Football

Man Utd are missing Paul Pogba – he is a class act when his mind is on the job


For all the noise around Paul Pogba and his future at Manchester United one fact can’t be disputed – his team-mates are missing him.

Whatever your view of the injured World Cup winner his creative talents are a crucial piece of the puzzle for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – for this season at least.

Because love him or loathe him the Frenchman – missing for a seventh successive game with a foot injury – is a class act when his mind is on the job.

And on a windswept, battered south coast how United were crying out for Pogba’s undoubted quality against Bournemouth .

This was exactly the kind of game in which Pogba’s pedigree might have made the difference as United toiled to find a breakthrough despite dominating the ball for long spells in a frenetic second half.

Paul Pogba is currently sidelined through injury

Josh King fires Bournemouth ahead

There’s only so often Marcus Rashford will dig you out of a hole with the kind of worldy he scored to down Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

And after returning from injury himself, maybe Anthony Martial clearly isn’t in the kind of groove just yet to be a killer in front of goal.

Brazilian Andreas Pereira is no Pogba replacement in the hole and nor can Solskjaer continue to rely on young Dan James to provide a spark when United aren’t in free-flowing mood.

Flying winger James has been a huge hit, an absolute snip at £15million since his arrival from Swansea in the summer.

King celebrates his goal

And again he was United’s best hope of a flash of magic to rescue a four game unbeaten run after Josh King grabbed the only goal of the game on half-time.

James said farewell after 80 minutes of honest graft and although Solskjaer’s stars threw the kitchen sink at Bournemouth in the closing stages, Eddie Howe’s battlers halted United’s foray up the table.

But this is where United are – one step forward two back as they reconnect with a DNA that’s been lost since Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign of supremacy ended over six years ago.

Back in the day a trip to Bournemouth for United would likely have reaped the kind of comfortable 3-1 win Manchester City plundered at the Vitality Stadium in August.

David De Gea of Manchester United kicks the ball in frustration

Nowadays, though, these fixtures are banana-skin games for a United team still being knitted together by Solskjaer.

They breed frustration and irritation for a whole generation of fans brought up on better – but this is United 2019, a team vulnerable to well-drilled, passionate teams like Bournemouth.

Howe noted outstanding performances from centre backs Nathan Ake and Steve Cook – and maybe he’ll tip a glass for VAR ref Mike Dean at his Stockley Park command post.

For plenty in United’s camp believe they were denied a legitimate penalty when Jefferson Lerma bumped into the back of Martial to send the French striker tumbling first half.

Fred clashes with Jefferson Lerma

The challenge sparked a melee with Lerma pointing the finger at Martial for going down and the Cherries star was booked for the rumpus along with Fred.

United’s confidence was high after re-discovering form on the road with three straight away wins.

But they failed to turn their menace into goals before half time – and paid the price.

Norwegian striker King, four years at United as a youngster, is one of the Premier League’s under-rated performers and a consistent goal threat.

King wheels away after opening the scoring

So it proved again as the 27-year-old scored his 45th goal in 146 League games for the Cherries.

In doing so the Bournemouth striker delivered a right royal lesson to £45million United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

As Adam Smith crossed into the box King – with his back to goal – took the ball on his chest, flicked the ball over his head before firing past David de Gea.

United still had enough of the ball second half to pull it back but lacked Pogba’s unique vision.

It’s often said players’ reputations become better when they don’t play.

In Pogba’s case, Solskjaer can’t get him back quick enough.





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