Manchester United: Is Andreas Pereira Another Bojan Djordjic or Paul Pogba?

Belgian-Brazilian central attacking midfielder Andreas Pereira, 19, is strong-arming Manchester United Paul Pogba-style, thereby re-opening old wounds.

Pereira is using his talent as leverage, but here is the conundrum: 

• Is Pereira another cautionary tale like Bojan Djordjic?
• Or, will Pereira end up being a source of compunction for Manchester United fans, a la Pogba?

Juxtaposing Pereira To Djordjic

"I have spoken with Pogba many times [because] he is a good friend and he told me that I would be well served moving to [Juventus]," Pereira said, per Tuttosport (h/t Samuel Luckhurst at the Manchester Evening News). "Alongside my entourage, I will evaluate all the offers that we have received."

What seizes your attention is Pogba's malevolence towards Manchester United, which is the headline-grabbing point the media have jumped on.

• "Andreas Pereira rejects deal, have Manchester United learned from Paul Pogba?," per Daniel Tiluk at Bleacher Report.
• "Andreas Pereira could follow Paul Pogba by leaving Manchester United to join Juventus, but who is he?," per Mike Keegan at the Daily Mail.
• "Manchester United set for Paul Pogba repeat as Andreas Pereira mulls over Juventus move," per Alex Richards at the Daily Mirror. 
• "Manchester United's Pereira set to follow Pogba to Juve," per ESPN.
• "Pereira: Pogba wants me to leave Manchester United for Juventus," per Alex Young at Goal.com.

Here is the pertinent point that is pushed aside: Pereira, a Manchester United U21 player, has an entourage.

Who does Pereira think he is? Vince Chase?

Invariably, you should react: "Wow, this Pereira kid is a pretentious so-and-so," a description familiar to Djordjic.

"I'm like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he had more talent and of course he is too big for people to take him down," Djordjic said, per Beyond the Pitch [1]. "I didn't reach [those] heights yet and I spoke quite a lot."

Conceited attitude and negligible performances were two key ingredients in the noxious cocktail that inhibited Djordjic from starring at Manchester United.

"I meet people [and they tell me] 'you were that player that was going to be the next one in line … [and] you were the best young player we had at the time'," Djordjic said, per Beyond the Pitch [2]. "Maybe my temper, maybe the patience I didn't have, maybe I got too angry at certain times … I still got a lot of respect from the Manchester United staff because I was genuine."

Djordjic suffered from the same problem as Vernon Franklin: when keeping it real goes wrong—Pereira is veering in that direction.

Buying into his own hype as a 15-year-old, Pereira was seemingly oblivious to PSV Eindhoven being a vital stepping stone for the likes of Alex, Arjen Robben, Boudewijn Zenden, Gheorghe Popescu, Jaap Stam, Mark van Bommel, Park Ji-sung, Phillip Cocu, Romario, Ronald Koeman, Ronaldo Luis, Ruud Gullit, Ruud van Nistelrooy, et al.

"I got a tour [of Manchester United] and spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson," Pereira said, per Ewan Murray at The Guardian. "PSV Eindhoven knew that I was talking with some clubs and they respected my choice ... being a 15-year-old, to talk with [Ferguson] was great. Manchester United is my dream team to play for."

Was it a dream to play for Brazil? 

March 7, 2014, per Het Belang van Limburg (h/t Kristof Terreur at Sky Sports): "If I ever have the chance to play for Brazil, I won't hesitate. But I've always played in the Belgian national youth ranks. I did feel at home [at Belgium], in contrary to what's claimed in Brazil. The door's not closed yet."

May 10, 2014, per a tweet via Pereira: "Very happy to be called for the Brazilian national team. This is a dream come true!"

A dream should be a cherished aspiration throughout the majority of one's life, not a Robbie Keane-ish cliche used to explain away a pragmatic decision.

Manipulating the system by pretending to be a future Belgian national team prospect casts aspersions on Pereira's character.

Pereira is to Belgium what GudjonDaniel is to KSI.

Credit: Screen capture via BelgianFootball YouTube channel.

"Young players [sometimes make] too sudden decisions," Djordjic said, per Beyond the Pitch [3]. "Maybe they have parents or agents that are not patient enough to see that actually they have a chance at a certain club."

What Djordjic says applies to Pereira's father Marcos.

"We've heard the Paris Saint-Germain rumour, but they haven't contacted us yet," Marcos said, per Mark Ogden at The Telegraph. "[Though], Paris Saint-Germain would be a very good club for Andreas."

Name-dropping Paris Saint-Germain is an attention seeking tactic from Marcos.

Paris Saint-Germain is buzzworthy whereas Pereira re-joining PSV Eindhoven is expected because he is more likely to be a week in, week out starter in the Eredivisie.

"[PSV Eindhoven] is a top club and Andreas has always loved playing [for them]," Marcos Pereira said, per David Wright at the Daily Express. "Contacts with PSV have always been good and the door is always open for a return."

You tend to think Marcos, an ordinary ex-pro footballer, is living vicariously through his immensely gifted son.

