As Paul Pogba's time at Manchester United comes to an end, the journalists at ESPNFC dive into how it went so wrong. There is a break in the action at 4:30. The man is back at his old club. The Frenchman left Manchester United on a free transfer this summer, just six years after his world-record £89.3 million move, and has returned to Torino. The 29-year-old is at the peak of his powers, but still came in for criticism during his time in the premier league. The 19-year-old left United's academy in 2012 because he didn't get a lot of chances in the first team. He had a successful four-year stint in Torino, winning four consecutive league titles and two cups, but was soon back at Manchester United. The first version of #Pogback saw him develop his skills further and win a World Cup with France, but he was only able to add the EFL Cup and Europa League trophy to his trophy cabinet and seemed to struggle as United failed to find a worthy successor to Ferguson He will return to the club as they look to win their first title in five years. How different was his game in Italy to that in England. The transfer grades for Man United are an F.
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| Season | GM | Mins | Touch | Pass% | Chance | Ast | Goal | xG | Shot | SOG | Tackle% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012/2013 | 27 | 1,731 | 1,485 | 82.9% | 22 | 0 | 5 | 5.17 | 56 | 17 | 52.3% |
| 2013/2014 | 36 | 3,068 | 2,225 | 83.7% | 49 | 7 | 7 | 5.51 | 73 | 29 | 52.9% |
| 2014/2015 | 26 | 2,110 | 1,727 | 83.9% | 36 | 3 | 8 | 4.45 | 56 | 24 | 59.0% |
| 2015/2016 | 35 | 3,019 | 2,566 | 83.4% | 54 | 12 | 8 | 9.79 | 124 | 39 | 55.0% |
The freedom he felt in his first spell in Torino has already been revealed.
He told L'Equipe that it was different from Manchester United. The three of us were already playing in a five-1-2 formation. I needed to be in the box to attack. It was something that had to be done. The priority in Manchester is to play and defend.
He was able to make more of an impact on the left side of the field and not have to do as much on the right side.
In his ability to shoot from long range, that freedom is suggested. He was more than capable of finding the back of the net as well, and he felt like he could have a go from outside the box.
| Season | GM | Mins | Touch | Pass% | Chance | Ast | Goal | xG | Shot | SOG | Tackle% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016/2017 | 30 | 2,607 | 2,839 | 85.1% | 57 | 4 | 5 | 6.04 | 92 | 32 | 47.6% |
| 2017/2018 | 27 | 2,151 | 2,224 | 85.3% | 39 | 10 | 6 | 7.65 | 76 | 18 | 37.7% |
| 2018/2019 | 35 | 3,009 | 2,747 | 82.8% | 55 | 9 | 13 | 15.11 | 105 | 50 | 41.1% |
| 2019/2020 | 16 | 1,205 | 1,257 | 85.5% | 30 | 3 | 1 | 2.37 | 22 | 8 | 32.1% |
| 2020/2021 | 26 | 1,896 | 1,781 | 83.0% | 26 | 3 | 3 | 2.81 | 31 | 11 | 44.8% |
| 2021/2022 | 20 | 1,354 | 1,164 | 83.5% | 24 | 9 | 1 | 2.88 | 32 | 8 | 25.7% |
The touch map at United shows how much was dragged around the pitch.
He said in 2016 that he tries to adapt after being used in a holding role. I am a player who wants to move forward. I try to follow the instructions. I have to defend. It cost me a bit to play a different game. I have to be available for the team.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Fred and Scott McTominay were used in the central areas, before reverting to a role in the middle again.
He was expected to play deeper at United than he did at Juventus. His tackle percentage was better in Torino than it was in Manchester, and his touchmap was the same as it was in Italy, with a lot of the action on the left side of central midfield.
The shots from outside the box were not as accurate. His shot numbers over the first three seasons at United are up, but he was much wilder because of his frustration in the build up play.
How does the player do well? He needs to get back to his preferred position. As for the rest, that's up to you.
He told Uninterrupted that he just wanted the best for himself. I'm just looking for the best, I want to play football, be myself always, and enjoy what I do." If I don't enjoy what I do, I can't perform well. I want to think in a positive way. We can lose games but we have to be happy and enjoy ourselves.
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