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The saga surrounding Paul Pogba’s Manchester United future had felt decidedly one-sided.
Whether it was Mino Raiola announcing that his Old Trafford career was “over” or the player himself speaking of his “dream” at Real Madrid.
Pogba’s recent performances have also strengthened his bargaining position, with the 27-year-old displaying the kind of form that everyone associated with the club craves.
But the fact that it was one player who had the advantage marked a worrying development at United’s position.
(Image: PA)
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However, that changed this week, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sending a direct and direct message to his midfield star.
“Paul was here when he was a kid in the U-18, we hired him from the beginning, he comes with the Man United DNA in him. He knows what we’re doing,” said the United manager.
“Man United is about being on a team. I wouldn’t stand for anyone to think it’s bigger than Man United because no one is. Absolutely no one is and Paul knows it. It’s not just Paul, it’s for all of us.”
Solskjaer may have finished his point by widening his aim, but it was clear who the target of his words was.
And it felt like a speech straight out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s manual.
The list of superstars that the legendary Scotsman decided to send from the club in its heyday is long.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and Carlos Tevez were sold unceremoniously, when he felt they had become bigger than the club.
The most prominent example of this is, of course, the surprising departure of David Beckham, with Ferguson reluctant to put up with what he felt was an uncontrollable ego.
Should Man Utd sell Paul Pogba in the January window? Give us your opinion here.
(Image: PA)
About that decision, Ferguson wrote in his 2013 autobiography: The moment a Man United player thought he was bigger than the manager, he had to go.
“David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson. A player cannot be allowed to take over the dressing room. That was the death sentence for him. “
Ferguson’s former assistant Carlos Queiroz recently endorsed Ferguson’s mantra, revealing that the best advice he received from his former boss was “that nothing and no one is above the team.”
Whether Solskjaer’s public warning will work with Pogba remains to be seen, but it appears that Fergie’s tagline has finally given United the initiative.
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