The Sale of Alvaro Morata Makes Keeping Paul Pogba Even More Vital for Juventus
Paul Pogba has yet to deliver a truly noteworthy performance at UEFA Euro 2016. The France midfielder arrived hoping to lead his homeland to glory with a growing reputation, but he has appeared somewhat overwhelmed in the first four matches.
Les Bleus have a proud record as hosts, but following in the footsteps of former Juventus greats Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane—who inspired victories at Euro '84 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, respectively—cannot be easy.
In the four matches so far, he has done well, but many—including former England striker Gary Lineker—have begun to ask whether the hype surrounding Pogba is misplaced.
Newsflash: It isn’t.
At times, Pogba can be guilty of overplaying and deserves criticism for doing so, but he has shown over the past four seasons that he—despite still being only 23 years old—fully merits inclusion in any discussion about the best midfielders in the world.
Since joining the Bianconeri in August 2012, Pogba has made 178 appearances, weighing in with 34 goals and 28 assists. Gradually improving every season, he recorded career highs in both categories this season, with his progress shown in the table below, which was compiled using WhoScored.com statistics:
Having previously struggled with knowing when to pass and when to shoot, it is important to note that no player in Serie A recorded more assists in 2015/16 than his tally of 12, regularly channelling his obvious flair into productive creativity.
According to Squawka.com, only Paulo Dybala (73) created more clear scoring opportunities than Pogba (54), while the table below also highlights a marked improvement in his ability to beat opposition defenders:
He completed an impressive 102 of the 166 take-ons he attempted in Serie A last term (61 percent); in 2014/15, that figure stood at just 76, per the same source, and Pogba happily shared the credit for his improvement during a recent interview with L’Equipe (h/t Football Italia):
"I’ve always had Coaches who pushed me to do better.
It’s true that sometimes I’ll relax, that’s how it is. Then there are these Coaches who re-motivate you, give you a slap round the back of the head, and yes, that wakes me up.
I have always been asked to play simple. Always! At first I was a striker, then an attacking midfielder and then a defensive midfielder.
Each time I was told to release the ball more quickly, play it more simple.
Did it work? Yes, yes it worked. Little by little, I’ve changed. Before, even if I was further up the pitch I held on to the ball a lot more.
"
That he has already heeded such advice is of huge credit to him, and his relationship with Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is clearly one both men enjoy, often seen sharing a joke but with the coach not afraid to lambast his star pupil whenever he feels it is warranted.
That was evidently the case after the Bianconeri comfortably beat Atalanta 2-0 back in March, with the France international looking subdued after he was shown a yellow card for a foul on defender Rafael Toloi in the 43rd minute.
“Paul Pogba is a player who can make the difference if he plays it simple and is focused,” a visibly angry Allegri told Sky Sports Italia (h/t ESPN FC) shortly after the final whistle. “He got booked and let that affect him, so he lost his way in the second half and basically stopped playing.”
The criticism was not only deserved, but it had the desired effect. Benched for the next match, the 23-year-old then enjoyed a fine end to 2015/16, raising the level of his play considerably and having a decisive impact in some key games, highlighted in the graphic below.
Both Pogba’s importance to Juventus and his understanding with Allegri have taken on even greater significance after Alvaro Morata’s hometown side, Real Madrid, announced they had re-signed the striker on their official website last week.
They did so by activating a buyback clause they had inserted in the deal that took him to Turin, something the Bianconeri disclosed on their own website when unveiling Morata in the summer of 2014.
That has robbed the Old Lady of not only one of the brightest and most promising attacking talents on the continent, but—as discussed in this previous post—it also takes away a player who had become a vital weapon for the Italian champions.
While Morata’s exit leaves Juventus looking for a suitable replacement ahead of the 2016/17 campaign, it also pushes Pogba into an even more prominent role both on and off the field.
If the signing of Miralem Pjanic can be seen as the Bianconeri exerting their dominance over domestic opponents, then this move by Real Madrid can only be viewed as the European elite serving a reminder of how far Italian football has fallen in the wider continental landscape.
Pogba has been linked with a move away almost from the moment he landed in Turin, with Spanish newspaper AS (h/t Football Italia) claiming this week that Manchester United had begun talks over a €120 million bid for the player.
The Serie A champions continue to claim that they will rebuff any approach, as director general Beppe Marotta reiterated over the weekend. “We have not received any offers,” the club official said, per Goal's Alex Fisher. “He is a fundamental and indispensable player for the present and future of Juventus.”
That was a view supported by Dybala, who discussed the constant transfer speculation surrounding Pogba—and his below-par performances at Euro 2016—with Fabiana Della Valle of La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I know him and he is relaxed. When people criticised him at Juve he showed his skills. Pressure doesn’t get to him,” the Argentina international said (h/t Gazzetta World). “We all have to wait for the right game to show our skills, and when someone like him doesn’t do well it’s a bit of a surprise.”
“Pogba will remain here, I spoke with him and I believe he will stay” Dybala continued, and keeping that duo together for as long as possible is now even more fundamental to the Bianconeri.
Losing Morata can be forgiven due to the buyback clause, but selling the Paris-born star would send a signal that Juventus cannot retain their best players.
That is a situation they must avoid at all costs, particularly given the objectives they have already set themselves for next season, with Allegri happy to lay them out at a press conference following last month’s Coppa Italia final.
“We now look forward to the next campaign which will present new challenges, namely the fight for a sixth straight Scudetto, retaining the Coppa Italia and performing well in the Champions League,” the Juve boss said.
For that, they will need Pogba—now more than ever.
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