Those who shared a pitch with Roy Keane tell tales of how the Manchester United midfielder would scream blue murder whenever a team-mate took more than two touches.
Gary Neville’s autobiography Red notes one occasion when he dared to dawdle in a game against Coventry City, taking a moment to steady himself before producing a cross.
Keane stormed over and screamed: ‘F***ing get the ball over!’ Neville replied: ‘Can I not take a f***ing touch?’ To which Keane responded: ‘Who the hell are you talking to?’
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba lost possession 602 times in the Premier League last season
Roy Keane would scream blue murder when his team-mates took too long on the ball
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MOST TOUCHES BY MIDFIELDERS
In 2018-19 Premier League
3,551 – Jorginho, Chelsea
2,784 – Granit Xhaka, Arsenal
2,747 – Paul Pogba, Man United
2,718 – Luka Milivojevic, Crystal Palace
2,694 – Wilfred Ndidi, Leicester
MOST POSSESSION LOST BY MIDFIELDERS
In 2018-19 Premier League
747 – Felipe Anderson, West Ham
635 – Matt Ritchie, Newcastle
602 – Paul Pogba, Man United
597 – Nathan Redmond, Southampton
597 – Luka Milivojevic, Crystal Palace
The midfielder thrust his head towards his team-mate. ‘It was like having a snarling pit-bull in my face,’ Neville remembers. ‘I honestly thought he was going to butt me.’
Paul Pogba may wish to breathe a sigh of relief. Had they played in the same era, the Frenchman might have found himself on the receiving end of something similar.
Only two midfielders took more touches than Pogba in the Premier League last season – a statistic which many will say shows a positive willingness to get on the ball.
The trouble is, only two lost possession more too.
Former manager Jose Mourinho hinted his dissatisfaction at Pogba’s dawdling on the odd occasion, such as last season after a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
After switching into freestyle mode, he lost the ball and Joao Moutinho scored the leveller.
‘It’s a situation the players knew perfectly,’ Mourinho said of Wolves’ midfield duo Moutinho and Ruben Neves. ‘They press in midfield, these two Portuguese boys. They like to bite.
Only two players in the Premier League last term lost possession more than the Frenchman
MOST PASSES BY MIDFIELDERS
In 2018-19 Premier League
3,119 – Jorginho, Chelsea
2,245 – Granit Xhaka, Arsenal
2,068 – Paul Pogba, Man United
2,050 – Fernandinho, Man City
2,021 – N’Golo Kante, Chelsea
‘They don’t give a long time for you to have the ball, to turn, one touch, two touches…’
Mourinho did not name names, but we knew who he meant. In all, Opta’s statistics say that was one of 602 times that Pogba gave possession away last season.
Though Keane took no prisoners, Rio Ferdinand recalls how he would not mind you losing the ball, had you done it in a bid to play a forward pass.
‘Pass the f***ing ball forward,’ Keane yelled at the central defender, who dared to look sideways during a training session shortly after signing for United in 2002.
‘Take risks, you’re not at Leeds or West Ham now, you’re at Manchester United.’
This is what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs from Pogba now. The majority of supporters may have thought they had seen the last of their 2018 World Cup winner.
Vice versa, too. Let’s not forget, Pogba himself said in June: ‘It could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else. I am thinking of this.’
Yet the move to Real Madrid did not materialise. Deadline day passed, and now Pogba may start at the heart of a 4-2-3-1 formation against Chelsea on Sunday.
Pogba will be hoping Marcus Rashford and Co can make the runs against Chelsea on Sunday
Daniel James will look to give Pogba options on the ball at Old Trafford against Chelsea
AVERAGE TOUCHES PER PASS AT UNITED
In 2018-19 PL – Minimum 15 appearances
Paul Pogba – 1.33
Andreas Pereira – 1.31
Scott McTominay – 1.3
Juan Mata – 1.29
Ander Herrera, Fred – 1.28
Nemanja Matic – 1.2
He could partner Scott McTominay in midfield behind an attacking three of Daniel James, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, with Anthony Martial set to start as a lone striker.
It is young, and fast. There are no slouches in there. Certainly, Chelsea’s new centre back partnership between Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen will be tested at Old Trafford.
James will want to showcase his pace to the United faithful who have heard so much about his speed. Rashford and Martial will want to play for Romelu Lukaku’s place.
Runs will be made and Pogba, it is worth noting, finished the last Premier League season with the fifth-most passes played into the final third from midfield. Only Jorginho, Granit Xhaka, Ruben Neves and Luka Milivojevic made more.
When he gets his head up, Pogba can hurt defences. He has that range but too many times have we seen him carelessly and unnecessarily robbed of possession.
With those rapid runners ahead of him, Solskjaer will want to rid that dawdling tendency from his midfielder’s game. Achieve that, and Pogba could do serious damage this season.
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