Paul Pogba Branded 'Useless' by Eamon Dunphy After Manchester United-Liverpool
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been branded "useless" and "never worth £100 million" by former Red Devils youth player Eamon Dunphy. He said the France international, who cost a world-record fee, would have been expensive at even £20 million.
Pogba was subjected to Dunphy's criticism after United's 1-1 draw with bitter Premier League rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
It was a match in which Pogba missed an excellent early chance with the score deadlocked at 0-0, before handling in the box to award Liverpool a penalty that James Milner converted.
Speaking to RTE (h/t Goal), Dunphy didn't pull any punches when lamenting the 23-year-old's inability to prove value for money: "Pogba was never worth £100 million. At £20 million he would have been expensive. With the money they've spent with Mourinho and [Louis] van Gaal, they should really have a better team."
Dunphy, who was a youth prospect at United in the early to mid-1960s, identified Pogba's attitude as a root cause for his poor form:
"Paul Pogba is very immature. He plays like a kid. He is not worth the money they paid for him, and he won't be worth the money they paid for him. He is the elephant in the room. He's useless.
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Pogba has been a polarising figure since joining United from Juventus in the summer. The Red Devils paid an initial £89 million for the Frenchman, with the overall cost expected to rise to as much as £93 million.
Naturally, it's difficult to separate Pogba the player from his exorbitant transfer fee. However, there's no doubt the outrageous cost of the deal is blurring the perception of a rising star who boasts terrific talent.
Still just 23, Pogba is a physical and technical marvel, who combines imposing power with flair when he's at his best. Sadly for United, his core gifts haven't translated into dominating displays on the pitch this season.
The Frenchman has scored a mere six goals and provided four assists in all competitions for United, per WhoScored.com. While the numbers aren't exactly meagre, they also don't speak to a player whose quality is valued so highly in financial terms.
Part of the problem has been finding Pogba's best position. The player, who left United to join Juve and earn more first-team football in 2012, still looks like a midfielder tough to define.
Is he the next Patrick Vieira, a deep-lying colossus who can use strength and passing range to dictate the flow of matches? Probably not. Is Pogba a No. 10, able to boss the final third and decide matches with consistent moments of creative inspiration? His numbers say otherwise.
In truth, United and manager Jose Mourinho still haven't figured Pogba out yet.
Even so, the club's No. 6 may need to cope with the scrutiny his price tag brings a little better.
United team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hinted as much, per David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror: "If you want to play at the top, pressure is 24 hours and if you play well or better, the pressure becomes even greater. So it's something that we learn from and something we have to handle, because we belong to the top, Paul belongs to the top absolutely, and the pressure will be there."
Admittedly, Pogba can do his bit to change some of the perceptions surrounding him. For instance, he's unlikely to have endeared himself to many by launching a personal fashion label a day after struggling mightily against Liverpool, per the Daily Mirror's Richard Innes.
Such things, along with Pogba's commitment to social media, may raise questions about his dedication to the sport and improving as a player.
However, the bigger questions surrounding Pogba will continue to focus on how Mourinho can best use him at United. It will also be important for fans and pundits to begin looking beyond the price tag and seeing just what type of player the Old Trafford club actually signed last summer.
An £89 million outlay implies United bought a ready-made world star. In reality, Pogba isn't there yet, but he has the talent to be one day soon.
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