Phil Thomas: Pogba should have been a Cantona or Henry… instead he leaves Man Utd as the ultimate ‘if only’ player

IF the average Manchester United fan had three words to sum up Paul Pogba’s second coming at Old Trafford, most would be unprintable.

“An absolute waste” or “what a disaster” would be among the milder responses. But in the main, you’d end up wearing out the asterisk key.

Yet the briefest, and most cuttingly pointed, of epitaphs to bid the Frenchman farewell is this… “on his day”.

Hardly the most insulting of phrases. Indeed, related to most footballers, usually it means the total opposite.

Only Pogba isn’t most footballers.

Pogba is as talented a player as there is, in any position, on any continent, in any era. Yet only on his day.

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We should look back on his Premier League career as being one of the shining lights of the English game.

We should be mentioning his name in similar terms to the likes of Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry, or Sergio Aguero and Didier Drogba.

Only we won’t. Pogba will say farewell to the Prem as a flop. As a failure. An ‘if only’ kind of guy, rather than with a legacy as one of the greatest to grace these shores.

When you talk of Cantona, Henry, those greats of bygone years, you never, ever use the phrase “on his day”.

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Likewise with the stars currently tearing it up. Mo Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, even Harry Kane… not an “on his day” among them.

You see when you’re talking about real talent, that doesn’t apply. Never will those words precede a description of the real top-level stars.

It’s because for the absolute cream, the ones who deserve speaking of in hushed tones, “on his day” is pretty much every day. Or at least, every game.

If De Bruyne has a shocker it stands out because he has very few of them.

It’s the same for Salah, and Kane, Sadio Mane, Phil Foden plus a few more besides.

Name a stand-out performance by any of the above and it’s a real puzzler for one reason — you’re spoilt for choice.

Do the same for Pogba and there’s just as much head-scratching… to come up with any.

Even the most die-hard United fan would struggle to go beyond the second half of a Pogba-inspired Manchester derby comeback and a goal scoring Europa League final against a still developing Ajax side.

His United career — this time around — came to an end this week with an 800-word eulogy from the club’s media team. Eight. Hundred. Words.

Clearly more creative thinking in that department than the Frenchman had shown in the midfield one for the vast majority of his time.

The fact they were losing a World Cup winner on a free transfer for a second occasion, having paid nearly £90million to re-sign him, would usually be reason for riots.

Instead, there was little more than a shrug of acceptance, and any dissent was directed at the player himself.

That says it all from a set of supporters who never turn on their own.

Yes, there have been spells over the last six years when Pogba, 29, has been plagued by injuries. When there has been a reason for maybe not being at his best.

But there have been a lot more when there hasn’t. Of course, no one in their (legally obliged) right mind would ever accuse him of not putting everything in. Of not caring.

Plenty would think it though. And it would be hard to argue with the opinions of those plenty as well.

Could you seriously describe 29 league goals and 38 assists by a creative World Cup- winning midfielder over six years as anything but an unmitigated disaster?

The only thing that’s worthy of is a “good riddance”. In these modern times, though, it merits a £3.8m “loyalty bonus”.

Clearly for hanging around long enough to run down his contract and leave for nowt, allowing him to trouser another hefty signing-on fee, probably back at Juventus.

That really does stink. About as much as the bulk of Pogba’s performances.

By the time next season kicks off, the Old Trafford departures will probably be close to double figures.

The fact many will see Pogba’s as the biggest blessing in disguise of all says everything.

KLOPP CAN’T TOP ‘84 KOP

IF there’s one good thing to come out of Liverpool’s failure to win the Quadruple – only one? – it is this.

At least it should finally silence those trying to convince us this is the greatest team in the history of this famous club. A great team, of that there can be no doubt. But the best ever?

There have been plenty of them at Liverpool over the years. But if you had to plump for one, it would surely be the 1983-84 European Cup, (old) Division One and League Cup winners.

One in which centre-backs Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson played in all 51 league and European games.

 Ian Rush and Phil Neal missed three between them while Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish played over 40 apiece, as well.

All six would make most all-time Liverpool line-ups… and this was in the same season, mind.

Only 15 players appeared in the league in that treble-winning campaign. And two didn’t reach double figures between them.

So, argue that Jurgen Klopp has the greatest SQUAD in Liverpool’s history to choose from by all means.

But the greatest team? In my book, they don’t come close.

ZLAT HAS A WORD

GOT a sneak peek recently at the marvellous Adrenaline: My Untold Stories by that well-known shrinking violet Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In one sitting, it will make you love him and hate him, want to shake him by the hand and also by the throat.

But believe me, you won’t want to put it down.

It’s packed with amusing tales, and typically forthright views on some of the world’s greatest players.

It is out on July 28. I’d advise you not to miss it.

FALLIN’ ON CEF EARS

YOU have to hand it to Aleksander Ceferin and Uefa — they never cease to amaze.

In the wake of that Champ-ions League debacle, unbelievably they felt THEY should be the ones getting sympathy because they ‘only’ had three months to organise the final.

Maybe they forgot whose decision it was to award the original game to Russia — a country that has stuck two fingers up at sport with its drug-taking corruption over the years.

The fact things didn’t end even worse was entirely down to Liverpool supporters and was nothing to do with French police or any other officials.

President Ceferin, Uefa and fit for purpose… three things you will very rarely hear in the same sentence.

KAV ALL IN FOR JIGGO

MOST players may be putting their feet up and soaking in the sun but Millwall chief executive Steve Kavanagh is still getting a sweat on.

Or at least he will be next Saturday when — together with a collection of Lions staff and supporters — he gets on his bike in memory of SunSport legend Paul Jiggins.

They are doing the Cycle for Jiggo, riding from London to Brighton to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation in honour of the lifelong Millwall fan and journalistic giant  who passed away in March.

Anyone keen to donate can do so at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/millwall-football-club-cyclingforjiggo

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk