Paul Pogba is anything but calm, as his career at Manchester United ends in a way that may suit his time with the club.
Everyone knew that Pogba was already well and truly out of the door when his departure was finally made official earlier this month. By the time he left the pitch after just 10 minutes at Anfield, he was no longer a United player.
Although the opinions of the fans were already heavily weighed against him, there were still some willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, arguing that this dysfunctional side was not the best place to express his talent. He has now made sure to destroy any credit left to United with his self-indulgent documentary.
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“Pogmentary” is an important exercise to massage Pogba’s ego. In it, everyone is to blame for his failure to live up to expectations at the Old Trafford bar, the main culprit: himself.
Even when he talks about the return of one of the greatest players of all time, his immediate thought is how it will help him climb new heights in the game. Pogba talks in the documentary about wanting to win the Golden Ball, and when Cristiano Ronaldo returns to United, his thoughts immediately turn to the award.
“The first thing I thought,‘ how do you train with a Golden Ball winner? ’” Pogba said. “It’s a good challenge to see him train, what does he do, what is the life of a Golden Ball winner like?”
It is the ultimate irony that, in a season that can only be described as a disaster for United, 37-year-old Ronaldo came out on top with his improved reputation. Meanwhile, Pogba is further away from the Golden Ball than ever.
If the midfielder aimed to learn something from the way Ronaldo trains, it is true that he was not seen on the pitch. No doubt you can’t imagine the Portuguese receiving the kind of reception Pogba received on his last outing at Old Trafford, a game in which Ronaldo had to pull his side out of a hole again.
With their respective seasons, the two players demonstrated precisely why Ronaldo has been awarded five times the highest individual football award and why he continues to evade Pogba. The former managed to stand out on a poor side that was lucky enough to claim a European place, while the latter continued to be frustrated with his inconsistent performances.
Pogba’s reflection process after the incorporation of Ronaldo perhaps sums up why United fans never saw the talent of which he was continually assured. The 29-year-old seemed to believe that he already had enough talent to be crowned the best player in the world, and that the arrival of one of the most important names in football would be enough to finally push him to the award.
Of course, it never turned out that way. Now he leaves Old Trafford strong, but without pride, with that elusive Golden Ball is still nothing more than a dream.
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