Les Blues were looking like a formidable team and were tagged as one of the favourites to win the Euros. The defeat against Switzerland came way too soon for Pogba. According to former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, Paul was the player of the tournament.
Alongside N’Golo Kante, Pogba dominated the midfield as Didier Deschamps’ France finished at the top of Group F, which also had like Portugal, Germany and Hungary.
“Like a lot of people, I fancied the French to be champions, and as a team, they were a massive disappointment,”
“That was a particular shame for Paul Pogba. He had been the player of the tournament until they went out. The passes [he] played for Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe were incredible.”
Rooney wrote in his column for The Sunday Times.
Rooney highlighted how Kante’s presence allowed Pogba to impose himself in the middle of the park. He also added how the French midfielder played a little deeper than usual to collect balls and take his time to find the best passes.
“It helped him to have N’Golo Kante as his midfield partner, but I think the biggest reason that Paul’s performances were so good was his positioning.
“He was playing deeper than we normally see him for Manchester United, and this meant that he was able to pick the ball up in areas of the pitch where he had the time and room to pick a pass.”
England record goalscorer wants to see Pogba in similar style and form at United. Rooney feels if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can change the approach of Marcus Rashford that may actually help to bring out the best in Pogba. He wants Rashford to emulate Kylian Mbappe’s runs for Les Blues. If Rashford runs deep into the danger zones, it will allow time and space for Pogba to pick out those passes from deep midfield.
Pogba will now return to Old Trafford for the upcoming season with renewed passion. He had a solid season with the Red Devils last time out and will be looking to build on that form in the next campaign.
Manchester United had a decent campaign which could have been a lot better. But they finished second in the Premier League behind winners Manchester City. They also ended up as the Europa League runners up after they lost the finals against Villareal on penalties.
The club has also made some staggering investments for the upcoming season as they have roped in Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. The Red Devils have had a long interest in the England international, and finally, after a year of struggle, they have signed the 21-year-old winger. They have also signed Tom Heaton as a backup goalkeeper while Juan Mata’s contract was extended for another year.
However, for Marcus Rashford, there are several pressing matters at hand. The English attacker is currently with the Three Lions as they progress to the semifinals after a 4-0 thumping of Ukraine. Gareth Southgate’s men will face Denmark in the last four.
For the Manchester United forward, it has mostly been short appearances from the bench. Rashford’s health is not at its best, and hence Southgate isn’t not exerting much pressure on the 23-year-old. He had a fantastic campaign last time out where he netted 11 goals and registered as many assists in the Premier League. He will continue to be one of the vital cogs for Solskjaer in the upcoming season.
