Manchester United star Paul Pogba is out of contract at the end of the season but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can still convince him that his future lies at Old Trafford
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Solskjaer purrs after Pogba pulls strings in big win for Man Utd
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has long sought a solution to his problem in midfield with Paul Pogba.
The France international is simply too talented to be left out of the side but his position is a troublesome one for the Manchester United manager.
Many times when deployed in a midfield duo, Pogba neglects his defensive duties and the Red Devils are often run over in the engine department.
It also wastes the former Juventus star’s talent and he can do more damage further up the field.
Solskjaer found a temporary solution when he put Pogba out on the left-hand side, where he linked up well with Bruno Fernandes while he has made a fine start to the season for United and has seven assists in seven Premier League matches.
However, Pogba’s long-term position could indeed be in a midfield pivot along with a more defensive-minded player.
Indeed, for France it has worked wonders when partnered with N’Golo Kante and it helped Les Bleus win the World Cup in 2018.
But against Belgium on Thursday night in the Nations League semi-final, Pogba was without his Chelsea pal and played alongside Adrien Rabiot.
The Juventus star has brilliant talent but does not come close to Kante’s level of tenacity and it was clear this would be a test for the United midfielder.
In a humdinger of a match between two top national sides, Belgium stormed into a 2-0 lead at half-time and Didier Deschamps could be seen fretting on the sideline.
However, the world champions brought it back to 2-2 after Karim Benzema struck before Kylian Mbappe netted from the penalty spot after Antoine Griezmann was fouled in the box.
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Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
Pogba exhibited all the old signs – terrific going forward and on another day could have had two goals – but when France are under pressure there was little urgency to get back and help out.
There is no doubt Solskjaer would have been watching on to keep an eye on the 28-year-old, especially to potentially gain some knowledge on how he can solve his own Pogba problems.
How should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deploy Paul Pogba? Comment below
Aurelien Tchouameni was brought on for Rabiot with 15 minutes left and made an instant impact and despite his young age of 21, seems to have mastered his role positionally.
The Monaco man has been linked with a move to United in the past and, on tonight’s evidence, could be a potential solution for Solskjaer if he wants to keep Pogba and let him perform like he does for France.
Theo Hernandez was the unlikely hero after netting the winner for France in the 90th minute, taking them to the final where they will face Spain.
