-out Old Trafford, Pogba looked every bit a £100m player. It wasn't five-star, but it was close enough. It was potential. The promise of what he would do, once he was fully match fit. Little did we know, for that 2-0 win, Pogba would never reach such heights again.
But at the time, we were all swept away. This column included. A warning from a Juventus coaching source dismissed. Our man in Turin told us the staff at Juve weren't bothered about losing Pogba. And those in the boardroom couldn't believe Ed Woodward had been convinced to part with €105m for a player they'd lost for nothing four years previous.
"We've seen the best of him," our source insisted. "Technically this is as good as he'll get."
As we say, this column dismissed it. But after 40 years on a coaching pitch, you actually learn a thing or two. The humble pie eaten since that August chat six years ago a lesson learned.
Our source has since retired. And there's been a huge overhaul of staff within the Bianconeri since then. But at the time, those inside the club were letting it be known to confidants in the media that Pogba would be no great loss.
And so it's proved. Physically. Technically. You look at Pogba and think 'world-beater'. Especially at 23. But it's a judgment based on what he could be. Improve his positioning. His work off the ball. His decision making. Count on him maturing as a player. As a leader. Give him everything to flourish. And you'll be witnessing the development of a Ballon d'Or winner. Just get on board and enjoy the ride...
Pogba and Ibrahimovic share a moment after Manchester United win the 2017 Europa League final
Only it didn't work out like that. Instead, the 23 year-old midfielder who signed for United now leaves at 29 with no visible areas in his game that have improved. The idea of club captaincy was long abandoned. And now there's an injury record that risks becoming a career issue. If Juve do re-sign the Frenchman next month, the player who returns will be a very different proposition to the one they sent away.
So what of this legacy? This lesson of indulgence? Well, in the dressing room, it's been clear that since Zlatan Ibrahimovic, no senior teammate had it in them to confront Pogba about his behaviour.
Ibrahimovic kept Pogba in check. The Swede was the club's biggest name. An icon. And during his two years as a United player, he made sure everyone knew it - including Pogba. The hope from upstairs was that Pogba would grow into the leader that Ibrahimovic clearly was. But it was a pipedream.
Pogba's a bright man. Multilingual. And if he plays it right, he could develop a brand touching a billion quid off his name as his career enters it's autumn years. So given that, there's no excuses for him when it has come to his public behaviour.
Pogba knows the fuss he makes when airing the idea of a move away. Just as he did when the late Mino Raiola would do the same on his behalf. Yet, he allowed it all to run. And he did so with next to no opposition from inside the club. The manipulation of fans by Pogba and his friends at adidas particularly cynical.
Indeed, when the chance came to cut loose Pogba last year, Woodward did the opposite. The now former vice-chairman choosing to trigger a 12 month option in Pogba's deal. Another £10-15m handed over to the Frenchman with next to no return. And now he leaves as a free agent.
As bad as that is, it's significant Pogba never saw his contract upgraded at United. And he and Raiola never genuinely pushed for a pay-rise. He was content with what Raiola had convinced Woodward to pay him at 23. In contrast, over Leo Messi's first five years as a senior player at Barcelona, he had his contract upgraded five times. Woodward, it can be argued, effectively blunted the ambition and drive of Pogba with that 2016 deal.
From the dressing room, to the board room, Pogba was indulged by Manchester United. And at the time, perhaps even now, he may believe he played it right. But from a 60,000 foot view, the lack of confrontation. The lack of willingness to dress him down. It has been to the detriment of Pogba's career.
For all the leniency; the appeasement granted Paul Pogba, he leaves the club a much worse player for it. As a legacy, for those now running Manchester United, such acts of indulgence can never happen again.
