Big names haven’t always worked out at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure with Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho perfect examples of that.
Manchester United went big in the summer of 2016.
Louis van Gaal was rather cruelly sacked despite winning the FA Cup and in came Jose Mourinho, months after being axed by Chelsea.
United then made four big signings as Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all joined.
United invested big money across fees and wages in those four players in the hope that Mourinho would have the tools to take the club forward.
Mourinho won the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season but ‘The Special One’ was sacked in 2018, bringing an end to his time in the Old Trafford dugout.
Paul Pogba on Jose Mourinho at Manchester United
That era had so much potential for United but it just didn’t quite work out in the long-term after a fine first season.
Big personalities can clash and United found that in Mourinho and Pogba.
A rather surprise marriage from the start, Mourinho and Pogba clashed at United and the Frenchman has admitted confusion about Mourinho.
Pogba suggested in 2021 that Mourinho would ostracise players and added that he didn’t understand why their relationship seemed so up and down.
Pogba – on the road to returning from a doping ban – has told the Daily Mail that he and Mourinho were ‘breaking up and making up’ all the time.
The midfielder, now 31, noted that Mourinho was one of the major reasons for his decision to rejoin United in 2016.
Pogba added that his relationship with Mourinho ‘turned into a nightmare’ but he still has so much respect for the former United boss and would give him a ‘big hug’ if they met now.
“Our relationship was like boyfriend and girlfriend, we were breaking up and making up all the time,” said Pogba.
“It started great, he was one of the reasons I went back to Manchester because I spoke to him and he convinced me to come back. I don’t know why it turned into a nightmare and us fighting. Because I wasn’t fighting. I didn’t start the fight. We disagreed like managers and players do sometimes. But there’s a lot of respect from me to him.
“If I see him tomorrow it’s a big hug! But one day we will have to sit down together and discuss it,” he added.
Pogba’s next move
Pogba seemingly holds no ill-feeling towards Mourinho but we can’t quite see the pair reuniting at Fenerbahce any time soon.
The midfielder will be back in action in 2025 though and rumours already surround his future.
Pogba is rumoured to be in talks with Marseille over a move to Ligue 1, which would be his first taste of league football in France.
A return to United surely isn’t in the plans and Pogba has shot down questions about heading back to Old Trafford.
A fit and firing Pogba is certainly an asset to the game and after a difficult period, we hope that he is back to his best soon enough.
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