There are a few posters attacking his influence on the dressing room etc and probably most of that is without foundation. Mainly though, as far as I know, it’s not his attitude that people don’t like, it’s his performances. His numbers are okay in the main but, personally, I don’t think the team looks balanced with him in it no matter where we put him. It’s not his fault, he doesn’t do it on purpose, I have nothing against him. I just don’t think it’s worked out for him. The constant rumours about him leaving haven’t helped but mainly he doesn’t have the right type or quality of player around him to bring the best out of him.
I’m not sure why so many people want to classify opinions as agendas but, on balance, I’d probably be happier if he left. I don’t start with that position and then argue that he’s not good enough, I formed an opinion of his contribution over a long period of time and then, based on that, I became inclined towards wanting him to move on. I’m not sure if that makes me over-critical of him but, certainly, I would want him to stay if he started producing consistently.
All good points, and your perception is your own and therefore legitimate. I don't see an agenda from you, in other words; you seem thoughtful and measured. I also agree that most opinions are just that: opinions. In Pogba's case, however, it's
become an agenda. Or rather, it
began as an agenda by a few of our detractors and rivals and was then, over time, thoughtlessly adopted by so many more that it became an unexamined narrative, a kind of orthodoxy.
But also, here's the thing: I genuinely don't see the on-field issue(s) with Pogba. He might get caught dwelling on the ball a few times a season (who doesn't?), he might have a few defensive lapses, but overall, I love to watch him play, his grace and his movement, his athleticism, his technical brilliance, his defence-splitting passes, his work with the ball in tight spaces, all of it. For me, you don't discard a player of his kind of generational talent because you can't fit him into the system; you tweak the system to fit him in, find the players who will bring out the best of him.
You might think this simplistic, but he is literally the type of player I watch football for, so when a player like that plays for United, I'm doubly invested in him staying. I know this part isn't your angle, and I respect that, but I don't believe the media narrative at all. If he was as toxic as they say, his teammates wouldn't be so openly supportive of him. Within the game, he seems universally loved. I honestly do think we've been duped by a kind of snowballing narrative begun by our rivals and by hostile pundits with Liverpool ties, all of whom were terrified of our return to prominence when Pogba came back to us. The high cost of the transfer only gave them more grist for their mill, ammunition with which to ridicule and therefore undermine us and him. Over time, countless new voices have been added via media punditry and social media, but for me, the vast majority of those voices are simply repeating and amplifying a false narrative. It's been actually painful for me to see it all play out. We've been played. And Pogba if he goes will be going partly because we fans didn't rally around in sufficient numbers. Note:
partly. It'll be one element of a complex situation, but any player will be affected by a sense that a significant number of his own club's fans are okay with seeing him go. I guess what I'm saying is I wish more of us had said from the start that we're not okay with seeing him go.
. 