"My dad was a [footballer] in Belgium and that is why my family [lived] there. He helped me with everything. All that I have learned, up to now, is from what he taught me," Pereira said, per Adam Marshall at ManUtd.com. "Sometimes my dad can say after a game what I did right and what I did wrong. We talk a lot."

Is Pereira the real deal? 

No, if you are basing your opinion solely on Pereira's performances in last season's UEFA Youth League (2013-14), per Transfermarkt. 

• There were 82 players who outscored (two goals plus) Pereira (one goal).
• There were 56 players who accumulated more assists (two plus) than Pereira (one assist).

Pereira is as hit-and-miss as Djordjic was.

"When you are a creative player, people expect more from you, then when you don't have the better games, [you] look even worse," Djordjic said, per Beyond the Pitch [4]. "I was not one of them steady-eddy midfielders—put the ball in the stands and get applause."

The latter reference is Djordjic's neurotic "make the winning assist or the turnover that leads to a goal conceded" playing style.

Being a mercurial talent is a trait Pereira shares with Djordjic, per David Lynch at the Manchester Evening News:

"

Pereira's inconsistency is the only concern, though that is to be expected from a player of just 19 [years of age] playing in one of the more difficult positions on the pitch: No. 10.

[However], his winner at Anfield in the semi-final of the U21 Premier League play-offs last season underlined just how good he can be.

The former PSV Eindhoven prospect picked the ball up on the left-hand side before cutting in toward the corner of the area and unleashing an unstoppable curling effort that nestled into the top corner of the Kop net.

More flashes like that are needed.

"

Juxtaposing Pereira To Pogba

A long-range shooter, a budding set-piece specialist and the ability to speak Portuguese, Spanish and French, Pereira will adapt post-Manchester United.

Manchester United should fret over Pereira potentially being another Pogba—hubristic and wayward prospect, whose conduct could be viewed as detrimental, is straighten out at rival major club and starts making rapid gains.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Pogba never won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year or the Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year.

In Pogba's last season at Manchester United, he was not even a main component of the reserve team, per Adam Bostock and James Tuck at ManUtd.com‎: 

"

Michael Keane has been named the Reserve Player of the Year for 2012 after an impressive season at the heart of United's title-winning defence.

The 19-year old defender, brother of Reserves striker Will, was a clear winner with 60 percent of the votes, beating Jesse Lingard (24 percent) and Larnell Cole (16 percent) into second and third respectively.

"

Sure, Pogba possesses world-class physical and technical qualities, but Ferguson did not see enough production to be worth grovelling over.

"I don't think [Pogba] showed us any respect at all. To be honest, if they carry on that way, they're probably better doing it away from us," Ferguson said, per Adam Marshall at ManUtd.com‎. "Pogba signed for Juventus a long time ago as far as we're aware."

Broken promises, warming the bench and constantly interchanging from the first team to the reserve team fostered Pogba's fickleness.

"[Ferguson] said I disrespected him. I do not know why he said that. A 19-year-old who says no, maybe he was [stumped by my response]," Pogba said, per L'Equipe (h/t beIN SPORTS). "[Ferguson] told me 'Your time will come,' but it didn't come."

Ferguson dismissing Pogba provided the chip on his shoulder to prove his critics wrong. 

Named the best young player at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup Golden Ball recipient and a two-time Serie A champion, Ferguson was unwittingly right about Pogba: He is better off playing away from Manchester United.

Since then, Ferguson not even acknowledging Pogba reinforces the expression: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

Ferguson refused to elaborate on the regrettable situation for Manchester United in his autobiography, per Daniel Taylor at The Guardian.

Fortunately for the media, Pogba does not adhere to the unwritten rule of "what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room," per Canal+ (h/t ESPN):

"

It was the match against Blackburn in December 2011 at Old Trafford.

Paul Scholes had retired, Darren Fletcher was injured. There was no one left to play in midfield. And I was training and I was beginning to get better bit by bit and the coach never stopped telling me, 'You're this far'.

And I didn't understand. This far away from what? Playing? From having some playing time? From getting on the field? Or what?

And there was Rafael in midfield and I was disgusted. I was disgusted and I didn't get on either.

"

Credit: instagram.com/andreaspereira44

This is why Manchester United should consider acting obsequiously towards Pereira, instead of shunning him after he has insolently shown his cards.

Though, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has always leaned towards youth.

He coached Ajax to the 1995 UEFA Champions League triumph with the squad's average age being 23.

James Wilson, 19, Patrick McNair, 19, and Tyler Blackett, 20, have each experienced an extended run in the Premier League this season for Manchester United, combining for 1,713 minutes.

Trust Van Gaal because he probably projects Pereira to be closer to Djordjic than Pogba.

Then again, you probably also trusted Ferguson when he badmouthed a pre-superstar destined Pogba.

+allanjiang.

When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com. 

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[1] 2:45 - 2:53.

[2] 9:31 - 9:59.

[3] 12:49 - 12:57.

[4] 3:15 - 3:26.