Manchester United must find a final solution to the enigma that is Paul Pogba.
Once again, the French superstar finds himself at the centre of controversy.
And I get the feeling that it’s not of his own making.
We’ve been here with him before.
Last season, fresh from helping France to a second World Cup success with some all-action performances in Russia, he and then-coach Jose Mourinho were sitting vas.
He was stripped of the captaincy as United struggled for the first half of the season.
BETTER YOU THAN ME: Mourinho. Photo: Will Oliver/EPA.
Reportedly called “a virus” by Mourinho, Pogba became the scapegoat for the Red Devils’ failures.
It quickly became a choice between Mourinho and Pogba, with Old Trafford proving too small for the both of them.
And the axe fell on a jaded Jose a week before last Christmas.
Before United fans could even mourn the Special One’s exit, they were celebrating Pogba’s return to form.
Having been benched for Jose’s final game, a 3-1 home loss to Liverpool - Pogba was the driving force in a 5-1 win over Cardiff in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game in charge.
It was to be the first of 10 wins in an unbeaten run of 12 matches.
Of the 29 goals scored in that sequence, Pogba scored eight and set up the majority of United’s chances.
But they lost seven of their next nine games as their season ended in disappointment.
Much was made of how Pogba’s form fell away, as he only managed two more goals, even though he finished as the club’s top goalscorer with 16 and set up another 11.
Apart from that he created even more chances for his teammates and completed more dribbles than any other player in the league.
With a return of such stats, you would think the first £100m player was worth every penny.
By the end of the season, United fans were again divided in two camps, one realising that Pogba was their best player and the other saying “Pogba thinks he is United”.
I got news for you fans: You’re are both right.
It was Pogba’s best season at United despite being benched by Mourinho for a chunk of the first half of the campaign.
But Pog is always in the dog box even though they have the likes of nikswerd Jesse Lingard, Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young.
United have absolutely no one close to matching the creativity, power and finesse of Pogba.
EXIT TALKS: Pogba agent Raiola. Photo: Olivier Anrigo/EPA.
With the abuse he gets and the quality of those around him, no one could blame him and his agent Mino Raiola publicly talking about leaving the club.
Some accuse him of wanting to put the “I” in team, but the irony there is not team without Pogba.
Having won the spotkick against Wolves with one of his dribbles, as one of Solskjaer’s designated penalty takers, Pogba has every right to take the shot.
And he is now getting death threats for his kick being saved.
Reports claim that Ole has told him that he will never take another penalty for United.
PETTY PUNISHMENT: Solskjaer. Photo: Peter Powell/EPA.
Kwaai.
So this season has basically started the same for Pogba and United... with a petty punishment.
They have already forgotten his passes to Rashford in the 4-0 win over Chelsea. Who else is gonna give those delicious balls.
I think it’s the best thing for both United and Pogba to end this relationship.
Sell him before the September 2 transfer deadline or since you don’t value him, give him away for free.