A win at Anfield is as sweet as they come for those of a Manchester United persuasion, with Sunday’s deserved 2-1 victory over struggling champions Liverpool having been almost ten years in the making.
In previous seasons, Cody Gakpo’s late strike may have seen the visitors crumble to a late defeat, or hold on for what would have been seen as a ‘creditable’ but frustrating draw – but not this time.
Up stepped the previously maligned Harry Maguire to deliver the goods yet again, with United’s resurgent centre-back now at the centre of calls for an England recall ahead of next year’s World Cup. So too is back three colleague, Luke Shaw.
It is worth remembering, such is the turbulent nature of the Old Trafford side, that it was just a matter of weeks ago that both men were under the microscope for their performance in the Manchester derby, having been left scrambling at the sight of the surging Erling Haaland.
These players are built up to such heights, before being reduced to such lows, with even the weekend win needing to come with a sense of calm. Such peaks and troughs, such extremes, are no good to anyone.
One man who knows all about navigating the United rollercoaster is Paul Pogba, with the marmite Frenchman having defined the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era more than most.
How Paul Pogba would fit into Amorim's 3-4-3 system
The tale of Pogba’s time in Manchester has been discussed chapter and verse. He came. He left. He came back again. He won the League Cup and Europa League, yet appeared to angle for an exit every summer after. Then he left again in 2022.
Now back in his native France with Monaco, after serving an 18-month suspension at Juventus following a doping ban, Pogba remains among the most polarising United players of modern times.
The sight of the World Cup winner trudging off for his final outing, at Anfield ironically, was fitting for an £89m move that simply didn’t pay off as expected, with the noise that surrounded him – his doing or not – having been frankly tiring.
It wasn’t seen enough, although when actually in his pomp, the fleet-footed midfield could be such a menace, memorably picking up four assists in the opening weekend win over Leeds United in August 2021.
Operating almost as a left-sided midfielder, the maverick playmaker appeared to relish the freedom of being able to get forward and attack, safe in the knowledge that there was ample cover behind him.
In that regard, he may well have been perfect as a number ten in Ruben Amorim’s current set-up, with that role seeing the likes of Mason Mount or Matheus Cunha act as a connector between the midfield and forward line.
Being nudged into a more advanced berth briefly brought the best out of Pogba following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival to replace Jose Mourinho, with the 6 foot 3 machine ending 2018/19 with 27 goals and assists to his name in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt – his best return for United.
Perhaps ill-utilised at Old Trafford, or also not capable of taking on the talismanic role that was expected of him, the now 32-year-old will forever remain a quandary for the Red Devils.
Hopefully, the newest Pogba-type figure can be far more effective under Amorim’s watch.
Man Utd's new Paul Pogba under Amorim
Pogba’s time in United will, rightly, be lost to history before too long. A player who promised so much upon his return in 2016 ultimately delivered so little.
That is in stark contrast to his former teammate, Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese truly emerging as the main man in midfield, his record of 100 goals and 87 assists for the club in 299 games proving as much.
Unlike the Frenchman, even when shifted into a less-suited role the United skipper can still flourish, with Sunday seeing him deliver the crucial assist to Maguire, amid an influential showing in his deep-lying berth.
That decision to drop Fernandes deeper has been in order to accommodate the likes of Mount and Cunha in attack, with the latter man particularly impressing against Arne Slot’s side.
A wait for a goal or assist continues for the £62.5m Brazilian, yet – as noted by journalist Sam Pilger – he already looks to be an “incredible signing”, having led the line superbly last time out.
Described as a “maverick” by ex-MEN correspondent Samuel Luckhurst, there are shades of Pogba about the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man, having already proven himself to be a powerful ball carrier in his left-sided – or central – role.
Against the Merseysiders, the 26-year-old completed 100% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore, while winning two fouls for his side, representing a particular outlet late on when United needed to retain possession.
Minutes played
90+
Touches
55
Successful dribbles
2/2
Total shots
2
Fouls won
2
Possession lost
14
Pass accuracy
83%
Ground duels
4/9
Aerial duels
1/4
Not blessed with blistering pace, much like Pogba, Cunha has that knack for being able to fend off his opposite man, while also boasting the quality to be able to slalom his way up the pitch.
Indeed, among forwards in Europe’s top five leagues, he currently ranks in the top 3% for progressive carries – and the top 1% for progressive passes – as per FBref. Pogba, for instance, ranked in the top 19% and top 4% of midfielders for those two metrics, respectively, during his 2018/19 pomp.
Powerful but with the poise to match, Cunha appears to boast the very best attributes of Pogba, acting as a figure who sucks defenders towards him, yet can easily manoeuvre space for himself with a delightful turn or dribble.
The telling difference between him and the Frenchman, however, is that he is also a “workhorse” – as noted by Luckhurst – with there simply so many facets to his game to enjoy.
He’s not perfect, having been given a four-game ban last season at Molineux, but he does certainly look to be the new ‘maverick’ figure at Old Trafford. That sort of status may not have been worn well by Pogba, yet hopefully Cunha’s addition will prove to be far more fruitful.
The early signs are no doubt promising.